Match Report

Leverstock Green started their second season in the Southern League with a solid point from a goalless draw away to Aylesbury United. It was a game of few chances, although had Leverstock been awarded a penalty for a blatant handball early in the second half, it could have been a different result.

The first half saw Leverstock generally with more of the ball, although they did not make the most of it. Jeffrey Sekyere, who was a key factor in last season’s “great escape” has rejoined on loan from Wealdstone and played up front today, but rarely had a chance to show his skill and pace against a stubborn Ducks defence. Leverstock won several corners during the first half, but the delivery was disappointing with the ball not reaching the danger zone from any of them.

The game’s controversial moment came in the 50th minute. A Leverstock cross was quite clearly batted down by the arm of an Aylesbury defender inside the box, and although just about everybody in the ground thought it was a penalty, the match officials felt it was accidental and played on.

Two minutes later Nat Connolly had one of Leverstock’s best chances when a cross was headed down into his path, but his shot from close range was over the bar. The Leverstock defence did a good job of containing any threat from the Aylesbury side, meaning that keeper Harry Way had little to do other then collect crosses, which he did confidently. Jed Layman’s shot across goal in the 55th minute was as close as the home side came to a goal.

In the 68th minute Leverstock won a free kick in a dangerous position, but Ryan Carruthers’ shot was straight at keeper Jack Hopwood. Juan Pablo Velasco had a shot in the 83rd minute but again it was comfortable for Hopwood. Leverstock could have won the game in stoppage time when Justin Dass had the clearest shooting chance of the game, but his shot was blocked as was a follow-up effort.

Aylesbury United 0
1. Jack Hopwood, 2. Liam Batchelor-Morgan, 3. Jake Bewley, 4. Jack Wood, 5. Charley Tuttle, 6. Brandon Green, 7. London Brookshaw, 8. Hayden Beadle, 9. Leandro Jardim (14. Powfil Raposo 53 mins), 10. Remel Larwood (15. Nasha Mukwada 9 mins), 11. Jed Layman. Subs not used: 12. Sonny French, 16. Ben Peters, 17. Kacper Kloc.
Leverstock Green 0
1. Harry Way, 2. Dan Casey (15. Callum Neal 66 mins), 3. Rio Beach (16. Aldo Petagine 76 mins), 4. Josh Dooley, 5. Matt Forkin, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Juan Pablo Velasco, 8. John Gyabaah, 9. Jeffrey Sekyere (19. Joel Onu 85 mins), 10. Nat Connolly (14. Oliver Glimas 81 mins), 11. Kai Nemoto (12. Justin Dass 68 mins).