Match Report

Leverstock Green’s FA Cup adventure is over after defeat at Isthmian League Premier Division side Billericay Town, but the Green side can be very proud of their efforts this afternoon having given a very good account of themselves, and they even led the game at one point, albeit briefly.

Billericay could have been two goals up inside the opening five minutes. In the second minute Chris Dickson had a chance inside the six yard box but slipped the ball wide of the target. In the 5th minute Toby Stevenson broke down the right and squared into the box for Anthony Jeffrey, who had the goal at his mercy but his shot hit the bar. Leverstock began to grow into the game and had their first effort in the 9th minute as Dan Pett hit a shot which home keeper Harry Seaden failed to hold onto, but recovered to claim the ball just before Lewis Collins could get to it.

Manager Fergus Moore gambled on the fitness of defender Luke Durnin, but Durnin only lasted until the 11th minute before he had to be replaced by Brad Robinson in a reshaped back four. Collins had an effort on goal in the 20th minute which was gathered by Seaden, and two minutes later a nice move ended with a shot from Chris Blunden that was blocked by a defender. A minute later there was almost a chance at the other end as a back pass from Alvin Kyeremeh came up short, but Josh Mollison raced out of his goal to clear before a forward could intercept.

Mollison saved again in the 26th minute, keeping out a shot from John Ufuah with his legs. In the 37th minute a free kick from Dan Pett was headed away, but only as far as Ibrahim Nagheeb, who shot wide. Half time was reached with a highly competitive game still goalless.

The second half was less than two minutes old when Leverstock found themselves with a chance to take a sensational lead. Collins fed the ball out wide to Ethan Mooney, whose cross struck the arm of Stephenson. The referee awarded the penalty, and Blunden stepped up to net the spot kick to put Leverstock 1-0 up.

The lead lasted little more than a minute, however. Leverstock conceded a free kick in a dangerous position just outside their own box. Alfie Cerulli took advantage of poor placement of the defensive wall, as his shot, which was certainly not the hardest, went past the wall and took a bounce on its way into the corner of the net, leaving Mollison standing.

Blunden went close to putting the Green side back in front in the 61st minute as he brought down a long free kick from Kyeremeh and turned into space on the edge of the box, but hit his shot wide. In the 63rd minute Mollison pulled off a brilliant save to turn a shot from Ufuah round the post. However, a minute later Ofuah hit another shot which struck the bar, and the rebound fell to Cerulli, who buried it from a narrow angle to put Billericay into a 2-1 lead.

George Mitchell-Gears came off the bench in the 66th minute and within a minute was denied an equaliser by a close-range save from Seaden. Instead of being level, seconds later Leverstock found themselves 3-1 down. The Green defenders felt the ball had gone out of play as Cerulli chased it to the bye-line, but play went on and Cerulli squared to give Dickson a tap-in for the third goal.

Scott McGleish entered the game in the 72nd minute and within two minutes he won the first of many headers as he flicked a Kyeremeh free kick across goal to Mitchell-Gears, whose header was saved. In the 78th minute Blunden had a chance from a free kick in a dangerous position, but hit his effort just over the bar. Leverstock were still in the game until the 81st minute, when a slick end-to-end passing move ended with Dickson shooting home Billericay’s fourth goal.

Mitchell-Gears and McGleish both went close to pulling a goal back in the closing minutes with headers that went just over the bar, but there were no further goals as Billericay ran out 4-1 winners. The result was a little harsh on the Green side, who were well in the game until the end and had plenty of chances themselves.

There is still plenty of cup action coming up for the Leverstock side, as three of their next four games are in three different cups, starting on Tuesday night when they visit another Isthmian Premier side Bishop’s Stortford in the first round of the Herts Senior Cup.

Billericay Town (0) 4 (Cerulli 50, 64, Dickson 68,81)
1. Harry Seadon, 2. George Wind, 3. Toby Stephenson, 4. Michael Agyemang, 5. Marvel Ekpiteta, 7. Bradley Stephenson, 11. John Ufuah, 16. Henry Lukombo, 18. Anthony Jeffrey (10. Alfie Cerulli 34 mins), 19. Chris Dickson (9. Jacob Bancroft 84 mins), 20. Harry Burnett (8. Jack Taylor H/T). Subs not used: 12. Freddy Cooper, 13. Lawrie Wilson, 14. Gabriel Ipanga Mbambo, 15. Rhian Fowler.
Leverstock Green (0) 1 (Blunden 48 pen)
1. Josh Mollison, 2. Alvin Kyeremeh, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Weeks, 18. Luke Durnin (15. Brad Robinson 11 mins), 6. Ryan Carruthers (14. George Mitchell-Gears 66 mins), 7. Lewis Collins, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Chris Blunden, 10. Ibrahim Nagheeb, 11. Ethan Mooney (20. Scott McGleish 72 mins). Subs not used: 12. Elgeniy Daalberg, 16. Kai Stonnell, 17. Sean Walsh, GK. Austin Byfield.