Match Report

Leverstock Green were beaten at home by Colney Heath in their opening group game in the Gladwish/SSML Spring Cup. It was an even game with Leverstock having more attempts on goal, but the visitors took their chances to claim the points.

The Leverstock squad was certainly in the wars today. Goalkeeper Matt Fallon had to pull out of the game due to a shoulder injury sustained during the warmup that ends his season. Jamie Ovington had to take his place between the sticks. Ollie Cox suffered a broken nose towards the end of the game, Mickey Shuttlewood had lengthy treatment for a head injury, and Lewis Collins had to be susbstituted midway through the first half.

The Green side made a good start to the game, with Ollie Cox having a free kick turned wide by the keeper in the third minute. Cox was probably lucky to stay on the field with only a yellow card after an incident in the 12th minute, but he went even closer to scoring in the 25th minute when he struck the bar with a free kick from just outside the box.

Colney Heath didn’t have a serious attempt at Ovington’s goal until the 38th minute when George Devine scored with a well-placed shot from the right edge of the penalty area that went in off the far post.

They held their 1-0 lead going into the break, but Leverstock were unlucky not to equalise in the 49th minute when Adiel Mannion got on the end of Dan Weeks’ cross with a header that keeper Alex Clarke did well to tip over the bar.

There was another near miss in the 68th minute when John Smith’s header from Cox’s corner was cleared off the line, and an even nearer miss in the 74th minute when James Hall met a cross from Weeks’ with a header that was somehow cleared off the line, although some felt it may have crossed the line.

Leverstock were pushing forward again in the 80th minute when they were caught on the break, and Devine outpaced Shuttlewood to go clean through and lob the ball over the oncoming Ovington to seal a 2-0 win for his side.

Matt Harding’s side will now look to get off the mark next Saturday when they host Rayners Lane in their next group game.