Match Report

Leverstock Green successfully retained their SSML Premier Division status by securing the point they needed with a 0-0 draw at Leighton Town on the final day of the season. As it turned out, other results would have been enough to keep them up anyway, but to have secured safety off their own bat was an important boost at the end of a very difficult season for the Green.

It was the team’s best performance for some time and a fully deserved point, and they had plenty of chances to have won the game. In the 8th minute Reece Cameron did well to get to the bye-line and pull the ball back into the six yard box, but Louis Griffiths hit his shot just wide. At the other end five minutes later former Green player Jordan Fredericks blasted a shot wide from a good chance.

There was another opening for Leverstock in the 21st minute when Griffiths went on a run into the box before laying off for Harry Barrett, who was through on goal but pulled his shot wide. On 30 minutes Cameron hit a fine crossfield ball to find Griffiths on the edge of the box, but defender Alfie Osborne did well to close down quickly and block Griffiths’ shot.

The second half saw some equally promising forward play from the Green side. On 56 minutes there was some good work on the left from Lejhai Henriques to set up Barrett for a cross into the box. Cameron got on the end of it with a shot on the turn that went just wide. A minute later Henriques set up another chance for Cameron but this time his shot was saved.

On 65 minutes a Leverstock corner was headed out to the edge of the box, where Mark Smith met it with a sweet volley that went inches over the bar. Three minutes later Luke Preedy got on the end of a huge kick from Ryan Schmid but couldn’t keep his shot under the bar. With 15 minutes left Cameron had another shot which was deflected wide by a defender, and from the resulting corner Cameron lined up an excellent long-range effort which went just over the angle of post and bar.

There were some tense moments over the last five minutes as Leighton had a shot blocked on the line in a goalmouth scramble, and an effort on the rebound went wide. But by then Stotfold had fallen behind in their game, which meant that Leverstock could not have fallen into the bottom two. The final whistle confirmed that the Green were safe,and will go on to play in a 17th consecutive season in the SSML Premier Division.