Match Report

Leverstock Green have yet another match to look forward to as they won 1-0 at Tring Athletic on Saturday to reach the final of the St Mary’s Cup for the second straight year. Leverstock will face their playoff opponents Harpenden Town in the final, on a date to be arranged.

It was revenge for Tring’s 1-0 win at Leverstock in the final league match four days earlier, although this was a far more entertaining match, with more goalmouth action inside the opening two minutes than in the whole of Tuesday’s match. Josh Bowler had to produce a good save to keep out a Tring header with just over a minute played, and seconds later Rawn Seale was through on goal at the other end but shot over the bar.

In the 28th minute Gary Connolly made a run into the Tring half before finding Dan Pett in the box with a pass, but Pett’s first time shot was saved by keeper Dan Gould. On 35 minutes Connolly’s cross from the right found Seale coming in at the near post. Seale got a touch on the ball, but not quite enough as it went across goal, hit the post and bounced away from goal.

Bowler had to make another couple of good saves early in the second half, firstly to turn a shot round the post, then to save a header from the resulting corner, as Tring enjoyed a spell of pressure.

The decisive goal came in the 71st minute. Seale delivered a cross from near the right corner flag which found Pett, whose shot was parried by Gould, but the rebound came back to Pett and he nodded it home to open the scoring.

Leverstock were holding onto their lead comfortably until the 7th minute of stoppage time, when Tring had a golden opportunity to equalise. A cross from the left went through everyone and found Harry Shepherd, who was alone in acres of space with the goal at his mercy, but to the relief of the Leverstock contingent, Shepherd dragged his shot wide of the target.

Leverstock now face a decisive couple of weeks. On Wednesday night they travel to Harpenden Town in the promotion playoff semi-final, with a possible final on Bank Holiday Monday. On Saturday 11th May they face London Lions in the final of the Gladwish Challenge Trophy, also at Harpenden, and now they also have the St Mary’s Cup Final against Harpenden to be fitted in.

Tring Athletic (0) 0
1. Dan Gould, 7. Frankie Hercules, 8. Jack Harvey, 10. Max Hercules, 11. Harry Jones (5. Charlie Bradshaw 81 mins), 13. George Carbery, 14. Bailey Osbourne (12. Benjamin Kakembo 59 mins), 15. Ryan Sharkey, 16. Dave O’Connor, 19. Harrison Mead (6. Noah Butler 66 mins), 20. Harry Shepherd.
Leverstock Green (0) 1 (Pett 71)
1. Josh Bowler, 2. Gary Connolly, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Paul Marks, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Luke Beckwith (12. Ademide Baruwa 61 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Rawn Seale (14. Lewis Collins 81 mins), 10. Nat Connolly, 11. Ethan Mooney (15. Guiseppe Delgaudio 69 mins). Subs not used: 16. Josh Dooley, 17. George Mitchell-Gears.