League: FA Vase

(A) Crawley Green

It was another disappointing afternoon for Leverstock Green FC as they exited the Isuza FA Vase at the Second Qualifying Round stage. Leverstock played well overall, and had more of the ball than opponents Crawley Green, but seem to be lacking confidence in front of goal at the moment, and were hit by goals against the run of play.

Manager Fergus Moore rang the changes after last week’s defeat at Potton, with three of the back four from that game being dropped to the bench. Luke Durnin and new signing Sean McGuinness came into a back five. Leverstock started the game well, with early shots from Chris Blunden and Rio Beach bringing comfortable saves from home keeper Tiernan Parker. There was a blow for Leverstock in the 15th minute, though, as keeper Austin Byfield had to go off with a groin injury that is likely to keep him out of action for several weeks. Development Team keeper Jamie Donovan came off the bench for his first team debut.

There was little action for either keeper for the remainder of the half. Leverstock had some promising attacks, but too often there was a reluctance to shoot from good positions on the edge of the box. A minute before the break Leverstock Green FC conceded a somewhat harsh free kick just outside their own box. It appeared that the Crawley player simply ran into Ryan Carruthers rather than any intent on Carruthers’ part. However, the home side took full advantage as Joe Hankins lifted the free kick over the wall and out of Donovan’s reach to send his side into the break with a 1-0 lead.

Again there were promising signs from Leverstock in the early stages of the second half. Within thirty seconds of the restart a long-range shot from Dan Pett was turned round the post by Parker. Danny May hit a shot just wide in the 50th minute. All the pressure was coming from the Leverstock side, but they were hit by a sucker punch in the 58th minute. Crawley broke away from a Leverstock corner, and the ball was pulled back from the bye-line to find Zion Selassie-Yoseph, who smashed home the second goal.

Lewis Collins came on as an extra attacker, and delivered a great cross in the 79th minute, but Pett’s header went over the bar. Leverstock Green FC continued to push forward and have more of the ball, but they were unable to get any change out of the Crawley defence, and the game was put out of their reach in the 86th minute as a mistake from Donovan gifted a third goal to Franklin Ojumobi.

Crawley Green FC (1) 3 (Hankins 44, Selassie-Yoseph 58, Ojumobi 86)
1. Tiernan Parker, 2. Nicolae Trif, 3. Adedoyin Sanni, 4. Joe Hankins, 5. Garry Jones, 6. Paolo Deritis, 7. Joe Parmley (17. Parys Smith 54 mins), 8. Marcel Buruiana (18. Keane Fullwood 59 mins), 9. Zion Selassie-Yoseph, 10. Tejon Brown, 11. Terry Offeh (16. Franklin Ojumobi 79 mins). Subs not used: 12. Joe Brinded, 14. Edis Greengrass, 15. Alex Lawlor, 19. Columbus Iyayi.
Leverstock Green FC (0) 0
1. Austin Byfield (19. Jamie Donovan 15 mins), 2. Ethan Mooney (14. Lewis Collins 59 mins), 3. Rio Beach, 4. Danny May, 5. Sean McGuinness, 6. Ryan Carruthers (12. Ademide Baruwa 66 mins), 20. Luke Durnin, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Chris Blunden, 10. Luke Beckwith, 11. Nat Connolly. Subs not used: 15. Oscar Evans, 16. Callum Neal, 17. Mikey Havill-Tierney, 18. Dan Weeks.

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(H) Ampthill Town

Leverstock Green FC progressed through to the next round of the Isuzu FA Vase, but it was a more nervy ending than it needed to be after the Leverstock side had established a three-goal lead in the second half. A late comeback from SSML Division One side Ampthill Town threatened to take the game into penalties.

Due to injury and unavailability Fergus Moore was without his usual forward line plus three other players. Two players signed on a dual registration with Hadley were brought in to plug the gap up front, and between them Jordan Edwards and Jayden Newman contributed the three goals that won the game.

