Match Report

Leverstock Green fell to their third defeat in a row, but they were unlucky to get nothing out of a game in which the strong wind played havoc throughout. Baldock won the game with two goals midway through the first half, but Leverstock had three good chances and a penalty shout turned down.

The Green side made a good start to the game and almost had a chance in the opening thirty seconds when Reece Cameron hooked a pass through to Lewis Collins, but a defender got in just ahead of Collins. 15 minutes into the game Collins had a genuine chance when a pass from Jamie Fulton put him clean through, but Baldock keeper Adam Harpur pulled off a great save to keep it out, and Toby Syme’s effort on the rebound was blocked wide. The effect of the wind was demonstrated when Mark Smith took the resulting corner – the ball got halfway towards the goal but then turned back towards him.

Having done well over the opening 20 minutes, Leverstock then found themselves behind in the 21st minute when Daril Ngwala hit a shot from the edge of the penalty area which was just out of Ryan Schmid’s reach and crept inside the post. Worse was to follow four minutes later when Kieran Barnes hit a shot from distance which Schmid parried away, but Charlie Payne followed up to net the rebound and put Baldock into a 2-0 lead.

Late in the first half Leverstock were denied a chance to get back into the game. There appeared to be a clear handball by a Baldock defender in the penalty area, but the referee waved away the claims for a spot kick.

Two minutes into the second half there was another big moment for the Green side when a poor back header gave Cameron the chance of a clear shot at goal. Harpur got a hand to the shot, but it was still heading for the net until defender Marcus Crowther scrambled back to clear it off the line.

Cameron was denied again in the 64th minute as he hit a great shot from the edge of the box which was tipped over the bar by Harpur.

There was little else in the way of chances during the second half, with Baldock creating little to trouble Schmid, but Leverstock just couldn’t find the goal to get them back into the game.

Next up for Matt Harding’s side is a home game against Colney Heath on Tuesday night, kick-off 7.45 pm.