Leverstock Green and Berkhamsted had to settle for a point apiece after an incredible Dacorum derby at Broadwater on Tuesday night. Ten goals were shared between the two sides, with Leverstock having led 2-0, 3-1 and 4-3, but eventually rescuing a point two minutes from time when they were down to ten men.

There had been some half chances for both sides before the scoring began in the 21st minute. Jonathan Lacey charged down a Berko clearance to win a corner. Casey Linsell’s corner found Liam McCrohan at the near post with a glancing header that went in at the far post. In the 33rd minute Linsell again found McCrohan from a corner, but this time the header went over the bar.

However, two minutes later a good pass from Luke Preedy found Lacey, who slipped the ball past a defender to put Reece Cameron clean through, and Cameron produced a composed finish to slot the ball past Carl Tasker for a 2-0 Leverstock lead. The two-goal cushion only lasted for two minutes, though, as Matt Bateman’s ball into the box found Alex Campana alone two yards out to pull a goal back.

In the 40th minute a pass from Brima Johnson gave Lacey a run at goal. Lacey took the ball down to the bye-line and put over a low cross which was deflected into his own net by Max Farrelly to put Leverstock 3-1 up. Again, though, the two-goal cushion did not last for long as Bateman – who is still Leverstock’s top scorer this season – headed home a corner two minutes before the break to put Berko back in the game again at 3-2 down.

The second half saw no let up in the goalmouth action at both ends. Lacey was denied a goal in the 49th minute when his shot was blocked on the line and a follow-up effort from McCrohan was also blocked. The scores were levelled in the 53rd minute when Farrelly made up for his earlier own goal by heading home a corner for 3-3.

Less than a minute later, though, a pass from Chris Marsh put Lacey through to outpace the last defender and slot past Tasker and put Leverstock back into the lead at 4-3.

Berko had a chance to level in the 60th minute with a free kick in a dangerous position, but Mackenzie Taylor kept it out. A minute later it was almost 5-3 when Lacey put a great ball across goal which Ross Adams just failed to make contact with as he slid in. Taylor produced a point-blank save to keep the Green ahead in the 66th minute, but four minutes later a run from Bateman was ended by what looked like a good challenge from Shane Wood in the box, but the referee somewhat harshly awarded a penalty. Dan Jones put away the spot kick to level the scores at 4-4.

Two minutes later Lacey went close to putting Leverstock in front again, shooting just wide of the far post after a dazzling solo run. However, on 77 minutes it was Berko who took the lead for the first time as a great ball from Ashton Campbell put substitute Ashley Morrissey through to shoot home their fifth goal.

Leverstock’s hopes took a further dive six minutes from time as they were reduced to ten men. David Lawrence appeared to kick out at a Berko player who was on the ground, and the referee showed Lawrence a straight red card. However, the game wasn’t over yet. Two minutes from time Leverstock substitute Luke Marsh delivered a superb cross from the right touchline, and Chris Marsh came in to head home from close range and level the scores up at 5-5.

Still there was a lengthy period of stoppage time to play during which the Green were mostly penned in their own box, and in the third minute of stoppage time Taylor produced the outstanding save of the night to tip over a goalbound shot from Dan Jones. Garry Jones also hit a shot over the bar as Berko pressed for a winner, but Leverstock held out for their point, and in truth it would have been cruel on either side to have lost the game in the end.

So ended a marvellously entertaining local derby in front of a crowd of 157, with Jonathan Lacey named as Leverstock’s man-of-the-match after a virtuoso performance that brought a goal and two assists. Leverstock became the first side this season to put five goals past Berkhamsted, and it was the fourth successive draw between the two sides, with the previous three meetings having all ended 2-2.

Leverstock face another tough match on Saturday as they travel to third-placed Leighton Town.

Leverstock Green earned an excellent point from a pulsating Dacorum Derby as they drew 2-2 with Berkhamsted in Saturday’s SSML Premier Division match at Broadwater. It would not have been undeserved had the Green side won the game, and the result was all the more remarkable given that they lost three key players to injury early in the game.

