League: FA Cup Preliminary Round

(A) Aylesbury United

Leverstock Green’s FA Cup run ended at The Meadow on Wednesday night as Aylesbury United ran out comfortable 4-1 winners of the Preliminary Round replay. The Green side played well at times, but the Ducks were well on top for most of the match and deserved their place in the next round.

Leverstock might have taken an early lead in the 3rd minute when Reece Fallon got on the end of a corner from Jonathan Lacey, but his header was saved by Jack Sillitoe. Instead it was the home side who opened the scoring in the 7th minute. Dejon Noel-Williams got the better of Lewis Bowers on the right edge of the penalty area, with the suspicion of a foul, and squared into the six yard box where Sonny French was all alone to sidefoot home a simple goal.

There was a good chance for a Leverstock equaliser on 19 minutes when Chris Marsh lofted a pass into the box for Ross Adams, who tried to lob Sillitoe but didn’t get quite enough elevation on his lob to beat the keeper’s arms. Four minutes later Marsh was involved again as he lined up a superb curling shot from the edge of the box which had Sillitoe beaten but came back off the inside of the post. However, Jonathan Lacey was on hand to stick out a boot and divert the rebound into the net to level the scores at 1-1.

Leverstock had their best spell of the game during the middle part of the half, winning a series of corners, however they were undone by a corner at the other end on 31 minutes. Jake Bewley’s cross found Alex Collard with a free header at the far post to put his side back in front at 2-1.

At half time the game was still delicately poised, but a further Aylesbury goal early in the second half put them firmly in control. It was from another corner in the 49th minute, as Bewley’s cross was headed back across goal by Reece Cameron. Green keeper Charlie Hoskins got a hand to the ball but only tipped it onto the bar, and Greg Williams came in to head home the rebound for 3-1.

There were a couple of chances for Lacey during the second half, but his attempted lob over Sillitoe on 67 minutes landed on top of the net, and his shot from a Bowers cross on 80 minutes went into the side netting. Aylesbury had gone close to adding further goals with a couple of shots that went just wide, but in stoppage time they finally added the fourth when French was brought down inside the box by Hoskins and got up to score the resulting penalty himself.

Aylesbury’s reward for the win is a trip to Tilbury in the First Round Qualifying on Saturday week. Leverstock continue with cup action this coming Saturday as they visit Division Two side Mursley United in the first round of the SSML Challenge Trophy, kick-off 3.00 pm.

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(H) Aylesbury United

Leverstock Green’s epic FA cup run goes on, as they face a replay on Wednesday night at Chesham United’s ground after a late equaliser from Aylesbury United salvaged a 1-1 draw for the Ducks in Saturday’s Preliminary Round tie at Pancake Lane. The tie pitted brother against brother as Leverstock’s Shane Wood and Aylesbury’s Jack Wood captained their respective sides.

There was another new goalkeeper in the Leverstock side as 16 year old Caolan Doyle-Creamer came in for his debut. The Southern League side had the better of the early play, although it was Leverstock who created the better chances. In the 4th minute Jonathan Lacey played a one-two with David Lawrence before hitting a shot which was turned wide by Ducks keeper Jack Sillitoe. In the 15th minute Lewis Davis played a ball forward to Lawrence, whose shot was deflected wide. On 37 minutes Lacey set up Lawrence for a shot which went wide.

A minute later there was a chance at the other end as Alex Collard flicked on a long throw to find Dejon Noel-Williams in front of goal, but his effort was comfortably gathered by Doyle-Creamer. Seconds later Noel-Williams hit a shot into the side netting. A minute before the break Sonny French hit the side netting for Aylesbury again from a cross by Jake Bewley.

The second half was similarly evenly-contested. In the 52nd minute Lewis Davis went close for Leverstock with a shot from a free kick which went about a foot over the bar. However, a minute later Leverstock were ahead. Luca DeMare did well to close down a defender and forced a mistake, winning the ball and running clean through to slot past Sillitoe. A defender slid in to try to clear it, but only succeeded in helping the ball into the net.

On 55 minutes Doyle-Creamer produced his best save of the match to tip over a free kick from Ollie Hogg. Three minutes later Hogg shot into the side netting from a pass by French. On 70 minutes the Ducks had their nearest miss so far as a shot from French struck the underside of the bar and bounced down, but on the right side of the line from the Leverstock perspective. Another effort from French shortly afterwards went wide.

Towards the end of the game there was a sense that Leverstock were sitting back too much, but they were within four minutes of a notable cup upset before Aylesbury salvaged the game. It was a well-taken goal from substitute and former Green player Reece Cameron, shooting across Doyle-Creamer and into the corner of the net.

The replay means that Tuesday night’s scheduled league visit to St Margaretsbury is postponed.

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