Despite a bright start to the match, Leverstock Green ended up well beaten by a very good Cockfosters side in Saturday’s SSML Premier Division fixture at Chalk Lane.

It all started well when Leverstock took the lead in the third minute of the game. Curtis Donaldson brought the ball out of defence and found Ross Adams, who played a great pass to set Tremayne Charles away down the right, and Charles’ cross was sidefooted home by Lewis Bowers.

The home side fought back, although their equaliser in the 14th minute was gifted to them. As a cross came in from the left, Zak Howells tried to head the ball back to Liam Jahn, but Cockfosters forward Ioannis Varouxakis was inbetween them and easily intercepted and bundled the ball home.

Two goals late in the half swung the match firmly in the home side’s favour. In the 43rd minute Cockfosters broke quickly down the right and Cameron Ferguson squared for Varouxakis to shoot home his second. In the first minute of stoppage time Jason Beck headed home a third Cockfosters goal unchallenged from a corner.

However, the home side were reduced to ten men before the break when Ferguson was shown a straight red for serious foul play off the ball that was only seen by the linesman.

Leverstock needed an early goal in the second half to get back into the game, and they almost got one on 49 minutes when Charles broke down the right and crossed for new signing Danilson Vicente, but keeper Austin Byfield was quickly off his line to block the shot. Within a minute a pass from Donaldson put Charles through but he shot straight at Byfield.

Even with the numerical advantage the Green side created little after that, and Cockfosters confirmed their win with two further goals in the last ten minutes. Bobby Sears headed home a cross from Ben Spaul for the fourth goal on 81 minutes and added a fifth in the 86th minute.

Next up for Leverstock is a visit to Colney Heath for a league game on Tuesday night.