Leverstock Green FC made a bright start to the game, and went close in the 2nd minute when a deflected shot from Ryan Carruthers went just wide of the post. Luke Beckwith had the ball in the net in the 10th minute but the offside flag was already up. However, Beckwith made a key contribution to the opening goal four minutes later. Newman made a strong run forward before Beckwith’s pass set up Edwards to shoot home into the corner of the net.

There should have been further goals in a first half that Leverstock Green FC dominated. On 25 minutes Newman went on a mazy run into the box and hit a shot which took a deflection, but keeper Ross Tompkins pulled off a great improvised save to keep the ball out. Three minutes later Beckwith showed some very nifty footwork in the box, and although he couldn’t get a shot away himself, he set up Edwards for a shot which went straight at Tompkins. On 37 minutes a pass from Beckwith set up a chance for skipper Dan Weeks, but his shot went across goal and wide. Leverstock keeper Austin Byfield had little to do during the half, but in stoppage time dived to save a shot from Sam Holmes at his near post.

Leverstock went into the break with just the single goal lead, but that was doubled in the 52nd minute. Rio Beach pushed forward before a pass from Edwards picked out Newman to clinically shoot home the second goal. The favour was returned in the 64th minute when Newman crossed from the right and Edwards got on the end of it to head home the third Leverstock goal.

It looked like a comfortable lead, but two minutes later the deficit was reduced as Ampthill pulled a goal back, with Holmes applying a neat finish to a cross from the left.

The three goal lead was almost re-established on 74 minutes as Newman hit a rasping shot from the edge of the box which struck the bar. Leverstock Green FC hit the woodwork again in the 84th minute as Mikey Havill-Tierney tried his luck from distance with a shot that struck the post. It still seemed inconceivable that Leverstock wouldn’t win the game, but in the 88th minute their lead was further reduced as they were caught out down the right. Byfield kept out a shot but could only parry it away, and Danny Watson followed up to net the rebound and make it 3-2.

Leverstock Green FC did their best to run out the clock during seven minutes of stoppage time, but there were still moments of danger as Ampthill threw everyone forward to try to take the game into an unlikely penalty shoot-out. Leverstock Green FC held out, though, and will now travel to fellow SSML Premier Division side Crawley Green in the Second Qualifying Round on Saturday 23rd September.

Leverstock Green FC (1) 3 (Edwards 14, 64, Newman 52)
1. Austin Byfield, 2. Mikey Havill-Tierney (15. Ethan Mooney 85 mins), 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Callum Neal (14. Connor McGinty 76 mins), 6. Danny May, 7. Ryan Carruthers, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Jordan Edwards, 10. Jayden Newman, 11. Luke Beckwith (12. Ademide Baruwa 79 mins). Subs not used: 16. Brad Robinson, 17. Darren Bonfield, 19. Scott McGleish, 20. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica.
Ampthill Town FC (0) 2 (Holmes 66, Watson 88(
1. Ross Tompkins, 2. Jake Kissiedu, 3. James Sheridan, 4. Sam Burke, 5. Jack Kent, 6. Sam Holmes, 7. Kadeem Gutzmore (15. Michael Fullerton 75 mins), 8. Will Barrett (14. Charlie Cullen 75 mins), 9. Drew Roberts, 10. Tierlan Wilson, 11. Phil Draycott (16. Danny Watson 68 mins). Sub not used: 12. Mitch Howe.

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(A) Edgware and Kingsbury

Edgware & Kingsbury win 4-2 on penalties.

Having come from two goals down and won a dramatic penalty shoot out in the FA Cup on Wednesday night, the boot was on the other foot for Leverstock Green this afternoon as they lost a two goal lead and went on to lose on penalties to exit the FA Vase at the first hurdle.

Fergus Moore, returning to the club which he managed for many years, had further injury problems today with Rio Beach dropping out, and suffered a couple more injuries during the game.

