Match Report

It’s now six points from the last four games that Leverstock Green have allowed to slip away in stoppage time. Saturday’s game at Hadley saw a fourth-straight stoppage time disappointment as what would have been a hard-fought win turned into a draw.

Leverstock went into the game with four players missing including previously ever-present Kombe Kawimbe through suspension and top scorer Iker Noguera Leon with hamstring issues. Their problems increased early in the game when Joe McCarthy went in for a sliding tackle on Hadley keeper Charles Taylor and won the ball, but McCarthy came off worse from the challenge. He struggled on for a few minutes trying to run off the injury, but in the 17th minute gave way to recent signing Romari Forde.

At the end of a scrappy first half that saw neither side create a clear-cut chance, Timi Bada also had to leave the game with hamstring issues, and was replaced for the second half by Lucas Hammer, making two 16-year-olds on the pitch for Leverstock.

It was Hammer who had the game’s first real chance in the 62nd minute when a shot from Nat Connolly deflected into his path, but his shot was gathered by Taylor. However, Leverstock were threatening again seconds later when Ashton Corder got in behind the Hadley defence and put the ball across goal where Forde came in at the far post to score his first goal for the club and put his side into a 1-0 lead.

Hadley were reduced to ten men in the 77th minute. Louis Udeh had been shown his first yellow card eight minutes earlier, and a shirt pull on Forde saw him dismissed with a second yellow card. In the 83rd minute Hadley were convinced that they had equalised, insisting that the ball had crossed the line in a goalmouth scramble, but neither referee nor linesman were in agreement and Leverstock remained in front.

However, once again they could not hold out through stoppage time. It wasn’t a penalty this time, but a free kick awarded just outside the penalty area. Tommy Roberts’ shot went over the wall and past Ryan North to level the scores and rescue a point for Hadley.

Hadley (0) 1 (Roberts 90+2)
1. Charles Taylor, 2. Bobby Webb (12. Ridwan Euba 66 mins), 3. Callum Ismail, 4. Cameron Ferguson (17.Tommy Roberts 69 mins), 5. Louis Udeh, 6. Ekow Coker, 7. Bobby Bircham, 8. Daniel Taylor, 9. Jordan Edwards, 10. Romey Meoded (18. Chibueze Echem H/T), 11. Luke Alfano (14. Rio Grant 79 mins)
Leverstock Green (0) 1 (Forde 62)
1. Ryan North, 2. Callum Neal, 3. Vlad Karuchok (16. Aldo Petagine 80 mins), 4. Dan Pett, 5. George Mitchell-Gears, 6. Ademide Baruwa, 7. Timi Bada (15. Lucas Hammer H/T), 8. Nat Connolly, 9. Joe McCarthy (14. Romari Forde 17 mins), 10. Marcus Warren, 11. Ashton Corder. Subs not used: 12. Callum Donnelly, 17. Ted Wilkin.