Match Report

Leverstock Green progressed to the quarter-finals of the Herts Senior Cup where they will face a trip to neighbours Hemel Hempstead Town for an exciting local derby. They did it with an impressive 4-2 win over a young Stevenage F.C. side in an open game where both sides played some good football.

With both Reuben Rabstein and Liam Gauthier cup-tied, Leverstock had to use their fifth different goalkeeper in five games, giving a debut to Ryan North, signed earlier in the season from Northwood. There was also a debut off the bench for Lucas Georgiou, a former Leverstock EJA player transferred from Biggleswade Town to get more game time, a first appearance of his second spell at the club for Kyle Connolly, recently signed from Bedford Town, and a return from injury of his brother Gary Connolly.

Kyle Connolly tried his luck from a free kick in the 8th minute, but it was gathered by Stevenage keeper Sam Watkiss. In the 13th minute Ademide Baruwa broke away down the right and put over a cross which found Guiseppe Delgaudio, but his shot from close range was saved by Watkiss. The breakthrough for Leverstock came in the 21st minute when a pass from Zenon Stylianides put Lewis Collins through on goal, and Collins took the ball round Watkiss before slotting home the opening goal.

Stevenage were back level six minutes later, with a spectacular effort from Demi Oladiran, scoring with a shot from near the left touchline. However, Leverstock were soon back in front as Marcus Warren set up Collins to score his second with a low shot from inside the penalty area.

In the 36th minute Warren played a great ball down the left touchline to put Collins away, and he added to his two goals with an assist, squaring across goal for Stylianides to shoot home the third Leverstock goal. A minute before the break it was almost four as Delgaudio slipped a shot past Watkiss but it came back off the post.

The second half saw little in the way of chances for either side until the last 15 minutes. Collins had two attempts at completing his hat-trick, putting a free kick and a shot from open play over the bar. In the 77th minute Rawn Seale got on the end of a Kyle Connolly free kick but headed wide. Leverstock looked to be crusing to victory until a bizarre own goal in the 83rd minute put Stevenage back in the game. Having given the ball away in their own penalty area, Leverstock had a chance to clear off the line but two players in each other’s way and the ball ricocheted into the net.

A minute later Seale had a chance to restore the two-goal advantage when he was clean through, but shot wide. However, in the 87th minute Ryan Carruthers chipped a pass into the box which found Seale, and a very composed first time finish made it 4-2 to Leverstock and confirmed their passage into the next round.

Leverstock Green (3) 4 (Collins 21, 29, Stylianides 36, Seale 87)
1. Ryan North, 2. Ademide Baruwa, 3. Kyle Connolly (12. Ryan Carruthers 80 mins), 4. Oliwier Fusiek, 5. Chad King (17. Rawn Seale 61 mins), 6. Zac Hawker (15. Lucas Georgiou 56 mins), 7. Lewis Collins, 8. Nat Connolly, 9. Guiseppe Delgaudio (14. Gary Connolly 63 mins), 10. Marcus Warren (16. Callum Neal 68 mins), 11. Zenon Stylianides.
Stevenage (1) 2 (Oladiran 27, og 83)
1. Sam Watkiss, 2. Zack Howell (17. Archie Dougherty 57 mins), 3. Taye Cadman, 4. Myles Jackson, 5. Charlie Cane, 6. Frankie Impey (14. Jake Robinson 75 mins), 7. Demi Oladiran, 8. Tanil Sauk (12. Fenton Williams H/T), 9. Max Holland (19. Makise Evans H/T), 10. Kieran Godman, 11. Eniola Aminasahun. Sub not used: 12. Ashley Clare.