Match Report

Leverstock Green Development put up a very good effort in their Herts Senior Centenary Trophy tie, but their young side were just edged out by a strong and experienced Cuffley side.

Leverstock took the lead in the 19th minute. Connor McGinty made a good run down the right, and his cross found Callum Moore, whose shot was saved, but Dylan Duane-Berry followed up to net the rebound. Cuffley equalised in the 26th minute through Dan Jones, who hit a good shot from the edge of the box.

Cuffley could have added a second two minutes later when Joseph Willis was clean through and attempted to send a lob over Green keeper Daniel Gee, but Gee stretched out an arm and diverted the ball away. Callum Moore went very close with a shot from outside the box in the 34th minute, and in the closing minutes of the half Gee twice denied Cuffley forward Mark Ajayi, firstly by deflecting a shot wide, and then by blocking a shot with his feet.

The scores were level at the break, but Cuffley took the lead within three minutes of the restart. Drew Tyler hit a free kick from 30 yards that Gee got a hand to, but could not keep out.

In the 52nd minute there was a crazy goalmouth scramble in the Cuffley box following a Leverstock free kick that was not cleared, but the ball would not go in the net. The decisive moment of the game came in the 66th minute. Leverstock went very close to an equaliser with a header that was cleared off the line, but Cuffley instantly broke away, and Ajayi got the better of the sole Green defender before sending a lob over Gee to put his side 3-1 up.

Leverstock brought on all five subs, and two of them combined in the 82nd minute as a crossfield ball from Schilo Kanda found Luc Dischamps, who hit a good effort that went into the side netting. In the last minute of the ninety Leverstock were given a lifeline when Dischamps was tripped in the box. The referee awarded the penalty and Callum Moore made no mistake from the spot to put his side back in the game at 2-3.

Over eight minutes of stoppage time were played, and in the last of those minutes Leverstock had two good shouts for handball in the box during another goalmouth scramble in which the ball would not go in. The referee gave nothing this time, though, and despite a great effort from the Green side to take the tie into penalties, Cuffley held on to go through to the next round.

1 Daniel Gee
2 Bobby O’Flynn 🔻
3 Stephen Norris 🔻
4 Shay Kelly 🟨 🔻
5 Endrit Krasniqi
6 Alfie Herd
7 Lewis Collins 🔻
8 Connor McGinty
9 Jamie McIntosh 🔻
10 Callum Moore 🟨 ⚽ 90+1
11 Dylan Duane-Berry ⚽ 19

12 Harry Herbert 🟢 (Norris 63)
14 Luc Dischamps 🟢 (Kelly 77)
15 Martin Kirov 🟢 (O’Flynn 72)
16 Schilo Mateta Kanda 🟢 (McIntosh 72)
17 Alex King 🟢 (Collins 72)