The early stages of the game saw Edgware on top, with a number of efforts on goal, but none of them on target. Their first shot on target was from a free kick in the 16th minute, but it was hit straight at Josh Mollison. Leverstock almost had a chance in the 21st minute when Dan Pett threaded a pass through to Chris Blunden, but a defender just got there first. Two minutes later Elgeniy Daalberg made a surging run from his own half before squaring to Pett, whose shot was saved. Daalberg’s game only lasted until the 31st minute, when he was forced off by an injury and replaced by Kai Stonnell.

The first half ended with the game goalless, but then there was a flurry of goals at the start of the second half. In the 48th minute Alvin Kyeremeh got on the end of a corner from Pett to head home and put Leverstock into a 1-0 lead with his third goal of the season. Barely sixty seconds later it was 2-0 as Sean Walsh delivered a cross from the right touchline which was turned home at the far post by Luke Beckwith. The keeper got a hand to Beckwith’s shot, but couldn’t stop it squeezing just inside the post.

Having got their 2 goal lead, though, the Green side switched off somewhat and Edgware fought back strongly. They almost pulled one back in the 52nd minute when a shot from close range hit the bar. Four minutes later they were back in game as Caoilan McGettigan hit a shot from distance which flew in off the post. And in the 58th minute it was back to all-square as McGettigan ran through the Green defence and hit a shot which went in off the far post.

After four goals in ten minutes, the game began to quieten down, with both teams starting to look tired after having played 120 minutes in midweek FA Cup replays. The best chance that Leverstock had to win the game was two minutes from the end when Scott McGleish, despite being on the ground, managed to knock a pass through to Blunden, but the keeper pulled off a great save from point-blank range to keep the scores level.

With no extra time in the Vase, the game went straight to penalties after 90 minutes. Niko Popov got Edgware off to a good start with the opening kick, but Blunden, having netted his kick on Wednesday, saw his opening kick saved. Edgware’s second kick by Matt Shaw was saved by Mollison, but Leverstock failed to take advantage as Ryan Carruthers, also successful on Wednesday, blasted his kick today over the bar. From then on all the kicks were scored, with Craige Tomkins putting Edgware 2-0 up, Luke Durnin pulling it back to 2-1, Adrian Okoro making it 3-1, McGleish pulling back to 3-2 before Toju James scored the kick that won the shootout for Edgware 4-2.

It is a first defeat of the season for Leverstock, who will have a well-earned rest during the week and will hopefully get some of their injured players back for next Saturday’s FA Cup glamour tie at Billericay Town.

Edgware & Kingsbury (0) 2 (McGettigan 56, 58)
13. Donnabhan Green, 2. Michael Dapaah (12. Toju James 78 mins), 3. Matt Shaw, 4. Alieu Kamara, 5. Yannick Bitsindou, 6. Dan Taylor, 7. Adrian Okoro, 8. Niko Popov, 10. Samir Sedaoui, 11. Caoilan McGettigan, 21. Craige Tomkins. Subs not used: 1. Paul Woods, 14. Solomon Ofori, 15. Kai Scarlett, 16. Janarn Bernard, 17. Daniel Javanmard, 18. Carlos Bain.
Leverstock Green (0) 2 (Kyemereh 48, Beckwith 49)
1. Josh Mollison, 2. Brad Robinson, 4. Dan Weeks, 18. Luke Durnin, 5. Alvin Kyeremeh, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Elgeniy Daalberg (17. Kai Stonnell 31 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Chris Blunden, 10. Sean Walsh (12. Robin Emanuels 90+2 mins), 11. Luke Beckwith (20. Scott McGleish 67 mins). Subs not used: 14. Kurainashe Musanhi, 15. Adam Page, 16. Raheem Khan, GK. Austin Byfield.

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(A) London Colney

(London Colney win 4-3 on penalties)

Leverstock Green exited the FA Vase at the First Qualifying Round stage in a penalty shoot-out at London Colney on Saturday. As with the previous match, it was a case of missed chances proving costly, and despite a late equaliser which took the game into a shoot-out, it was the home side that held their nerve to win through to the next round.

