Match Report

A superb second half display saw Leverstock Green register their second league win in a row and their first away win of the season in Saturday’s visit to Baldock Town.

The Green side made a tentative start to the game, and found themselves a goal down in the 10th minute. Aedan Gaffney was allowed far too much time and space to turn and run at the Green defence before threading a pass to Scott Piggott, who slotted from a narrow angle past Matt Fallon.

Leverstock finally started getting into the game, with Adiel Mannion shooting over the bar in the 17th minute, and Guiseppe Delgaudio having a shot from close range saved two minutes later. A save from Fallon prevented Lewis Sinclair adding a second goal for Baldock from a corner in the 26th minute, while both Jamie Ovington and Luke Peerless went close to pulling the scores level.

The equaliser came on the break from a Baldock corner in the 40th minute. Leverstock benefited from a good advantage played by the referee as Ovington was fouled, but Mannion took the ball forward and played a great pass to put Delgaudio clean through the middle. The Baldock defenders were looking for an offside flag which never came, and Delgaudio showed great composure to draw the keeper before slotting home the goal which sent the teams into the break on level terms.

Having escaped a half in which they did not play anything like their best with no damage, the Leverstock side proceeded to take the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half, playing neat, controlled passing football. After dominating the opening ten minutes of the half, Leverstock took a deserved lead in the 56th minute. A crossfield ball from Kian Wilkes found Brima Johnson, who played the ball inside for Mannion, who unleashed a great strike from the edge of the box that gave the keeper no chance as it flew into the net.

Two minutes later a pass from John Smith put Delgaudio through for what looked set to be a third goal until he was clearly brought down by a tackle from a defender, yet the referee waved away claims for a penalty to the amazement of the Leverstock contingent in the ground.

In the 77th minute there was another questionable decision when Smith was the victim of a challenge from Ben Burton that looked worthy of a red card, but Burton was only shown a yellow card. Smith’s effort from the resulting free kick went just wide of the post. Two minutes later Mannion burst through on goal but his shot was saved by the keeper, and in the 80th minute Ovington’s header from a corner shaved the outside of the post.

Despite Leverstock’s dominance in the second half, with only a single goal lead the game was still in the balance, so there was some relief when the third goal finally arrived six minutes from time. A pass from Smith put Mannion through on goal, and although the keeper did well to parry his shot, defender Luke Rowland was running back and could not avoid the rebound cannoning off him into the net for an unfortunate own goal.

Two wins within a week will be a huge boost to the morale of Matt Harding’s squad, and they go straight into action again on Tuesday night with a visit to unbeaten Colney Heath.

Baldock Town (1) 1 (Piggott 10)
Team: 1. Oliver Skinner, 2. Lewis Sinclair (14. Zach Decker 67 mins), 3. Paul Morris, 4. Charlie Rome, 5. Ben Burton (15. Dan Harper 77 mins), 6. Luke Rowland, 7. Charlie Joy, 8. Ollie Trott (12. Luis Brooker 55 mins), 9. Scott Piggott, 10. Aedan Gaffney, 11. Ashley Kay. Subs not used: 16. Lewis Franklin, 17. Daryl Doolan.

Leverstock Green (1) 3 (Delgaudio 40, Mannion 56, Rowland OG 84)
Team: 1. Matt Fallon, 2. Brima Johnson, 3. Will Bisney, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Jamie Ovington, 6. Kian Wilkes (14. James Hall 82 mins), 7. John Smith, 8. Luke Peerless, 9. Guiseppe Delgaudio (15. Sidney Gueye 74 mins), 10. Adiel Mannion, 11. Frank Jowle (17. Cass Grant 66 mins). Subs not used: 12. Steve Hawes, 16. Connor Church.