League: Herts Senior Cup 2nd Round

For the first time this season Leverstock Green faced higher league opposition, and they gave a good account of themselves against Step 3 Hitchin Town, but were ultimately beaten 2-0 at home in Tuesday night’s Herts Senior Cup second round tie.

In addition to the current problems with the Pancake Lane pitch, there was also a swirling wind making conditions even more difficult for both sides, so it was a game of few chances.

After a couple of dodgy moments in the Leverstock box in the opening minutes, the visitors went close in the 6th minute when Lewis Barker headed over the bar from a corner. There was another chance for Hitchin in the 33rd minute when a cross found Jacob Hutchinson, who turned in front of goal but scuffed his shot straight to Matt Fallon. Leverstock came more into the game during the half, and although they did not create any chances, they were holding their own at the back as the first half ended goalless.

The scoring was opened in the 56th minute as a corner from Ben Walster was headed home by Dan Webb. Leverstock were still in the game until the 79th minute when Hitchin were awarded a penalty, and Hutchinson netted the spot kick despite Fallon getting a hand to it, for Hitchin’s second goal. Leverstock’s best moment of the match came in the 83rd minute when Louie Griffiths won the ball off Alex Marsh on the halfway line and went on a run before crossing to the far post, where Cass Grant stuck out a leg but couldn’t quite divert the ball on target.

Leverstock Green put up a terrific effort against a talented Watford academy side, but couldn’t find the net and went out of the Herts Senior Cup at the second round stage to a single goal.

The injuries continue to pile up for the Green squad, with Alex Condon now out for some time with an ankle injury sustained at work, and Brima Johnson missing from this game with a toe injury. On the plus side Luke Nugent returned from suspension, and there was a welcome return between the sticks for Caolan Doyle-Creamer, who was very impressive in a spell at the club last season while still only 16 years old.

There was a good chance for Leverstock in the opening minute of the match, with Alex Yearwood sending over a low cross which was only half-cleared to Sam Nair, who shot wide. In the 13th minute Luke Preedy hit a shot from the edge of the box which Watford keeper Adam Parkes could only parry away, but no-one was following in for the rebound.

Doyle-Creamer was brought into action for the first time in the 18th minute, tipping a shot from Jayden Bennetts over the bar. Five minutes later the Green keeper produced an even better save to keep out a shot from point-blank range after Watford had broken away quickly. A minute later at the other end a pass from Jordon Goode gave Yearwood a chance to shoot. Yearwood’s shot took a deflection and was parried away by Parkes, and a defender got to the rebound before Salim Sahnoun could get there.

In the 27th minute Ryan Cassidy had Watford’s best chance so far as he was clean through, but hit his shot across goal and wide. Three minutes later there was some great play down the right from Kane O’Neil before putting in a cross that just eluded Reynaldo Carbon. In the 34th minute Leverstock felt they had a claim for a penalty when Sahnoun went down in the box, but the referee waved it away. Five minutes later Watford went close again with a looping header from a corner which was bound for the net before O’Neil intervened to head it off the line.

After a very entertaining first half the game was still goalless, but three minutes into the second half Watford took the lead when Dominic Hutchinson went on a run and hit a shot from the edge of the box into the bottom corner of the net. The second half saw fewer chances than the first, but Leverstock were never out of the game. On 67 minutes Preedy got on the end of a cross from Sam Nair, but couldn’t keep his header under the bar. In the 82nd minute a great pass from Preedy put Yearwood in behind the Watford defence, but as Yearwood headed into the box a defender got back to deny him the opportunity of a clear shot. In stoppage time an effort from Lewis Collins was blocked during a goalmouth scramble.

It was a good performance from the Leverstock side against a team that were quick, sharp and skilful, and should hopefully put some confidence back into the squad for this coming Saturday’s league match away to Stotfold.

Leverstock Green bounced back from their heavy defeat on Saturday to record a famous result on Tuesday night as they beat Stevenage 1-0 at Pancake Lane to advance into the quarter-finals of the Herts Senior Cup. It was an excellent performance all across the pitch from the Leverstock side against a young Stevenage side, and the result was fully deserved.

The only two half-chances of the first half were created by Leverstock. In the 15th minute Curtis Donaldson crossed into the heart of the six-yard box but it was headed out by defender Jacob Croud. Three minutes later Jonathan Lacey set up Ross Adams with a chance but he shot over the bar from the edge of the box.

At the other end the Leverstock defence was dogged and disciplined, putting in well-timed tackles and blocks to ensure that Stevenage did not get a clear sight of Liam Jahn’s goal.

In the second half Stevenage began to try their luck from distance, with Liam Brady being the first to go close with a shot just wide on 49 minutes. However, it was Leverstock who broke the deadlock with a goal in the 61st minute. Ross Adams delivered a cross from the right which the keeper parried away, but only as far as Lewis Davis, who faced a couple of defenders on the line but managed to calmly shoot into the net from six yards out to score his first goal for the club.

Stevenage hit back, with both Nathan Kerr and Mick Cregan hitting shots from outside the box just over the angle of post and bar within five minutes of the goal.

It should have been 2-0 to Leverstock in the 71st minute, as Lewis Bowers played a superb pass to put Donaldson through on goal, but despite having a couple of opportunities to get a shot away, Donaldson kept on running across the face of the penalty area until his eventual effort was blocked by a defender. Two minutes from time Karl Davidson played a one-two with Donaldson before going close with a shot that deflected wide off a defender.

In the last minute of stoppage time Leverstock had to defend a free kick in a dangerous position. Luke Slater’s shot curled over the wall, but Jahn got down to gather the ball and hold onto it under pressure, denying Stevenage from their only shot on target all night.

Leverstock’s reward is a trip to Cheshunt in the quarter-finals in the new year. On Saturday they return to league action with a visit to London Tigers.