Leverstock Green’s wildly fluctuating league form continued as they followed up last week’s big win over Baldock with another heavy defeat away to Cockfosters. The scoreline doesn’t really reflect the difference between the sides, but Leverstock Green FC were guilty of too many mistakes at the back and most were punished by a Cockfosters side showing some clinical finishing.

There was little sign of what was to come during an opening 15 minutes of evenly-contested football that had forced neither keeper into a serious save. However, in the 16th minute a cross from Antonio Michael found Ethan Rookard all alone at the far post to head Cockfosters into a 1-0 lead.

Leverstock Green FC were making little headway against a solid Cockfosters defence. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica twice managed to spring the offside trap but both times ended up with his back to goal and unable to get a shot in. In the 29th minute Leverstock had a free kick in a dangerous position 20 yards out, but Danny May’s effort was blocked by the wall. Three minutes later Leverstock finally broke through the home defence as Ademide Baruwa curled a cross into the box and Stefanoaica got on the end of it to stab home the equaliser.

Having fought their way back into the match, a momentary lapse in concentration saw them fall behind again before the break. The ball was given away just outside the Leverstock box, and the defence was left completely flat-footed as Reece Barratt threaded a pass through to Ethan Rookard, who slotted the ball past Josh Bowler for his second goal in the 39th minute. Cockfosters might have added a third late in the half but for a headed clearance off the line from Rio Beach.

The game was still delicately poised going into the second half, and Leverstock certainly had more of the ball in the opening stages. Cockfosters might have added a third goal on 51 minutes, but were denied by a double save from Bowler. The third goal was on its way, though, and when Cockfosters broke away in the 58th minute, a slip from May left Harrison Rookard through on a goal to hit a shot which somehow squirmed through Bowler’s hands for a 3-1 scoreline.

It went from bad to worse for Leverstock Green FC in the 63rd minute as Cockfosters cut through the Green defence with a passing move before Michael curled a shot into the top corner for an impressive fourth goal, and again in the 69th minute as another defensive mistake was pounced on by Harrison Rookard and finished by Michael for his second.

Leverstock pulled a goal back in the 75th minute as George Mitchell-Gears took advantge of confusion between Jay Lovell and keeper Charlie Mann to slot into an empty net, but it was little more than consolation. George Lutaaya should have added a sixth for Cockfosters in the 87th minute, left through on goal by yet another muffed defensive header, but he somehow shot over the bar from a couple of yards out.

Leverstock Green FC will need to turn things around quickly before the visit of St Panteleimon to the Lords Builders Merchants Stadium on Tuesday night. Saints were beaten by Leverstock on the opening day of the season but have since gone on a winning run to lead the table by five points.

Cockfosters FC (2) 5 (E.Rookard 16, 39, H.Rookard 58, Michael 63, 69)
1. Charlie Mann, 2. Kenny Nobrega (12. Jerrell Cato 83 mins), 3. Gideon Sarpong, 4. Matt Thompson (14. Chris Griffin 74 mins), 5. Aiden Read, 6. Jay Lovell, 7. Antonio Michael, 8. Ollie Finch (15. Matthew Ball 74 mins), 9. Harrison Rookard, 10. Reece Barrett (16. Luca Gordon 74 mins), 11. Ethan Rookard (17. George Lutaaya 67 mins).
Leverstock Green FC (1) 2 (Stefanoaica 32, Mitchell-Gears 75)
1. Josh Bowler, 2. Brad Robinson (17. Mike Havill-Tierney 52 mins), 3. Rio Beach, 4. Danny May, 5. Callum Neal, 6. Nat Connolly, 7. Luke Beckwith (15. Lewis Collins 68 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica (15. Ethan Mooney 68 mins), 10. Ademide Baruwa (16. Joe Sadler 62 mins), 11. George Mitchell-Gears. Sub not used: 12. Ryan Carruthers.

No teams have drawn more games in the SSML Premier Division than Cockfosters and Leverstock Green, so there was an air of predictability about tonight’s result as the sides shared the points in a 1-1 draw.

Leverstock manager Fregus Moore had a depleted squad to pick from tonight with five players from Saturday’s game either injured or unavailable in addition to the four that were already missing through injury. Top scorers Chris Blunden and Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica were both out injured, so there were debuts for two players – Cameron Ferguson, on a dual registration from Hadley, and striker John Shamalo on a dual registration from AFC Dunstable.

Leverstock made a strong start to the game, though, and took an early lead. Luke Beckwith made a run from the halfway line before laying off to Richard Ennin, who at first seemed to have missed his chance to shoot, but he got the ball back and fired it into the corner of the net for a 1-0 lead in the 4th minute.

In the 10th minute Shamalo had an effort at goal which was deflected wide, and Luke Durnin headed wide from the resulting corner. The home side had a good spell in the middle of the half, and Austin Byfield had to make two saves in the 22nd and 25th minutes to keep out shots from Ethan Rookard, who was clean through on both occasions.

Leverstock went close again in the 32nd minute when a free kick from Ennin was tipped over the bar by a superb save from home keeper Charlie Mann. Ryan Carruthers headed wide from the resulting corner. In first half stoppage time Byfield pulled off another great save to keep out a Cockfosters free kick.

Further injury problems early in the second half saw Elgeniy Daalberg replace Beckwith and Bobby Armstrong replace Durnin. Seconds after coming on Armstrong was pulled up for a foul inside the box which saw Cockfosters awarded a penalty. Matt Thompson fired the spot kick past Byfield to level the scores at 1-1 in the 58th minute.

On 65 minutes Cockfosters had a good chance when Reece Barrett turned in the box but shot wide from close range. A minute later Leverstock were attacking when Kurainashe Musanhi made a run from his own half to the edge of the box before hitting a shot that Mann did well to turn away. The play went straight back to the other end where Barrett had another good chance but put his shot over the bar. The home side were denied again in the 70th minute by a goalline clearance from Ferguson.

Cockfosters were temporarily reduced to ten men when Chris Griffin was sin-binned in the 78th minute, but Leverstock couldn’t make their numerical advantage tell during the ten minutes, with a free kick over the bar from Ibrahim Nagheeb being their best effort.

Leverstock were on top during a lengthy period of stoppage time, with the ball flashing across the face of the home goal a couple of times, but the draw always looked the most likely outcome, and so it proved at the final whistle.

It was an 11th draw of the season for Leverstock and a 10th for Cockfosters. Byfield’s series of first half saves earned him the MOM nomination.

Highlight video by Stephen Fletcher:

Cockfosters (0) 1 (Thompson 58 pen)
1. Charlie Mann, 2. Kenny Nobrega, 3. Prince Madu, 4. Matt Thompson, 5. Aiden Read, 6. Jay Lovell, 7. Antonio Michael, 8. Chris Griffin, 9. Ethan Rookard, 10. Reece Barrett (16. Joe Entwistle 78 mins), 11. Cory Ugbomah (15. Conrad Holland 90+1 mins). Subs not used: 12. Glen Draper, 14. Dennis Aker, 17. George Sippetts.
Leverstock Green (1) 1 (Ennin 4)
1. Austin Byfield, 2. Adrian Pitfield, 3. Kurainashe Musanhi, 4. Alvin Kyeremeh, 5. Luke Durnin (18. Bobby Armstrong 56 mins), 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Luke Beckwith (12. Elgeniy Daalberg 52 mins), 8. Cameron Ferguson, 9. John Shamalo, 10. Ibrahim Nagheeb, 11. Richard Ennin. Subs not used: 14. Raheem Khan, 15. Ayomide Oke, 20. Scott McGleish.