Match Report

Leverstock Green claimed a very hard-fought three points from Saturday’s trip to Potton United in the SSML Premier Division. They soaked up a lot of pressure from the home side during the second half, and were down to ten men from the 75th minute. It was a game that featured two missed penalties.

Matt Harding had two new signings in his squad, with defender Ethan Flanagan returning to the club after impressing last season, and former Oxhey Jets forward Ryan O’Sullivan joining.

Potton made a strong start, with Tom Williams hitting a shot over the bar inside the opening thirty seconds of the game. Williams came even closer in the 8th minute, with a well-struck free kick that cannoned off the crossbar. Leverstock’s first chance came in the 17th minute when a kick from Matt Fallon was helped on by two poor defensive headers to Adiel Mannion, who hit a shot from the edge of the box that was kept out by the left leg of keeper Sam Irish. Luke Peerless followed up, but put the rebound over the bar and was flagged offside anyway.

It was a mistake by the keeper that helped Leverstock to take the lead in the 22nd minute. Irish went up to claim a corner from Frankie Jowle, but the ball slipped through his hands, and John Smith nodded the loose ball over the line.

Williams went close again for Potton in the 25th minute, hitting a shot across the face of goal from a narrow angle. Leverstock had a chance to double their lead in the 31st minute from the penalty spot after the referee adjudged that Peerless had been brought down from behind. Jack Stevens struck the spot kick well enough, but Irish pulled off a brilliant save to turn it round the post, going some way to atoning for his earlier error. Three minutes before the break a cross from Peerless found Smith, who somehow managed to play a one-two with himself before hitting a shot just wide.

The first half had been evenly-contested, but it was Potton who were very much on top in the second half. Sam Willis hit a shot over the bar in the 49th minute, and on 58 minutes Callum Wilson hit a free kick over the bar. Matt Fallon was tested several times, and on 65 minutes saved a close-range header from a corner.

The moment that could have been the turning point came in the 75th minute. An off-the-ball incident occurred as the ball was going out for a corner. Alex Ward raised his hand at George Brinkman, who made the most of it, going down somewhat theatrically, but the referee had no option but to send off Ward, reducing Leverstock to ten men, and also showed a yellow to Brinkman for unsportsmanlike conduct. Worse still for Leverstock, the incident occured in the penalty area, so they were now facing a penalty. Williams stepped up to take the kick, but ballooned it way over the bar, leaving the Green side still holding their slender lead.

The last twenty minutes were somewhat like the Alamo as Potton piled on the pressure, but the ten men of Leverstock battled for their lives to hang onto their lead. There were further yellow cards shown to Jamie Ovington for a tackle that could well have earned a red on another day, and to Fallon for time wasting, but the Green side held out through the five minutes of stoppage time to complete the league double over Potton and move up to eighth in the SSML Premier Division table.