Match Report

Having been beaten 4-0 on their previous two visits, Leverstock Green could have approached Saturday’s game at the ASM Stadium with some trepidation, but instead they turned in a superb performance to earn their first away league win of the season despite Thame United twice coming back to level the score.

Leverstock got off to a great start with a goal in the 4th minute. Callum Neal made a run into the box and couldn’t get a shot off himself, but instead laid off to Iker Noguera Leon, who slotted a low shot through a crowd of players out of the reach of keeper James Callan for a 1-0 lead.

It could have been 2-0 in the 16th minute as firstly Leon had a shot turned away by Callan, and a few seconds later Ademide Baruwa hit a shot which beat Callan but hit the far post.

Having had much the better of the game for 40 minutes, Leverstock came under some pressure from Thame in the last five minutes of the half. Harry Alexander hit a shot just over the bar in the 42nd minute, a goal from a header was disallowed for a push in the 44th minute, and finally Jack Tutton hit a low shot from outside the box in stoppage time which went through everyone for the equaliser.

Thame continued to threaten in the opening minutes of the second half. Ryan North produced a close-range save to deny Alexander in the 48th minute, saved again in the 55th minute when Roger James was clean through on goal, and kept out a shot from Greg Hackett. A minute later it was Leverstock who were threatening as Leon dribbled through the whole of the defence to be clean through, but didn’t get his shot away and eventually ran into Callan. In the 62nd minute Nat Connolly set up a great shooting opportunity for Joe McCarthy, but his shot was saved by Callan.

However, the running of Leon and McCarthy was causing all sorts of problems for the Thame defence, and seconds later Leon was through again. Callan saved his shot, but McCarthy followed up to net the rebound and put Leverstock back into the lead at 2-1.

Their lead was very short-lived though. Within 30 seconds of the restart Thame were on the attack, and when Joshua Stranks got in behind Neal, and Neal’s challenge brought him down, it was inevitable that the referee would point to the penalty spot. Alexander gave North no chance from the spot kick and the scores were back level at 2-2.

But Leverstock weren’t finished yet. In the 71st minute it was their skipper Dan Pett, playing his 199th game for the club, who made a run into the box. Pett rode a challenge that undoubtedly would have resulted in a penalty had he gone down, but he stayed on his feet and ran on to beat Callan at his near post and put Leverstock in front for the third time.

They had chances to make the game safe over the closing minutes, with Callan producing good saves to turn away shots from Ryan Carruthers and Marcus Warren, and Jack Allen shooting over the bar from a good chance. There were a couple of nervous moments in their box during stoppage time, but Leverstock held on for an impressive and fully-deserved win.

Thame United (1) 2 (Tutton 45, Alexander 65 pen)
1. James Callan, 2. Joshua Stranks, 3. Aydin Ulas (16. Curtis Brown 63 mins), 4. Finlay Murray, 5. Hayden Beadle (12. Ethan Lack H/T)(14. Charlie Bacon 84 mins), 6. Mark Riddick (15. Edwin Daffern 77 mins), 7. Greg Hackett, 8. Jack Tutton, 9. Roger James, 10. Dan West, 11. Harry Alexander.
Leverstock Green (1) 3 (Leon 4, McCarthy 62, Pett 71)
1. Ryan North, 2. Callum Neal, 3. Vladyslav Karuchok, 4. George Mitchell-Gears, 5. Kombe Kawimbe, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Ademide Baruwa, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Joe McCarthy, 10. Nat Connolly (16. Marcus Warren 73 mins), 11. Iker Noguera Leon (18. Jack Allen 86 mins). Subs not used: 12. Timi Bada, 14. Ashton Corder, 15. Lucas Hammer.