Match Report

Leverstock Green put up a very good display against one of the title favourites in Leighton Town, but a single first half goal was enough for Leighton to take all three points.

As in the midweek game against Biggleswade, Leverstock came under pressure in the opening few minutes but withstood it. In the 4th minute Matt Fallon tipped over a cross from the right that had been caught by the wind, and shots from Ben Pattie and Ashton Campbell both went wide of the Green goal in the opening ten minutes.

Leverstock’s first near miss came in the 13th minute when Jamie Calvin got up at the near post to meet a long throw from Brima Johnson, but flicked it just over the bar. In the 28th minute a corner from Frank Jowle was missed by home keeper Brad Kirkwood, but nobody could force the ball home. A minute later at the other end Ashton Campbell went close for Leighton with a lob from the edge of the area that just cleared the bar.

In the 32nd minute Calvin and Jowle combined on a quick break to put Oran Swales through on goal, but Kirkwood made a great low one-handed save to keep out Swales’ shot. Two minutes later Swales tested Kirkwood with another shot, striking from the edge of the box after another Johnson long throw had been headed away.

Six minutes before half time the Leverstock resistance was broken down as Leighton launched a quick counter-attack. Campbell got in behind Johnson and ran on to slot the ball past Fallon and across goal to where Archie McClelland was coming in to finish with a tap-in. Leverstock also suffered a blow in that Swales had to leave the game through an injury picked up in the previous Green attack.

The second half followed a similar pattern with Leighton having more of the ball and most of the chances. Pattie and Jordon Frederick both put shots over the bar for Leighton just before the hour mark. On 65 minutes Leverstock went close when a neat backheel from Luke Peerless set up Calvin for a shot that went just over, and on 74 minutes a pass from John Smith sent Calvin away to hit a shot that was turned round the post by Kirkwood. Two minutes later Fallon stopped an effort from Connor Calcutt on the line and Mickey Shuttlewood completed the clearance. With five minutes left Fallon made another great save to keep out a shot from Sonny Newbury-Barr.

Leighton had other late chances, but wayward shooting meant that they still only had their single-goal lead going into the closing minutes. Leverstock almost made them pay in the 89th minute when a cross from Johnson was headed just wide by Calvin, and they won a couple of corners in stoppage time as the game remained in the balance to the end, but ultimately Leighton held out for the win.

Leverstock have now gone three games without a goal and four games without a win, but if they continue to turn in performances like the last two games, they will soon start to come.

Leighton Town (1) 1  (McClelland 39)
1. Brad Kirkwood, 12. Ben Pattie (9. Sonny Newbury-Barr 76 mins), 17. Ross Adams, 4. Joe Fitzgerald, 5. Dave Murphy, 19. Brian Foulger, 7. Connor Calcutt (3. Tom Silford 88 mins), 8. Jordon Frederick, 14. Ashton Campbell (George Boland 83 mins), 10. Archie McClelland, 11. Tom Bryant. Subs not used: Kio Kennett Ratcliffe, Louie Howarth.

Leverstock Green (0) 0
1. Matt Fallon, 2. Brima Johnson, 3. Will Bisney, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Mickey Shuttlewood, 6. Steve Hawes, 7. John Smith, 8. James Hall (16. Jamie Ovington 71 mins), 9. Jamie Calvin, 10. Oran Swales (15. Luke Peerless 41 mins), 11. Frank Jojwle (12. Sidney Gueye 62 mins). Sub not used: Kian Wilkes.