Match Report

Leverstock Green faced a penalty shoot out for the third time this season, and for the first time they came out on top with a 5-3 win on penalties after a 1-1 draw over 90 minutes against Aylesbury Vale Dynamos in the Gladwish Challenge Trophy second round.

Fergus Moore selected a much-changed side for this tie, including new signing Tomasz Siemienczuk from Hanwell Town. Despite conceding an early goal the side battled well all night in an entertaining and end-to-end cup tie, and eventually got their reward.

Leverstock made a bright start to the match, winning a couple of early corners, but it was the visitors who took the lead from their first corner in the 9th minute, as Brian Haule rose unchallenged in the six yard box to head home. Aylesbury went close to adding a second goal in the 18th minute when a shot from Alfi Touceda took a deflection which sent Juliusz Pazio the wrong way, but drifted just wide of the post.

Leverstock had more of the ball in the first half but didn’t have the end product to show for it. On 34 minutes Scott McGleish played a one-two with Mikkel James but hit his shot wide. On 38 minutes Siemienczuk got on the end of a cross but headed over the bar. The visitors went close again in the last minute of the half when Montel Brown hit a shot which beat Pazio but struck the post, and in stoppage time Siemienczuk got on the end of another cross from Harry Bonner, but headed wide from in front of goal.

The Green side again made a good start to the second half. On 52 minutes a pass from skipper Ollie Cox gave Siemienczuk a ball to chase, but Aylesbury keeper James Weatherill came out of his goal and just got to the ball first. Three of the players rested from the starting line-up came off the bench during the second half. Lewis Collins was first to come on in the 55th minute, and three minutes later had a run at goal and hit a shot just wide. Ethan Mooney and Dan Pett joined the game in the 58th and 68th minutes respectively.

In the 71st minute Leverstock won a free kick midway into the opposition half. Cox floated the ball into the box, and when it was knocked down, Siemienczuk was on hand to fire the ball home to level the scores with a goal on his debut.

Aylesbury threatened to retake the lead. On 74 minutes Brown received the ball in the box with time and space to shoot, but Pazio pulled off a good save. Pazio saved again in the 83rd minute from Joe Chott after a short goal kick had put Leverstock in danger. Substitute Andrew Ofosu had a good chance a minute later but shot over the bar, and soon after Ofosu was clean through but Pazio slid in with a well-timed tackle to win the ball with his feet.

Leverstock then went close to winning the game in stoppage time. A cross from Collins found Siemienczuk in the six yard box, but Weatherill pulled off a great save to keep out his shot, and then saved again in a goalmouth scramble from the ensuing corner.

The scores were still level at the final whistle, so the tie went to penalties. Leverstock buried their penalty shoot out jinx as Dan Pett, Ethan Mooney, Tomasz Siemienczuk, Kian Wilkes and Rio Beach were all successful with their kicks, and with Pazio having saved Aylesbury’s third kick from Ofosu, Beach’s kick proved to be the winner that sent Leverstock into the last 16 of the Gladwish Challenge Trophy. Brad Robinson was named Man of the Match by the match ball sponsor.

The two sides meet again at Pancake Lane in four days time, this time for a league fixture.

Leverstock Green (0) 1 (Siemienczuk 71)
Team: 1. Juliusz Pazio, 2. Harry Bonner, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Brad Robinson, 5. Scott McGleish, 6. Jamie Calvin (12. Lewis Collins 55 mins), 7. Ryan Carruthers (16. Dan Pett 68 mins), 8. Kian Wilkes, 9. Mikkel James (14. Ethan Mooney 58 mins), 10. Tomasz Siemienczuk, 11. Ollie Cox. Subs not used: 17. Dan Weeks, 18. Adrian Pitfield.
Penalties: Pett, Mooney, Siemienczuk, Wilkes, Beach.
Aylesbury Vale Dynamos (1) 1 (Haule 9)
Team: 1. James Weatherill, 2. Luke Nugent, 3. Alex Mitchell, 4. Alfi Touceda (16. Dave Brown 90 mins), 5. Terry Griffiths, 6. Gabby Adelowo, 7. Joe Chott, 8. Roy Byron, 9. Brian Haule, 10. Montel Brown (14. Aaron Berry 87 mins), 11. Jake Baldwin (12. Andrew Ofosu 70 mins). Subs not used: 15. Callum Shortt, 17. Paul Bagatti.
Penalties: D.Brown, Griffiths, Ofosu (saved), Haule.
Leverstock Green win 5-3 on penalties