After a quiet opening to the game, Leverstock had a couple of efforts at goal, with Rawn Seale hitting a shot just wide after a good run in the 13th minute, and Ethan Mooney shooting over the bar after being set up by Seale two minutes later.

In the 27th minute a great pass from Paplamin Jawara put Mooney through on goal but he shot over the bar again. A minute later Leverstock went even closer when a cross from Rio Beach found Lewis Collins at the far post with a volley that hit the underside of the bar and bounced out. At the other end two minutes later the home side had their first near-miss of the game when Isaac Olayeye hit the post with a shot.

Leverstock had had the better chances, but it was London Colney who opened the scoring in the 42nd minute. The Green defence was expecting an offside flag when Herbie Townsend received the ball on the right side of the penalty area, but it didn’t come, and Townsend’s cross found Pijus Montvydas in space to head home past Alfie Bonfield.

Even then Leverstock had chances to level the scores before the break as Mooney got on the end of a cross from Collins but hit the post from close range, and Seale hit a shot across goal and wide in the final minute of the half.

The second half saw fewer chances for both sides. Leverstock created little, with too many of their crosses being easily gobbled up by giant home keeper Thierry-Allan Belleau. The presence of the injured Isiah Noel-Williams was also sorely missed. After three substitutions, Leverstock finally found an equaliser in the 81st minute, as a mix-up in the London Colney defence left Seale all alone, onside and clean through to take the ball round Belleau and slot into the empty net.

There had been little in the way of stoppages during the second half until a couple of injuries in the final minutes resulted in a lengthy period of stoppage time. One of those injuries was to Belleau, who had to leave the game to be replaced by sub keeper Sam Launay. Leverstock were unable to seriously test Launay over the few minutes that he played, and with replays and extra-time both abolished in this season’s Vase, the game went straight to penalties.

Scott McGleish stepped up to take Leverstock’s first kick, but it hit the post and went wide. Andrew Simmons scored London Colney’s first kick to put them into a 1-0 lead. The next six penalties were all successful with neither keeper getting close to any of them. Rio Beach stepped up for Leverstock’s 5th kick needing to score to keep the tie alive, but his kick went wide sending London Colney through 4-3 on penalties.

Fergus Moore’s side will have the chance of quick revenge, as the two sides meet again at Cotlandswick next Saturday in the league. Before that, they are at home to Leighton Town on Tuesday night.

London Colney (1) 1  (Montvydas 42)
Team: 1. Thierry-Allan Belleau (22. Sam Launay 90+3 mins), 2. Andrew Simmons, 3. Josip Jevdjic, 4. Callum Ismail, 5. Zack Holding, 6. Jack Mace, 7. Herbie Townsend (12. Jordan Gill 90 mins), 8. Isaac Olaleye, 9. Andre Odetola, 10. Pijus Montvydas, 11. Wilberforce Ocran (14. Ziad Baker 69 mins). Sub not used: 15. James Lawrance.
Penalties: Simmons, Montvydas, Gill, Holding
Leverstock Green (0) 1 (Seale 81)
Team: 1. Alfie Bonfield, 2. Adrian Pitfield (17. Paul Marks H/T), 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Brima Johnson, 6. Ryan Carruthers (18. Scott McGleish 55 mins), 7. Ethan Mooney, 8. Kian Wilkes, 9. Rawn Seale, 10. Paplamin Jawara, 11. Lewis Collins (12. Elgeniy Daalberg 75 mins). Subs not used: 14. Ollie Lawford, 16. Dan Pett, 19. Juliusz Pazio, 20. Fergus Moore.
Penalties: McGleish (missed), Wilkes, Mooney, Jawara, Beach (missed)

 

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(H) AFC Hayes

Leverstock Green’s FA Vase hopes were ended at the first hurdle as a poor display saw them well beaten at home by Combined Counties League side AFC Hayes.

