Match Report

Leverstock Green’s Emirates FA Cup campaign ended at the first hurdle as they were beaten 1-0 at Stanway Rovers in Saturday’s Extra Preliminary Round tie. It was a tight match with little to choose between the sides, and in the end it was decided by an unfortunate error from young Leverstock keeper Alfie Bonfield. It was a game that was played in intermittent periods of heavy rain.

The first glimpse of goal for the Green side came in the 7th minute when Kian Wilkes delivered a great cross which dropped for Isiah Noel-Williams at the far post, but it was a difficult chance which he couldn’t keep on target. Mekhi Hyde was just over the bar four minutes later with a shot for Stanway, and both Ryan Carruthers and Mikkel James had efforts which went wide before Ethan Mooney had the game’s first effort on target in the 39th minute, his free kick being tipped over the bar by home keeper Adrian Aldridge.

The game was goalless after what had been a somewhat scrappy first half, and the second half opened with more torrential rain. Three minutes into the second half Noel-Williams was denied by Aldridge, who saved his shot from a narrow angle, and two minutes later Noel-Williams brought an even better save out of Aldridge with a low shot after a run across the edge of the penalty area.

Stanway had the closest effort of the game so far on 62 minutes, as Ezequil Franchi struck a rasping shot from distance that rattled the Leverstock post. On 68 minutes a pass from Wilkes put Mooney in with a chance, but again Aldridge was there to save Mooney’s shot.

The decisive moment of the game came in the 72nd minute. A Stanway free kick from outside the box was initially cleared, but when the ball was crossed in again, Bonfield appeared to have claimed it, but then lost the ball out of his hands. Stanway substitute Bleu Molloy pounced quickly to punish the error, heading home from close range.

Molloy could have sealed the game in the 79th minute when he had a clear shot from in front of goal, but pulled his shot wide. Leverstock were still in the game, and pressed hard over the closing minutes, but the Stanway defence held firm to prevent them creating any chances, and it is Stanway who progressed by the narrowest of margins to host Enfield in the next round.

Stanway Rovers (0) 1 (Molloy 72)
1. Adrian Aldridge, 2. Tyler Kemp, 3. Adrian Cant, 4. Joseph Heron, 5. Alex Taylor, 6. Jack Clampin, 7. Parvey Manduakila, 8. Sonny Bastone, 9. Christopher Manduakila (17. Bleu Molloy 67 mins), 10. Mekhi Hyde (12. Finn O’Reilly 57 mins), 11. Ezequil Franchi. Subs not used: 14. Tyler Fowles, 15. Denzel Adabiyi, 16. Munashe Mharapara, 18. Jack Hickey, 13. Luke Skinner.

Leverstock Green (0) 0
1. Alfie Bonfield, 2. Adrian Pitfield, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Brima Johnson, 6. Ryan Carruthers (20. Scott McGleish 79 mins), 7. Ethan Mooney, 8. Kian Wilkes, 9. Mikkel James (17. Rawn Seale 61 mins), 10. Isiah Noel-Williams, 11. Lewis Collins (14. Elgeniy Daalberg 69 mins). Subs not used: 12. Ollie Lawford, 16. Paplamin Jawara, 18. Tom Justin, GK. Juliusz Pazio.