Match Report

Leverstock Green bounced back from their midweek defeat in style as they scored two second half goals to secure an impressive win at Hadley in Saturday’s SSML Premier Division game. It was a strong performance all round from Fergus Moore’s side, and eventually they took advantage of the home side’s struggle to defend set pieces to score twice from corners.

There were few chances for either side in the early stages. In the 20th minute Dan Weeks got on the end of one of several excellent corner deliveries from Paplamin Jawara, but headed over the bar. On 25 minutes Hadley had the ball in the net. Sam Edwards struck a low free kick from distance which hit the post. Billy Baird followed up to net the rebound, but his shot was touched in on the line by Jordan Edwards, who was flagged offside.

Leverstock went close in the 35th minute as Rio Beach delivered a great cross from the left touchline which just eluded Rawn Seale sliding in at the far post. Five minutes later there was an even better chance. Jawara delivered a free kick to the far post, which Kian Wilkes headed back across goal. Dan Pett came in with the goal at his mercy but couldn’t keep his header under the bar. In the last minute of the half Wilkes sent over another dangerous cross to the far post which was cleared by a defender just before Lewis Collins could get to it.

As the second half wore on Leverstock were looking the more likely team to score. On 54 minutes Weeks got his head to another Jawara corner, but it went wide. However, on 60 minutes it was Hadley with the chance as Solomon Ofori broke clear, but Alfie Bonfield pulled off a superb save to keep out Ofori’s shot.

A minute later Leverstock went close again when Seale headed just over from a Wilkes cross, and on 64 minutes Seale ran onto a lofted pass from Beach, but keeper Luke Ward came out of his goal and just reached the ball ahead of Seale.

The breakthrough came in the 71st minute as Leverstock won a series of corners. Jawara’s first two deliveries were just about headed behind by the Hadley defence, but the third was not cleared, and Seale pounced on the loose ball to rifle home a shot into the corner of the net.

Hadley’s weakness at defending corners was exploited again in the 80th minute as Jawara delivered another peach of a cross and Wilkes came in unmarked to head home from close range and put Leverstock into a 2-0 lead.

That proved to be enough for the win, as the Green side held out comfortably for the clean sheet. This game concluded a run of five straight away games from which Leverstock have registered ten points. They finally return to Pancake Lane to face Broadfields United next Saturday.

Both teams today were presented with awards by SSML official Bill Hamilton. On the left Leverstock skipper Dan Weeks has the Respect Team of the Month award for August, and on the right Hadley skipper Paul Wright has the Team of the Month award for August. (Photo by Tony Smart)

Hadley (0) 0
Team: 1. Luke Ward, 2. Bradley Marriott, 3. Andrew White (16. Williams Danquah 76 mins), 4. Paul Wright, 5. Billy Baird, 6. Tom Milton, 7. Solomon Ofori, 8. Teddy Stacey (17. Ed Davis 76 mins), 9. Sam Edwards (12. Zack Uribarri 69 mins), 10. Jordan Edwards, 11. Luke Alfano. Subs not used: 13. Charlie Mann, 18. Cameron Ferguson.

Leverstock Green (0) 2 (Seale 71, Wilkes 80)
Team: 1. Alfie Bonfield, 2. Harry Bonner, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Paul Marks, 6. Kian Wilkes (12. Ryan Carruthers 90+2 mins), 7. Lewis Collins (18. Adrian Pitfield 89 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Rawn Seale, 10. Ollie Lawford (17. Ethan Mooney 61 mins), 11. Paplamin Jawara. Subs not used: 14. Elgeniy Daalberg, 16. Mikkel James.