Match Report

Leverstock Green continued their run in the Gladwish Challenge Trophy as a goal in each half was enough for a 2-0 win at Harefield United in Tuesday night’s Third Round tie.

Elgeniy Daalberg returned to action after a three-match absence, and with just over two minutes played Daalberg received a pass from Rio Beach, produced a lightning turn to escape the last defender, and sprinted clear before steering the ball past home keeper Reece Mallett to get Leverstock off to a fantastic start.

Leverstock had much the better of the game in the early stages and had chances to increase their lead. In the 13th minute a free kick from Dan Pett was met with a glancing header from Ethan Mooney at the near post which drifted just wide of the far post. A minute later Rawn Seale was through on goal but his early shot was pulled wide of the target. On 22 minutes Pett floated another free kick into the box. A backwards header from Dan Weeks was parried by Mallett and Kian Wilkes’ effort from the rebound was blocked.

The chances continued to come. On 28 minutes a cross from Rio Beach almost produced an own goal as defender Ano Mano chested the ball inches wide of the post. A minute later Beach had an effort from a free kick outside the box which was awkwardly beaten away by Mallett with his legs. On 32 minutes a pass from Seale put Mooney through, but again his eventual shot was off target. Having failed to increase their lead, the Green side were on the back foot for the final ten minutes of the half as Harefield pushed forward, but were unable to produce an effort to trouble Alfie Bonfield.

Leverstock continued to play well in the second half. Two minutes in a pass from Beach gave Seale a run at goal, but he was foiled by a challenge from Mallett on the edge of the box. On the hour Seale had the ball in the net, but it was disallowed for a foul on Mallett. In the 69th minute a long ball out of defence from Scott McGleish found Seale on the edge of the box, and Seale took the ball past Mallett, but with the angle narrowing his effort at goal went over the bar.

There was a rare scare at the other end in the 75th minute when an overhead kick from Zak Jackson struck the post, but Leverstock continued to dominate. Two minutes later Mooney was clean through on goal but was pulled back by substitute Luke Simpson. It looked like a clear case of a red card for Simpson, who had only been on the pitch for two minutes, but the result was only a yellow card and the resulting free kick was hit over the bar.

There was yet another chance in the 82nd minute. A square ball from Ollie Cox found Seale, who was brought down in the box by Simpson. The referee awarded the penalty, but as Wilkes stepped up to take the spot kick, Mallett guessed the right way and dived to turn the ball round the post.

Three minutes later there was another poor tackle from Paul Underwood which brought down Nagheeb Ibrahim just outside the box, and again the verdict was only a yellow card. However, after Ibrahim had received treatment, Cox stepped up to take the resulting free kick. Cox’s effort was straight at Mallett, but the keeper failed to hold onto the ball, and Seale followed in to net the rebound for the decisive second goal, one that was very much deserved for Seale’s tireless performance.

Leverstock are now into the quarter-finals, where they face a trip to Hadley next Tuesday night.

Harefield United (0) 0
1. Reece Mallett, 2. Austin Schofield (12. Luke Simpson 75 mins), 3. Steven Green, 4. Ben Stallard (14. George Murphy 84 mins), 5. Ano Mano, 6. Sean Mangan, 7. Zak Jackson, 8. Tashan Jordan, 9. Donell Watt (15. Nicolas Hounto 67 mins), 10. Louis Bircham, 11. Paul Underwood. Subs not used: 16. Callum Neal, 19. Jacob Ballheimer.
Leverstock Green (1) 2 (Daalberg 3, Seale 88)
1. Alfie Bonfield, 2. Jack Allen, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Weeks, 18. Scott McGleish, 6. Kian Wilkes, 7. Ethan Mooney (14. Ollie Cox 79 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Rawn Seale, 10. Ryan Carruthers (15. Nagheeb Ibrahim 56 mins), 11. Elgeniy Daalberg (12. Lewis Collins 59 mins). Subs not used: 16. Paul Marks, 17. Adam Page.