Match Report

It was an afternoon to forget for Leverstock Green FC, who crashed to a heavy home defeat to in-form neighbours Colney Heath, and suffered a serious injury. It was a similar line-up to that which had played the last four games unbeaten, except that Ryan Carruthers was absent through suspension, and George Mitchell-Gears started in place of Luke Beckwith.

The visitors opened the scoring in the fourth minute of the game, and it was a goal that Green keeper Josh Bowler will be disappointed with, as a long-range shot from Jack Kimber bounced in front of him and found the net.

A few minutes later Mitchell-Gears went into an innocuous challenge with an opponent, but landed awkwardly. After initially trying to continue, Mitchell-Gears went down in agony and was stretchered off in the 13th minute with what looked like a serious ankle injury.

Three minutes later Leverstock Green FC were two goals down to another avoidable goal, as Jack Percy ran from his own half through the Green defence with barely a challenge before slotting past Bowler to double his side’s lead.

On 24 minutes Leverstock had the chance to pull a goal back when Rio Beach was sent flying by a challenge in the box and the referee awarded a penalty. However, Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica missed for the second Saturday in a row as his kick was comfortably saved by Colney keeper Connor Sansom.

The penalty miss was soon forgotten, as four minutes later Dan Pett swung in a free kick from the right, and Stefanoaica connected with a looping header that went in off the post to reduce the arrears to 2-1 and put Leverstock Green FC back in the game.

However, it was only another three minutes before Colney were two goals back in front, as Kai Thomas-Fraser got up unchallenged to head home a corner at the far post.

In the last minute of first half stoppage time Stefanoaica got on the end of another Pett free kick, but this time his header went into the arms of Sansom, and the scoreline was still 3-1 at half time.

Leverstock Green FC needed to get a goal back and they very nearly did in the 52nd minute. Ethan Mooney’s cross was headed away, but only as far as Luke Beckwith, who hit a shot that rattled the crossbar. Instead of pulling a goal back, Leverstock found themselves further behind four minutes later, Bowler pulled off a good save to keep out a shot, but the rebound was not cleared and George Sippetts had an easy chance to shoot home from close range.

That put paid to any chance of a comeback, although Beckwith was unlucky again in the 76th minute as he struck the woodwork again, this time with a shot that hit the inside of the post and rebounded across goal, but didn’t go in.

It was only Leverstock’s second league defeat since early October, but they will need to turn things around quickly with further home games against Crawley Green and Tring Athletic between Christmas and New Year.

Leverstock Green FC (1) 1 (Stefanoaica 28)
1. Josh Bowler, 2. Ethan Mooney, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Paul Marks (18. Luke Durnin 63 mins), 5. Callum Neal, 6. Nat Connolly (17. Mikey Havill-Tierney 75 mins), 7. Jayden Newman (14. Lewis Collins 59 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Rawn Seale, 10. George Mitchell-Gears (12. Luke Beckwith 13 mins), 11. radu-Mihai Stefanoaica 16. Callum Moore 81 mins).
Colney Heath FC (3) 4 (Kimber 4, Percy 16. Thomas-Fraser 31, Sippetts 56)
1. Connor Sansom, 2. Kai-Thomas-Fraser, 3. Bradley Dixon-Smith, 4. Ollie Seeby, 5. Jamie Willing (12. Sam Denham 84 mins), 6. Chad King, 7. Jack Percy (15. James Samways 61 mins), 8. Sam Ejjayha, 9. George Sippetts (17. Adam Wallace 84 mins), 10. Jack Kimber (14. Micky Shuttlewood 89 mins), 11. Ollie Lawford. Sub not used: 16. Jordan Kinoshi.