Match Report

After a run of three defeats in league and cup, Leverstock Green steadied the ship with a point from a goalless draw at London Colney. It had required penalties to separate the two sides when they met in the FA Vase a week ago, and again the sides were closely-matched in a game of few chances. Goalkeeper Alfie Bonfield was Leverstock’s hero with a first half penalty save. Will Bisney came in for his first game of the season, replacing the injured Rio Beach.

After a quiet opening to the game there were a couple of scares for Leverstock when Finbar King hit a shot just over the bar on 13 minutes, and a Colney free kick was headed across the face of the Green goal two minutes later. Leverstock then had a couple of chances of their own. On 21 minutes a flick-on from Ollie Lawford gave Rawn Seale a run at goal, but his shot was comfortably gathered. Two minutes later giant home keeper Thierry-Allan Belleau came off his line to punch away a cross from Adrian Pitfield. The ball only went as far as Ryan Carruthers, who tried to lob into the empty net but it dropped just over the bar.

In the 25th minute London Colney had a golden opportunity to open the scoring when Isiah Noel-Williams brought down a Colney forward just inside the box and the referee pointed straight to the penalty spot. However, Alfie Bonfield dived to his right to turn away Jordan Gill’s spot kick and keep the score at 0-0.

Leverstock had another good chance in the 39th minute when a pass from Ethan Mooney put Lawford through. As Belleau came racing out of his area Lawford took the ball past him, but had been forced wide and his his pull-back into the box did not find a Green forward.

The second half saw generally more pressure from the Leverstock side, and a succession of corners, but little in the way of clear-cut chances created by either side. The best chance for Leverstock came in the 73rd minute when a precise pass from Lawford put Seale through on goal, but he was denied at the death by a great saving tackle from Andrew Simmons.

On 82 minutes Belleau couldn’t hold onto a shot from Seale, but no-one was following in quickly enough to get to the loose ball before the keeper gathered at the second attempt. Two minutes from time a free kick from Pitfield found Paplamin Jawara at the far post but he couldn’t direct his header on target. In the end it was a game that neither side really deserved to lose, or win, and Leverstock were prevented from scoring for the first time in a league match this season.

London Colney 0
Team:1. Thierry-Allan Belleau, 2. Andrew Simmons, 3. Jordan Gill, 4. Jack Mace, 5. Zack Holding, 6. Jack Wilson, 7. Herbie Townsend (14. Issouf Coulibaly 80 mins), 8. Isaac Olaleye (15. Wilberforce Ocran 68 mins), 9. Finbar King, 10. Pijus Montvydas, 11. Kwadino Bugyei-Kyei. Subs not used: 12. Jake Clarke, 16. James Lawrance, 17. Antony Stockman.

Leverstock Green 0
Team: 1. Alfie Bonfield, 2. Adrian Pitfield, 3. Will Bisney, 4. Dan Weeks (17. Scott McGleish 85 mins), 5. Paul Marks, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Ethan Mooney, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Rawn Seale, 10. Ollie Lawford (12. Lewis Collins 77 mins), 11. Isiah Noel-Williams (15. Paplamin Jawara 64 mins). Subs not used: 14. Elgeniy Daalberg, 16. Brima Johnson.