Match Report

Leverstock Green’s run of league games without a win stretched to six after they suffered their second league defeat in Wednesday night’s game against St Panteleimon. The whole of the game was played in heavy torrential rain, although the 4G pitch at Hertford meant that the game was never in any danger.

The Green side made a shaky start to the game, and were punished for giving the ball away in their own half in the 3rd minute, as Guilhelme Monti ran through and hit a low shot out of Austin Byfield’s reach into the corner of the net.

Leverstock finally got going in the 15th minute as Chris Blunden and Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica combined on a quick break. Stefanoaica’s shot was blocked, painfully by his teammate Ethan Mooney, and Blunden hit the rebound just over the bar. Three minutes later the two combined again as Stefanoaica crossed from the right touchline. The cross was missed by a defender and found Blunden in front of goal to shoot home the equaliser.

It should have been 2-1 in the 34th minute in a goalmouth scramble following a corner, but both Blunden and Mooney had shots cleared off line. Blunden went close again two minutes later with a dipping effort that went just over the bar. An entertaining half between two evenly-matched sides finished with the score at 1-1.

As the rain got even heavier, the second half produced somewhat less in the way of goalmouth action at both ends. The home side were reduced to ten men in the 57th minute as the goalscorer Monti was booked for diving and received his second yellow card.

Leverstock didn’t make the most of their numerical advantage, although they had a couple of chances. On 70 minutes a pass from Ibrahim Nagheeb gave Stefanoaica a run at goal, but his shot was deflected wide, while on 76 minutes a pass from Blunden set up a shot for substitute Elgeniy Daalberg, but his effort went across goal and wide. Disaster struck on 79 minutes when home forward Dean Morgan took advantage of Leverstock being caught short at the back to fire home a shot from the edge of the box for a 2-1 St Panteleimon lead.

Leverstock had produced miraculous late equalisers for 2-2 draws in both of the FA Cup ties against St Panteleimon earlier in the season, but they couldn’t repeat the magic this time, and their chances were further hampered by Blunden having to go off injured in the 81st minute.

St Panteleimon (1) 2 (Monti 3, Morgan 79)
1. Diego Pereira, 2. Felipe Diaz, 5. Michael Frangeskou, 3. Ahmed Zaghloul, 4. Clayton Afonso, 10. Guilhelme Monti, 7. Jonathan Moura, 6. Jefferson Clemente (20. Joao Praes H/T), 11. Ayub Albadri (8. Ahmed Doukhi 64 mins), 9. Dean Morgan (19. Emerson Silva 87 mins), 18. Courtney Massay. Sub not used: 16. Igor Santos.
Leverstock Green (1) 1 (Blunden 18)
1. Austin Byfield, 2. Alvin Kyeremeh, 3. Rio Beach, 18. Bobby Armstrong (16. Brad Robinson 65 mins), 20. Scott McGleish, 6. Ibrahim Nagheeb, 7. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Chris Blunden (15. Ayomide Oke 81 mins), 10. George Mitchell-Gears (14. Elgeniy Daalberg 72 mins), 11. Ethan Mooney. Subs not used: 12. Ryan Carruthers, 17. Sean Walsh.