The first half was evenly-contested, with both sides having a number of half-chances. Matt Fallon made a couple of saves in the opening 15 minutes to keep the visitors out. Miickey Shuttlewood headed just wide from a corner in the 22nd minute after Sidney Gueye had threatened down the right. Three minutes later Luke Peerless got on the end of another corner but his header also went wide. On 31 minutes Adiel Mannion won the ball from a defender and ran on to square the ball into the six yard box, but Gueye couldn’t quite get to it before the keeper. Mannion had the ball in the net with a great finish on 41 minutes, but the linesman had already put the offside flag up.

It looked like the teams would go into the break deadlocked, but deep into stoppage time Leverstock were attacking with a long throw into the AFC Hayes box, but were then caught short at the back as the visitors broke away quickly, and Shawn Wheeler connected with a cross from the left to shoot home a crucial goal on the stroke of half time.

The second half was a major disappointment as Leverstock seldom looked like getting back into the match. The task became even harder on 58 minutes when they were caught on the break again from their own free kick, and Trey Ponder-Brown shot home a second goal for AFC Hayes. A third goal struck by Wheeler on 64 minutes ended the tie as a contest, although AFC Hayes ended the tie with ten men after Theo Alexander was sent off for a second yellow card in the 90th minute.

After three straight defeats, Leverstock now have ten days before their next match, which is a home league match against North Greenford United on Tuesday week.

Leverstock Green (0) 0
Team: 1. Matt Fallon, 2. Brima Johnson, 3. Dan Weeks, 4. Gary Wallace, 5. Mickey Shuttlewood, 6. John Smith (16. Guiseppe Delgaudio 60 mins), 7. James Hall, 8. Luke Peerless, 9. Sidney Gueye, 10. Frank Jowle (14. Elgeniy Daalberg 60 mins), 11. Adiel Mannion.
Subs not used: 15. Steve Hawes, 17. Cass Grant, 18. Jamie Ovington, 19. Will Bisney.

AFC Hayes (1) 3 (Wheeler 45+4, 64, Ponder-Brown 58)
Team: 1. Tom Clark, 2. Shane Kettle (17. Harry Smith 78 mins), 3. Harry Bishop (15. Theo Alexander 40 mins), 4. George Harmes (12. Charlie Quinnell 69 mins), 5. Charlie Howes, 6. Mason Yorke, 7. Bruno Manuel, 8. Jordan Mukasa, 9. Mourad Jarraz, 10. Shawn Wheeler, 11. Trey Ponder-Brown.
Subs not used: 14. Sean Inkpen, 16. Harry Linehan.

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(A) Aylesbury Vale Dynamos

There was another disappointing cup exit for Leverstock Green on Tuesday night as they were beaten 3-1 at Aylesbury Vale Dynamos in their FA Vase First Qualifying Road replay. Most of the damage was done in the first half as Leverstock went into the break three goals down.

The Green side made a bright start, with home keeper James Weatherill having to gather the ball at the feet of Frankie Jowle in the second minute. In the 9th minute Jowle made a great run to the bye-line before pulling the ball back, but Tom Carter’s shot went over the bar.

The game turned decisively in favour of the hosts midway through the half. On 22 minutes a cross from Dan McAteer found the head of Keith Mupfururiwa, who had a free header to put his side into a 1-0 lead. Two minutes later that lead was doubled when Alfie Gaspar hit a shot from 25 yards that gave Carl Tasker no chance as it flew into the net.

Leverstock had a chance to pull a goal back in the 26th minute when the ball broke for Luke Peerless inside the box, but he hit his shot well wide. A tall order became even harder three minutes before the break when a cross from Harry Scott found Ryan Tappin to shoot home a third Aylesbury goal from close range.

The second half was something of a non-event with the home side looking happy with their lead and the Leverstock side rarely looking like breaking them down. With six minutes to go Leverstock had the chance to get on the scoresheet when Jowle was brought down in the box, and Jack Stevens netted the resulting penalty to pull a goal back. Things could have become more interesting a minute later when Louie Griffiths had a chance, but his shot went wide, and in the end it was the hosts who went closest to adding further goals with Bruno Brito hitting one shot over the bar and another saved by Tasker in stoppage time.

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