Leverstock Green’s season did not get off to the best of starts as they were beaten 3-0 at Arlesey Town in their opening SSML Premier Division game. The Green side had plenty of possession in the game, but didn’t make the most of it, and Arlesey took their chances well.

It is an almost entirely new Leverstock side from that which ended last season, and with both senior goalkeepers unavailable, there was a first team debut for 16 year old Adi Connolly, who acquitted himself well in the game.

After a quiet opening ten minutes to the game, Arlesey took the lead from the first real chance. A free kick was floated into the box by Josh Brown, and James Hatch got up unchallenged to head across goal, where the ball was turned in by Charlie Moss.

Ollie Cox had Leverstock’s first decent attempt on goal in the 16th minute, a shot from outside the box which was gathered by home keeper Robbie Ponting. There was almost an equaliser in the 32nd minute when Luis Brooker got on the end of Frankie Jowle’s corner, but his header went inches over the bar. Leverstock were having more of the ball at this stage, but were giving it away too often and were unable to create the chances some of their play deserved. Their task was made even harder when Arlesey added a second goal four minutes from half time, from what was only their second chance. They were awarded a free kick just outside the box, and Aaron Browne took the kick perfectly, curling it round the wall and into the corner of the net giving Connolly no chance.

Leverstock needed to get a goal back quickly, and they almost managed it two minutes into the second half when Cox hit a dangerous free kick across the face of the six-yard box, but nobody could get on the end of it. Arlesey increased their control of the game by adding a third goal in the 56th minute. Charlie Moss ran at the Green defence, took the ball round Dan Weeks and hit a shot under Connolly’s body for an impressive finish.

The Leverstock bench responded with a triple substitution, bringing on Kai Stonnell, Ollie Lawford and Luke Peerless, but were unable to turn the game around. Arlesey went close to a fourth in the 72nd minute when a shot from Hatch struck the post, and Leverstock almost netted a consolation six minutes later, but Lawford headed just over.

The game ended on a sour note for the home side when they were reduced to ten men with five minutes remaining, Lilian Pascasu receiving a straight red card for retaliation on Peerless. However, they deserved their win in a game that showed there is still much work to be done on the Leverstock side.

It was always going to be a tough night for a very young Leverstock Green side against an in-form Baldock Town side, and so it proved, although the side battled well throughout and didn’t let their heads drop. The performance of the night went to keeper Ryan Schmid, who produced a series of great saves to prevent Baldock adding more to their total and had little chance with the ones that went past him.

Baldock had a flurry of chances in the 13th minute, with Sam James shooting over the bar from a good position, Kieran Barnes having a shot turned round the post by Schmid, and Kim Forsythe shooting over the bar from the resulting corner. Two minutes later Liam Brooks got the better of debutant defender Luke Abrahams to go clean through, but Schmid did well to save with his legs.

Having soaked up the early pressure, it was Leverstock who went closest to scoring so far in the 21st minute when Alex Yearwood hit a superb shot from distance which had the keeper beaten but hit the post. However, in the 30th minute Baldock finally took the lead as a ball over the top put Barnes clean through, and he finished emphatically past Schmid to open the scoring. Baldock had further chances late in the half, but James hit another shot over the bar from close range and had an effort cleared off the line in the last minute of the half.

The second half opened with Baldock pushing forward again, but Schmid saved again with his legs on 48 minutes to keep out a shot from Brooks. Three minutes later Leverstock had another effort at goal as Luke Nugent went on a run before passing to William Akinola, whose shot was saved.

Baldock’s second goal on 56 minutes had an element of controversy about it as the linesman clearly flagged for a foul in the build-up, but the referee did not consult him, and Barnes’ finish from close range stood. The third goal came in the 76th minute through Forsythe, who hit a great shot from the edge of the box, and two minutes later via a somewhat harsh penalty decision Barnes completed his hat-trick from the spot.

The Leverstock side continued to battle until the end, and were unlucky not to net a consolation goal two minutes from time when a great cross from Paplamin Jawara found Wesley Iroegbu in front of goal, but his shot went just over the bar.

Leverstock Green’s three-game winning run ended with Tuesday night’s trip to Arlesey Town. A goal in each half was enough for Arlesey, with a missed penalty proving costly for Leverstock. There were first team debuts in the line-up this evening for under-18 players Kane O’Neil and Lucas Preston.

There was an early chance for Salim Sahnoun, but his shot across goal went wide, and another effort by Alex Condon went wide. Later in the half it was Arlesey who began to create chances, with Rob Partington turning an effort by James Hatch round the post on 24 minutes, but being beaten by a shot from Alex O’Brien five minutes later to put Arlesey 1-0 up.

A series of saves by Partington kept the score at 1-0, and towards the end of the half Alex Yearwood went close to equalising with a shot just over the bar, and a minute before the break a free kick from Sam Nair was tipped over the bar by home keeper Robbie Ponting.

Leverstock had a golden opportunity to equalise on 64 minutes when they were awarded a penalty, but Sahnoun’s kick was saved by Ponting, and six minutes later Ponting saved another free kick from Nair. A second Arlesey goal from Lorrell Smith put the game out of Leverstock’s reach and ensured that they would get the three points.