Match Report

Leverstock Green exited the Gladwish Challenge Trophy at the first hurdle with a disappointing display against Division One side Rugby Borough. The Green side, missing a few regulars due to injury and unavailability, created very little during the game and the home side were deserved winners having dominated the second half.

Leverstock started the game brightly, with Luke Beckwith flashing the ball across the face of the Rugby goal in the opening minute, and a couple of corners but nothing came of them. Neither keeper had any shot to save during the first half, although Rugby came closest to opening the scoring in the 36th minute when a shot from Halim Halim went across the face of goal and just wide.

Rugby started the second half much the better side, forcing a series of corners in the opening minutes. Austin Byfield did well to turn away a shot from Tommy Glasscoe in the 58th minute. Two minutes later there was a promising moment for Leverstock when Beckwith turned a defender and had a run at goal, but the ball got away from him at the vital moment.

Byfield was in action again in the 69th minute, turning a shot from Sam Lockley around the post. A minute later Chris Blunden brought the game’s only save out of the Rugby keeper with a close range effort that was pushed away. Rugby eventually took a deserved lead in the 74th minute, with Dale Linton having an easy tap into the net while the Green defence was looking for an offside flag.

Rugby were denied a second goal in the 85th minute due to the offside flag, but a minute later they added their second as Lockley slid in to meet a cross with an effort that went in off the underside of the bar.

It was a day for the Leverstock side to forget, and next Saturday they resume their league programme with an away game against Stotfold.

Rugby Borough (0) 2 (Linton 74, Lockley 86)
1. Bobbie Biddle, 2 Connall O’Dwyer (18. Jay Finlay 72 mins), 3. Lee Thomas, 14. Brennan King (16. Tom Bishop 63 mins), 5. Ethan Flaig, 6. Max Proudlock (15. Gez McGahey 66 mins), 7. Ethan Meadows, 8. Tommy Glasscoe, 9. Sam Lockley, 10. Halim Halim, 11. Dale Linton (17. Adam Shaw 80 mins). Sub not used: 20. Josh Cooke.
Leverstock Green (0) 0
1. Austin Byfield, 2. Brad Robinson (17. Adrian Pitfield 68 mins), 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Pett, 20. Scott McGleish, 6. Kai Stonnell (16. Ayomide Oke 77 mins), 7. Elgeniy Daalberg (14. Ethan Mooney 64 mins), 8. Ibrahim Nagheeb, 9. Chris Blunden, 10. Sean Walsh (12. Ryan Carruthers 56 mins), 11. Luke Beckwith. Sub not used: 15. Callum Moore.