Match Report

Leverstock Green staged a late comeback against Dunstable Town, but it wasn’t enough to pull back the two goals they had conceded earlier in the match. It was another match played in difficult conditions, despite the sunny weather, as the pitch was hard and there was still an awkward wind blowing down the pitch, and a game of few chances that never really got going.

Fergus Moore made a few changes to the side which won the cup tie at Harefield in midweek, and his side made a strong start to the game. In the 5th minute Ollie Cox had an ambitious effort from near the halfway line which flew only just over the bar. A minute later Cox had another effort at goal from just outside the box which went wide.

In the 8th minute a long ball out of defence from Nagheeb Ibrahim found Lewis Collins, who had a run at goal but hit his eventual shot over the bar. Two minutes later two Dunstable defenders got in a tangle with each other on the edge of their own box. Ibrahim picked up the loose ball but hit his shot inches wide.

The game became scrappy after that, with few chances being created. On 27 minutes Dunstable went close when a header from a corner was headed off the line by Brad Robinson. Four minutes later Dunstable took the lead when Daniel Trif got to the bye-line and pulled the ball back for Remell Stirling to sidefoot home from close range.

The second half saw even less goalmouth action than the first, with the game becoming disjointed due to frequent stoppages. After three substitutions and a change of shape Leverstock started to come back into the game in the closing stages, with Ethan Mooney going close to an equaliser on 81 minutes with a volley from the edge of the box that went just over the bar. Dunstable were denied a second goal in the 82nd minute when Alfie Bonfield came off his line to save from Terrence Muchineripi, who was clean through. However, a minute later they did add a second goal when Dylan Baker got on the end of a cross from Trif with a header that looped over Bonfield, although there was a feeling that Baker had pushed a defender out of the way before the header.

Leverstock got a lifeline back into the game in the 89th minute when Ibrahim was brought down in the box, and the referee awarded the penalty. Mooney was successful with his spot kick to pull the score back to 2-1. During a lengthy period of stoppage time the home side had chances to make the game safe through Kelvin Osei-Addo, but his first effort was wide and his second was saved by Bonfield.

In the sixth minute of stoppage time a foul on Mooney just outside the box gave Leverstock a free kick in a dangerous position and a chance to snatch a point, but Ibrahim’s effort was blocked by the wall and the chance went away.

Dunstable Town (1) 2 (R.Stirling 31, Baker 83)
Team: 1. Dan Gould, 2. Ethan Creary, 3. Daniel Trif, 4. Joe Mead, 10. Kyle Faulkner (19. Kelvin Osei-Addo 72 mins), 11. Dylan Baker, 13. Joe Parmley, 14. Terrence Muchineripi (7. Dan Naylor 88 mins), 15. Remell Stirling (8. Jamie Nicholls 79 mins), 17. J’Ardell Stirling, 18. Ruairi Mills. Subs not used: 16. Benji Gray, 20. Jack Percy.
Leverstock Green (0) 1 (Mooney 89 pen)
1. Alfie Bonfield, 2. Jack Allen, 3. Brad Robinson, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Paul Marks, 6. Ryan Carruthers (15. Rawn Seale 60 mins), 7. Lewis Collins (12. Ethan Mooney 79 mins), 8. Ollie Cox (14. Dan Pett 69 mins), 9. Adam Page, 10. Nagheeb Ibrahim, 11. Elgeniy Daalberg. Subs not used: 16. Kian Wilkes, 18. Scott McGleish.