Match Report

Leverstock Green suffered a heartbreaking stoppage time defeat after a pulsating match in which they had led twice before falling to two late goals. Fergus Moore’s side put in a tremendous committed performance against a Harpenden side that are fancied to do very well this season, and certainly deserved at least a point for their efforts.

The Green side had an opening inside thirty seconds of the match as a through ball gave Isiah Noel-Williams a shooting chance, but his effort was saved. Instead it was Harpenden who took an early lead when Mulik Rickman was allowed too much time and space to line up a shot from outside the box into the bottom corner of the net with just a minute and forty seconds played.

However, Leverstock hit back, and were level in the 10th minute. Noel-Williams, who covered every blade of grass on the pitch today, delivered a cross from near the corner flag that went just over the head of Scott McGleish, but found Ollie Lawford at the far post with a looping header over the keeper for the equaliser.

Within two minutes the game had been turned around as Leverstock took the lead thanks to a howler from visiting keeper Emmanuel Olajide, who caught a cross comfortably, but then dropped it at the feet of Ethan Mooney, who wasted no time in stabbing the loose ball into the empty net.

Leverstock continued to push forward and created some half-chances, going closest to a third goal on 24 minutes when Paul Marks hit a shot just wide from the edge of the box. Three minutes later Ivan Machado hit a shot just over the bar for Harpenden. The visitors got back on level terms from a quick counter-attack in the 37th minute, ending with Harvey Scott squaring for Jimmy Hartley to shoot home from close range.

Leverstock were forced into a substitution just before half time after skipper Dan Weeks suffered a facial injury in a collision with keeper Juliusz Pazio, and Harpenden went close to going back in front in the last minute of the half, with a header from a free kick going just over the bar.

The second half was just as entertaining as the first had been. Three minutes into the half Leverstock went close again when McGleish flicked on Brima Johnson’s pass to Lawford, who sent over a cross that just eluded Noel-Williams. On the hour mark Lawford was replaced by Rawn Seale, who was quickly involved in the action. On 65 minutes a pass from McGleish put Seale through on goal, only for his shot to be saved by Olajide, however the loose ball found its way to Kian Wilkes, who crossed for Seale to shoot home from close range and put Leverstock back into the lead at 3-2.

Wilkes went close to adding another goal in the 73rd minute with a shot that flew just over the bar. Going into the last ten minutes of the game Leverstock were still leading, but there were signs that the side was tiring as Harpenden started to apply more pressure. The scores were levelled again in the 83rd minute when a cross from the left was not dealt with and Ryan Plowright headed home from six yards out.

Going into stoppage time, neither side was settling for the draw as both were still pushing forward. In the fourth minute of stoppage time Leverstock looked to have got away with one as Pazio turned a shot from the edge of the box onto the post, however the ball was not cleared, and when a cross was drilled in from the right it deflected into the net off Plowright, who knew little about it, but it proved to be the winner.

The three points took Harpenden above Leverstock at the top of the league, but there is much to build on from this performance, starting with next Saturday’s home match against Dunstable Town.

Leverstock Green (2) 3 (Lawford 10, Mooney 12, Seale 65)
Team: 1. Juliiusz Pazio, 2. Adrian Pitfield, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Weeks (15. Paplamin Jawara 43 mins), 5. Brima Johnson, 6. Paul Marks, 7. Ethan Mooney, 8. Kian Wilkes, 9. Scott McGleish (12. Mikkel James 73 mins), 10. Ollie Lawford (14. Rawn Seale 60 mins), 11. Isiah Noel-Williams. Subs not used: 17. Lewis Collins, 18. Alfie Bonfield.

Harpenden Town (2) 4 (Rickman 2, Hartley 37, Plowright 83, 90+4)
Team: 1. Emmanuel Olajide, 2. Toby Syme, 3. Dan Westmore (16. George Robinson 60 mins), 4. Ryan Plowright, 5. Dan Palmer, 6. Josh Dooley, 7. Harvey Scott, 8. Mulik Rickman, 9. Ivan Machado (15. Theo Costa 71 mins), 10. Joe Deveany, 11. Jimmy Hartley. Subs not used: 12. Connor Perlmutter, 14. Josh Rodrigues, 17. Ben Renwick.