Chestnut Avenue

Chestnut Ave, Northwood, HA6 1HR

(A) Northwood

It was a seventh draw from twelve league games for Leverstock Green on Saturday, but they came away wondering how they did not win the game from a series of chances late in the game, even hitting the bar with the last kick of the game.

Rio Beach was missing through suspension after his red card last Saturday, but Leverstock welcomed back their talismanic forward Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica, who has returned from a short spell in his native Romania and started on the bench today.

Leverstock were chasing the game after conceding a soft goal in the 11th minute. Harry Way did well to turn a shot from Dan Williams round the post, but the resulting corner found Reece Price-Placid unmarked to put Northwood in front.

They were unlucky not to equalise seven minutes later. Juan Pablo Velasco spotted keeper Hafed Al-Droubi off his line and launched an audacious chip from 40 yards that flew over the stranded keeper but agonisingly hit the bar as it dipped towards the goal. In the 22nd minute Nat Connolly struck a shot from the edge of the box which took a deflection and went just wide. Five minutes before the break a defensive slip left Joe McCarthy through on goal, but McCarthy’s square ball across goal missed everyone.

Leverstock had much more of the possession in the second half, but with an hour played they were still trailing as Stefanoaica came off the bench to resume his Leverstock career. They began to put more pressure on the Northwood goal, and eventually that pressure told in the 77th minute. Several players were involved in the buildup as Northwood missed several chances to clear the ball from their area, but eventually it broke for Sekyere, whose shot took a deflection off a defender that left Al-Droubi wrong-footed and found the net for the equaliser.

Leverstock were very much on top now and it looked like just a question of whether they could go on to win the game. In the 82nd minute Dan Pett set up Stefanoaica to send a lob over Al-Droubi, but the keeper back-pedalled and just tipped it over the bar. They had three great chances to win the game in a lengthy period of stoppage time. Two minutes into stoppage time Jack Allen was clean through on goal but opted to play a square ball instead of shooting himself and it was cleared. A minute later Sekyere set up a chance for Pett but that was missed. A series of corners and long throws ensued, and in the 7th minute of stoppage time, in the scramble following another Dan Casey long throw, the ball dropped for Callum Neal a yard out, but his shot came back off the bar when it looked easier to score.

The final whistle was blown immediately after the chance and Leverstock had to settle for yet another draw.

Northwood (1) 1 (Price-Placid 11)
1. Hafed Al-Droubi, 2. Ademide Baruwa, 3. Mack Miskin, 4. Manny Folarin, 5. Bryan Mankumbani, 6. Carl Stewart, 7. Reece Price-Placid (14. Hicham Bouchareb 88 mins), 8. Omar Rowe (16. Jamie Kennedy 79 mins), 9. Devonte Totesaut, 10. Jon-Jo Bates (12. Nasir Sharif 79 mins), 11. Dan Williams. Subs not used: 15. Jack Smith, 17. Harry McKenna.
Leverstock Green (1) 1 (Sekyere 77)
1. Harry Way, 2. Callum Neal, 3. Aldo Petagine (14. Dan Casey 65 mins), 20. Tommy Boxer, 5. Thomas Georgiou, 6. Nat Connolly (19. Jack Allen 74 mins), 7. Joe Mccarthy (15. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica 61 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Jeffrey Sekyere, 10. Juan Pablo Velasco, 11. Iker Noguera Leon (12. Ryan Carruthers 80 mins). Sub not used: 16. Marcus Warren.

vs

(A) Northwood

Leverstock Green are still looking for their first win in the Southern League, but they added another point to their tally after twice coming from behind against Northwood. The home side were without a point or a manager at the start of play, and Leverstock had the better of the game but once again were left to rue missed chances.

Northwood made a strong start to the game and put the Green side under some pressure, but it was Leverstock who had the game’s first chance. A pass from Rio Beach put Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica through on goal, but his shot was saved by home keeper Ryan Hopping. The loose ball was gathered by Ethan Mooney, who put it back across goal but Stefanoaica couldn’t apply the decisive touch to put it away. In the 21st minute Stefanoaica was through again, but opted to square to Mooney, who had a good shooting chance but skied it over the bar.

At the other end in the 27th minute Alfie Bonfield made a good save to keep out Godlove Oppong’s shot from a narrow angle. There was another chance for Leverstock in the 35th minute when Beach set up Guiseppe Delgaudio with a shooting chance but he hit it straight at Hopping, and the game went into half time still goalless.

