Match Report

Leverstock Green completed an amazing promotion and cup double as they lifted the Gladwish Challenge Trophy for the first time ever on Saturday. They had to come from behind against London Lions, but ran out 4-1 winners on a warm afternoon at Harpenden.

London Lions made the better start to the game, with Daniel Creese hitting a shot just over the bar with barely a minute played. However, Leverstock went close twice in quick succession. In the 9th minute a neat pass from Dan Pett put Guiseppe Delgaudio through on goal, but his shot was saved by keeper Nathan Bloohn. A minute later Delgaudio was through on goal again. This time his shot hit the post and rebounded back to Luke Beckwith, who couldn’t keep his shot under the bar. In the 32nd minute a free kick from Pett found George Mitchell-Gears, but his header went just wide.

In the 37th minute Callum Neal received a yellow card for a foul on Lions substitute Felix Shalom just outside the penalty area. Lions took full advantage with Austin Lipman blasting the resulting free kick past the wall and out of the the reach of Josh Bowler to put his side 1-0 ahead.

Their lead lasted until the last minute of the half, when a shot from Mitchell-Gears was blocked by the hand of defender Adam Lipman, and the referee awarded the penalty to Leverstock. Beckwith netted the spot kick to send the sides into the break level at 1-1.

After an indifferent first half Leverstock stepped up a gear in the second half. They could have gone behind but for Rio Beach clearing off the line from a Lions corner in the 52nd minute, but they were soon ahead. In the 60th minute a superb cross from Pett found Callum Neal coming in at the far post to head home and put Leverstock 2-1 up.

In the 64th minute Ryan Carruthers brought the ball from his own penalty area deep into the Lions half before laying off for Beckwith, who shot over the ball. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica came on in place of Delgaudio, and four minutes later received a pass from Carruthers before cutting inside and curling a shot just over the angle of post and bar.

Bowler produced another crucial save in the 76th minute, going down low at his near post to turn away a shot from Sam Caulman. The game was still in the balance at 2-1, but in the 85th minute a piece of individual brilliance increased the Leverstock lead. Stefanoaica won the ball off a defender and headed straight for goal, leaving defenders in his wake before slotting a shot past Bloohn for his 24th goal of the season to put Leverstock 3-1 up. Two minutes later it was 4-1 as Stefanoaica slipped a pass through to Beckwith, who drilled the ball past Bloohn for his 16th goal of the season.

The Leverstock side had been captained for the day by Paul Marks, who was playing his last game before retiring, and there was an ovation for the legendary Marks as he was replaced by Dan Weeks in the 90th minute. Marks has now won promotion from the Spartan South Midlands League with three different clubs in three different decades, and also won the Challenge Trophy with three different clubs in three different decades.

Weeks and Marks lifted the trophy together as Leverstock collected their second trophy of the week, and they still have a chance to make it a treble when they face Harpenden Town in the St Mary’s Cup Final next Friday.

Leverstock Green (1) 4 (Beckwith 45+1 pen, 87, Neal 60, Stefanoaica 85)
1. Josh Bowler, 2. Callum Neal (12. Nat Connolly 71 mins), 3. Rio Beach, 4. Josh Dooley, 5. Paul Marks (17. Dan Weeks 90 mins), 6. Ryan Carruthers (15. Ethan Mooney 82 mins), 7. Luke Beckwith, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Guiseppe Delgaudio (16. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica 64 mins), 10. Ademide Baruwa, 11. George Mitchell-Gears (14. Curtis Dibley 80 mins).
London Lions (1) 1 (Austin Lipman 37)
1. Nathan Bloohn, 2. Adam Lipman (12. Jake Ringler 90+2 mins), 3. Benji Weinberger (16. Oscar Wagner 85 mins), 4. Josh Shack, 5. Jamie Cohen, 6. Sam Caulman, 7. Jack Mattey (17. Felix Shalom 26 mins), 8. Max Davis (14. Leo Carmelita 90+2 mins), 9. Max Kyte, 10. Austin Lipman, 11. Daniel Creese (15. Zak Jackson 64 mins).