Match Report

Leverstock Green won their first cup tie of the season as they progressed to the Second Round of the Gladwish Challenge Trophy with a 5-0 win over Division Two side Tring Corinthians at Pancake Lane.

The visitors suffered a blow 15 minutes before kickoff when their goalkeeper Dennis Orlov suffered a broken finger during the warmup.  With no replacement keeper available, coach Ian Plumridge had to go in goal, and the kickoff was delayed for ten minutes to allow Plumridge more time to warm up.

Leverstock were expected to win this tie against opponents struggling two divisions below them, but Tring put up a battling display. In the 5th minute the Green side went close when Kian Wilkes headed just over the angle from Scott McGleish’s free kick, but two minutes later it was Alfie Bonfield who had to make the first save of the match as Tring broke away and Tom Banks hit a shot on target.

Mikkel James went close twice during the first half, firstly in the 19th minute when he got a sidefoot to Wilkes’ cross, but it drifted just wide of the far post, and again on 26 minutes when he was clean through but lifted his shot just over the bar. Plumridge had some saves to make, but mostly from shots or headers that were straight at him.

Just when Leverstock might have been getting frustrated at not having found the net, they made the breakthrough in the 36th minute. James delivered a low cross from the right touchline and Ollie Lawford turned the ball home from close range.

The single goal was all that the Green side had to show for their first half display, but they started the second half strongly. Elgeniy Daalberg had a good chance inside the opening 20 seconds but ballooned it over the bar. In the 48th minute Leverstock doubled their lead from a good counter-attack. Lewis Collins brought the ball before, exchanged passes with Lawford then ran through to shoot past Plumridge.

It could have been three a minute later when Collins repaid the favour by putting Lawford through, but Plumridge saved with his legs. The third goal eventually arrived in the 62nd minute. Plumridge saved a shot from Ethan Mooney but could only parry it into the air. As the ball came down Lawford went up with the keeper and knocked the ball down before shooting home the loose ball. Plumridge felt he had been fouled, but the referee gave the goal.

In the 70th minute Plumridge denied Lawford his hat-trick, saving his shot from close range from Mooney’s cross. However, a minute later Mooney got up to head home Paplamin Jawara’s corner for the fourth goal.

Lawford was through again in the 76th minute and was again denied by Plumridge’s legs, and six minutes later a pass from Mooney put Rawn Seale through, but his shot was straight at Plumridge. The fifth goal was finally added in the 88th minute as Adrian Pitfield played the ball forward and Mooney shot home his second goal of the game.

In the end it was a comfortable win, but credit is due to the Tring side for their performance, and they had their share of attempts on goal during the second half. Leverstock will now be at home to Aylesbury Vale Dynamos in the second round on a date to be arranged.

Leverstock Green (1) 5 (Lawford 36, 62, Collins 48, Mooney 71, 88)
Team: 1. Alfie Bonfield, 2. Adrian Pitfield, 3. Bradley Robinson, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Scott McGleish, 6. Kian Wilkes (16. Ryan Carruthers 68 mins), 7. Lewis Collins, 8. Paplamin Jawara, 9. Mikkel James (18. Rawn Seale 60 mins), 10. Ollie Lawford, 11. Elgeniy Daalberg (17. Ethan Mooney 55 mins). Subs not used: 12. Rio Beach, 14. Harry Bonner.
Tring Corinthians (0) 0
Team: 1. Ian Plumridge, 2. Jake Plumridge, 3. Callum Nevin (12. Sam Lomas 72 mins), 4. Danny Imlach (14. Darrien Garcia 76 mins), 5. Ben Jenkins, 6. Ryan Curtis, 7. Tom Banks (15. Jack Vaughan 72 mins), 8. Corey Flynn, 9. Matt Hatt, 10. Dan Hill, 11. Deniz Demirci. Sub not used: 16. Liam Barnett.