Match Report

Leverstock Green may not be having much luck in cup competitions this season, but they are doing fine in the league at the moment. On Saturday they came from behind to win 2-1 at Harpenden Town, their second straight SSML Premier Division win and their first away points of the season.

The Green side didn’t make the best of starts to the game, and Harpenden dominated the early stages. Two efforts were blocked in a goalmouth scramble in the 5th minute before the home side opened the scoring in the 9th minute. Mo Koita played a one-two with Bobby Dance to cut through the Leverstock defence before lashing home a superb shot from a narrow angle.

Former Green player Connor Deadman hit a shot over the bar in the 12th minute as Harpenden continued in control. Leverstock were forced into an early substitution when Steve Hawes had to go off with a back problem, to be replaced by Bryn Rigarlsford, making his debut for the first team.

The substitution seemed to spark some life into the Leverstock team, and they came back into the game towards the end of the half. Adiel Mannion hit a shot over the bar, and Jack Stevens headed over from a corner as the Green side finished the half in a more positive mood.

That carried over into the second half as Leverstock started strongly. Two minutes in a cross from Mannion went across the face of the Harpenden goal, just eluding both Luke Peerless and Frankie Jowle. Harpenden had a couple of chances on the break, but it was Leverstock that were having more of the ball. On 57 minutes Rigarlsford hit a good effort from distance over the bar, and three minutes later Rigarlsford was found again on the overlap by a long pass from Stevens, but again his effort went over the bar.

In the 68th minute Leverstock made their second change, with Louie Griffiths coming on for Peerless, and within two minutes Griffiths was playing a huge part in the Leverstock equaliser. After good work from Mannion, Griffiths played a square ball across the box. Rigarlsford could have had a go, but cleverly dummied to let the ball run through for Jowle, who had the time and space to control the ball and shoot home into the roof of the net.

The Green side had their tails up now, and seven minutes later they had a great chance when a foul from Josh Humbert brought down John Smith just outside the box. Smith got up to take the free kick himself, and drilled it low past the wall into the bottom corner of the net to put the Green into a 2-1 lead.

In the 82nd minute Smith had another crack at a free kick from a good position, but this time brought a great save out of Harpenden keeper Alex Desmond. Harpenden pushed strongly for an equaliser in the closing minutes, and Matt Fallon had to dive to turn a shot round the post in stoppage time, but Leverstock held out for a deserved three points.