Match Report

Leverstock Green got back to winning ways as they held on for a gritty 1-0 win against St Panteleimon in the fourth meeting between the clubs this season. The two sides are clearly very well-matched as the four meetings produced two draws and a single-goal win each.

It was a chilly night at the Lords Builders Merchants Stadium with frost forming on the pitch before kick-off, but it was still very much playable by the end. The visitors had an early chance when Jonathan Moura snuck between two Leverstock defenders in the box to go through on goal, but Tautvydas Poniskaitis dived to his right to turn away Moura’s shot from close range. Poniskaitis was on hand again in the 15th minute to save a header from Clayton Afonso.

Leverstock took the lead in the 20th minute. A corner from Ibrahim Nagheeb was headed towards goal by Alvin Kyeremeh, and Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica applied the finishing touch from a yard out.

Ethan Mooney came close to adding a second goal in the 32nd minute with a curled shot from the left edge of the penalty area which went just wide, and again four minutes later when Dan Pett’s pass put him through on goal, but keeper Lincon Marques stood his ground and saved Mooney’s shot. On 38 minutes Kyeremeh got on the end of another Nagheeb corner but his header was cleared off the line.

The second half saw fewer chances as Leverstock dug in and defended the slope. Luke Durnin cleared a shot off the line in the 54th minute, and Leverstock were somewhat fortunate in the 75th minute when a cross from Guilherme Monti was deflected towards the far post and came back off the inside of the post.

Stefanoaica had an effort from distance in the 77th minute which took a deflection and flew just wide, and new signing Richard Ennin tried his luck from a free kick just outside the box in the 80th minute but it was straight at Marques.

St Panteleimon were a threat throughout the second half, but it was a very solid performance by the Leverstock defence who were all outstanding, but it was Luke Durnin who was named MOM as the Green held out for the three points which takes them up to 6th in the SSML Premier Division table.

Leverstock Green (1) 1 (Stefanoaica 20)
1. Tautvydas Poniskaitis, 2. Alvin Kyeremeh, 3. Kurainashe Musanhi, 4. Dan Weeks, 18. Luke Durnin, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Ethan Mooney, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Chris Blunden (15. Richard Ennin 69 mins), 10. Ibrahim Nagheeb (12. Luke Beckwith 64 mins), 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica. Subs not used: 14. Elgeniy Daalberg, 16. Ayomide Oke, 17. Adrian Pitfield.
St Panteleimon (0) 0
1. Lincon Marques, 2. Renzo Alves, 3. Ahmed Zaghloul, 4. Clayton Afonso, 5. Hernany Marques (20. Patrick Maia 80 mins), 6. Ahmed Doukhi, 7. Jonathan Moura (19. Emerson Pilonetto 68 mins), 8. Javonne Molloy, 9. Dean Morgan (17. Steve Dodd 71 mins), 10. Guilherme Monti, 11. Ayub Albadri (18. Courtney Massay 68 mins). Sub not used: 15. Gustavo Nunes.