Match Report

There was joy for Leverstock Green as they came away from AFC Dunstable with the win they needed to avoid relegation in their final match of the season. Despite going a goal down, Leverstock came from behind to complete their great escape and consign neighbours Kings Langley to the final relegation spot in the Southern League Division One Central.

It was a tight and tense game with little in the way of chances early on. Callum Neal tried his luck with an audacious chip from distance in the 16th minute that landed on the roof of the net. In the 22nd minute the home side were awarded a free kick in a dangerous position just outside the box. George Joyce hit a goalbound strike, but Ryan North pulled off a brilliant save to turn it round the post. However, from the resulting corner Momodou Jallow had a free header to put AFC Dunstable a goal up.

Their lead only lasted for five minutes, though. Kyle Connolly was brought down to give Leverstock a free kick just outside the penalty area. Connolly took the kick himself, and his low shot round the wall flew in at the bottom corner to level the scores at 1-1.

Leverstock had chances to take the lead. In the 32nd minute a pass from Ryan Carruthers put Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica in on goal, but Stefanoaica pulled his shot wide. In the 38th minute Dan Pett played a one-two with Luke Beckwith to go through on goal, but the keeper saved Pett’s shot with his legs. In the last minute of the half, however, Leverstock were putting pressure on the AFC goal, and a cross from Beckwith found Rawn Seale with a header at the near post to send Leverstock into the break with a 2-1 lead.

Leverstock were in no mood to surrender their precious lead in the second half, and their solid defending allowed the home side few sights of goal. There was a chance of a third goal in the 60th minute as a cross from Kyle Connolly was met with a header from Stefanoaica, but it bounced up off the ground and hit the bar.

It was still a slender 2-1 lead as the game went into stoppage time, but in the first minute of stoppage a goalmouth scramble ended with Ethan Mooney smashing home a shot from eight yards through a crowd of players to make it 3-1 and ensure that the points, and safety, were secured.

It was the culmination of a run of seven wins in the last ten games, an amazing turnaround after notching only two wins in their first thirty games.

AFC Dunstable (1) 1 (Jallow 23)
1. Sam Carman (18. Matthew Bonsu H/T), 2. George Joyce, 3. Kyle Brooks, 4. Simone Troso, 5. Stanley Georgiou, 6. Shawn Joseph, 7. Russell Berko, 8. Charlie Davis, 9. Momodou Jallow, 10. Joel Anker, 11. Bruce Ovbiye-Nsang (12. Archie Nicholls H/T). Subs not used: 14. Ethan Holt, 16. Kyle Lynch.
Leverstock Green (2) 3 (K.Connolly 28, Seale 45, Mooney 90+1)
1. Ryan North, 2. Callum Neal, 3. Rio Beach (18. Dan Weeks 90+4 mins), 4. Josh Dooley, 5. Gary Connolly, 6. Ryan Carruthers (14. Nat Connolly 66 mins), 7. Luke Beckwith (12. Lewis Collins 81 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Rawn Seale (15. Guiseppe Delgaudio 90+6 mins), 10. Kyle Connolly, 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica (17. Ethan Mooney 63 mins).