Leverstock made a bright start to the game, with Jonathan Lacey bursting through with just over a minute played, but his shot was deflected wide by Berko keeper Carl Tasker. Lewis Bowers got his head to the resulting corner, but it was just wide. At the other end Liam Jahn was brought into action in the 5th minute, producing a good save to turn away a rasping shot from Adam Mead. Berko had another chance in the 9th minute but Ashley Lewis headed wide from Alex Campana’s cross.

The first injury blow for Leverstock came in the 18th minute when Bowers had to leave the game with a hamstring injury, to be replaced by former Berko player Jordan Gilbert. Berko went close again in the 21st minute when Lewis got on the end of a Dan Weeks cross with a header which came back off the base of the post with a Green defender clearing the rebound. Within a minute Leverstock almost took the lead when Curtis Donaldson threaded a pass to Lacey, whose shot beat Tasker but drifted inches wide of the far post.

In the 25th minute Leverstock suffered their second injury when skipper Shane Wood was unable to continue due to a hamstring injury, being replaced by under-18 player Louis Smith. Within a minute of the substitution Jahn pulled off another great save to tip over a free kick from Mead.

Jahn saved again in the 28th minute when Campana resisted a tackle from George Biggadike to get through for a shot. However, seconds later Berko had the lead in controversial circumstances. George Carbery appeared to push a Green defender out of the way as he won the ball, but he was allowed to continue his run and hit a low shot past Jahn from the edge of the box.

Leverstock ended the half well, and in the last minute Gilbert had a good opportunity to level the scores, but hit his shot over the bar. They also made a good start to the second half, going close on 49 minutes from a corner when Ross Adams hit a shot across goal and Biggadike just failed to connect as he slid in at the far post.

Five minutes later at the other end Berko put together a good passing move which put Steve Hawes through on goal. Biggadike came in with a tackle which brought the former Green player down, and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Adam Mead stepped up for the spot kick which would probably have put the game out of Leverstock’s reach, but for the third time Mead was denied by man-of-the-match Jahn as the Green keeper dived to his right to turn it round the post.

Just before the hour mark Leverstock had to make their third change. Donaldson had been playing with an injury all game and was finally replaced by Karl Davidson, making his first appearance in a Green shirt for seven years. Within seconds of the substitution the scores were level as Jonathan Lacey added another to his impressive portfolio of goals, running at the Berko box before curling a shot from the edge of the box out of Tasker’s reach and into the bottom corner of the net.

The goal proved a great boost to the Leverstock side, who were well on top during the next phase of the game. On 62 minutes Brima Johnson made a great run from his own half into the Berko box but just failed to find Davidson with his cross. On 68 minutes Adams hit a shot which was goalbound but was blocked in the six yard box by teammate Biggadike, who himself was denied a minute later when his header was deflected wide by a defender. There was increasing irritation on the Leverstock bench at some of the decisions being given by the officials, which resulted in manager Paul Hunt being sent to the stand mid way through the half.

In the 72nd minute Leverstock broke away again with Lacey running clear down the left before squaring for Davidson, whose first touch was a little too heavy, allowing Tasker to come out and block his shot. However, two minutes later Davidson produced an astonishing moment as he won the ball from a Berko defender inside the centre circle, and in the same movement looked up, saw Tasker off his line and sent a lob flying over the Berko keeper’s head into the net to give Leverstock a sensational 2-1 lead.

It was almost 3-1 in the 76th minute as Louis Smith went on a determined solo run and hit a shot which Tasker did well to tip over the bar. However, the Berko side was always going to be a danger, and ten minutes from time they won a free kick just outside the box. The ball was floated in and Lewis came in with a diving header to level the scores at 2-2. They could have gone in front two minutes later when Dan Edwards, who had only just come off the subs bench, was clean through but hit his shot just wide of the post.

Either side could have won the game in a frantic finale, but in the end a draw was a fair enough result, and anything less would have been a travesty for the Green side who worked tirelessly throughout the game against top-class opposition in wet and windy conditions. Paul Hunt was hugely proud of his side, their work rate and the way they came back into the game in the second half.

Next up for Leverstock is a home game against Wembley on Tuesday night.