Match Report

Leverstock Green are one win from promotion to Step Four after a stunning playoff semi-final win at Harpenden Town on Wednesday night. In front of a crowd of over 900, the Leverstock side produced a superb display, scoring goals through quick counter-attacking football and being solid and disciplined at the back throughout. Leverstock will now be at home to FC Romania in the final on Bank Holiday Monday after their surprise 3-0 win at MK Irish in the other semi-final.

It was a full-strength Leverstock lineup that started the game, including talismanic striker Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica, who had been rested for several weeks due to injury. Four minutes into the game, Stefanoaica won the ball off a defender in midfield and headed straight for goal, going past a couple of defenders before hitting a shot that should have been gathered by keeper Eman Olajide, but Olajide spilled the ball and Rawn Seale slid in to stab the loose ball home and put Leverstock into an early 1-0 lead.

The goal sparked the home side into a response, and in the 8th minute James Ewington ran onto a flick-on to go through on goal, but Josh Bowler pulled off the first of several great saves to turn Ewington’s shot round the post. In the 14th minute a shot from Dave Keenleyside was deflected over the bar, and from the resulting corner Bowler dived down low at his near post to turn a shot from Dan Palmer wide.

Each side were enjoying spells of pressure. In the 20th minute Rio Beach clipped a pass forward for Stefanoaica to chase, but Olajide just got to it first. Bowler saved again in the 25th minute to turn a free kick from Keenleyside round the post. In the 33rd minute Ryan Carruthers had space in midfield, and played a pass to give Seale a chance, but his shot was saved by Olajide. Three minutes later Dan Pett played a great pass to give Ethan Mooney a run at goal, but his shot was blocked wide.

In the 38th minute Leverstock doubled their lead with a classic counter-attack. A Harpenden cross was booted clear by Beach as far as Stefanoaica, who played a crossfield ball to Mooney. Mooney pushed forward before playing a through pass into the path of Seale, and Seale squared across the box to find Stefanoaica, who took a touch before blasting home a shot into the corner of the net.

Leverstock took their two-goal lead into the second half, with Harpenden making a double change at the break. Just before the hour mark there was a blow as Paul Marks had to come off injured, but former Harpenden player Josh Dooley came on to take his place and gave another impressive display alongside skipper Dan Weeks in central defence. There was another great save from Bowler in the 67th minute to tip a header from Palmer over the bar.

In the 69th minute Luke Beckwith came off the bench to replace Stefanoaica, and seconds later Beckwith received a pass down the left from Seale, then delivered the perfect cross for Mooney to shoot home the third Leverstock goal from close range.

The third goal looked to have killed the game off, but in the second of six additional minutes, Harpenden pulled a goal back. Archie Locke was unlucky with a header that came back off the bar, but when the rebound wasn’t cleared Locke got up to lash a shot home and give his side some faint hope. It turned out to be just a consolation, though, as Leverstock held onto their 3-1 lead, and this exceptional team moved one step closer to history.

Harpenden Town (0) 1 (Locke 90+2)
1. Eman Olajide, 2. Archie Locke, 3. Jake Collins (12. George Robinson H/T), 4. Ben Spaul (14. Kyle Rahho 65 mins), 5. Dan Palmer, 6. Josh Rodrigues, 7. Harry Andic (15. Ryan Plowright 59 mins), 8. Dave Keenleyside (17. Reece Crowter 75 mins), 9. James Ewington (16. Archie McClelland H/T), 10. Jake Anthony, 11. Isaiah Hilaire.
Leverstock Green (2) 3 (Seale 4, Stefanoaica 38, Mooney 70)
1. Josh Bowler, 2. Callum Neal, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Paul Marks (16. Josh Dooley 59 mins), 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Ethan Mooney (17. George Mitchell-Gears 89 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Rawn Seale (15. Guiseppe Delgaudio 76 mins), 10. Nat Connolly (12. Ademide Baruwa 90+2 mins), 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica (14. Luke Beckwith 69 mins).