Leverstock had another good chance in the 57th minute when Stefanoaica broke down the right and squared to find Delgaudio in front of goal, but his shot was blocked. This time Leverstock were made to pay for their missed chances as Northwood went straight down the other end, and a cross from the left found Gabi Ipanga-Mbambo to shoot home from close range.

Leverstock were only behind for four minutes. In the 62nd minute Ethan Mooney delivered a superb cross from near the right corner flag, and Delgaudio headed home to level the scores at 1-1. But six minutes later disaster struck again. Leverstock had a free kick in the opposition half, but it was easily headed away and Northwood broke quickly. Ipanga-Mbambo carried the ball from inside his own half, and despite several challenges was not stopped, running on to slot past Bonfield at put his side back in front at 2-1.

Leverstock kept pushing forward and were eventually rewarded with a second equaliser that was very similar to the first in the 83rd minute. This time it was Stefanoaica delivering the cross from the right for Delgaudio to head home again for a 2-2 scoreline.

The game should have been won two minutes later as Delgaudio shielded the ball in the opposition box before laying off to set up a chance for substitute Lewis Collins, who hit his shot well enough but Hopping managed to get something on the ball to divert it wide. Despite continuing to push forward over the closing minutes Leverstock couldn’t find another goal and had to settle for their second point of the season.

Northwood (0) 2 (Ipanga-Mbambo 58, 68)
1. Ryan Hopping, 2. Harry McKenna, 3. Jack Young, 4. Jack Smith, 5. Jeremy Stewart, 6. Jack Empson, 7. Prince Mbengui (16. Michael Kelly 90+2 mins), 8. Yahaya Kamara, 9. Ade Gbolahan, 10. Godlove Oppong (14. Archie James 76 mins), 11. Gabi Ipanga-Mbambo (12. Kojo Gyimah 90+2 mins). Subs not used: 15. Denislav Konstantinov, 17. Henry Atkinson.
Leverstock Green (0) 2 (Delgaudio 62, 83)
1. Alfie Bonfield, 2. Cem Poyraz (16. Josh Dooley 78 mins), 3. Jamie Breen (14. Lewis Collins 59 mins), 4. Gary Connolly, 18. Eyituoyo Akinbulumo, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Ethan Mooney, 8. Rio Beach, 9. Guiseppe Delgaudio, 10. Nat Connolly (12. Luke Beckwith 69 mins), 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica. Subs not used: 15. Curtis Dibley, 17. Dan Weeks.

vs

(A) London Tigers

Leverstock Green suffered another defeat on Saturday as they went down 2-0 away to London Tigers. The home side were reduced to nine men for the final 12 minutes of the game, but the Green side lacked the necessary cutting edge to find the net and get themselves back into the game.

There was another new goalkeeper making his debut for Leverstock today in 19 year old Ryan Schmid, a former member of Stevenage’s under-18 side. Less than ten minutes into the game Schmid was requiring treatment as Tigers forward Michael O’Donnell left his boot in as Schmid dived to claim the ball. Schmid was OK to continue after treatment, but there was no card shown to O’Donnell.

The game was feisty throughout, but there was little goalmouth action early on. Leverstock’s first effort on goal came in the 24th minute when Luke Preedy won the ball in midfield and played it through to Reece Cameron, whose attempted curler went over the bar. Four minutes later the Green found themselves behind as O’Donnell was given too much time in the box and was able to square the ball for Ardolan Ghamuar to shoot home from six yards.

Late in the half there was some action in the Tigers penalty area. Alex Witham pushed forward and laid off to Mark Smith, whose shot was deflected wide. From the resulting corner Ethan Flanagan got up to head the ball towards goal, where Cameron was waiting but could only nod the ball over the bar.

The second half started as the first had ended, with Leverstock having a corner. Jay Kossifos’ cross was headed away, but only as far as Witham, who hit a shot over the bar. A minute later there was another good effort from Kossifos just over the bar. The Leverstock side was starting to play some good football, and on 56 minutes Witham played a one-two with Cameron before playing it through to Kossifos, who slipped the ball just wide.

However, Tigers doubled their lead in the 61st minute as a looping header from O’Donnell left Schmid stranded and unable to keep it out. Leverstock came close to pulling a goal back eight minutes later as Witham hit a fierce shot which came back off the bar.

On 72 minutes the home side were reduced to ten men, as Ashkan Abbasi was shown a second yellow card for kicking the ball away, having already been carded for a similar offence in the first half. Six minutes later they were down to nine men, as substitute Adam Smith received a straight red card for pulling back Cameron when he was clean through on goal, having only been on the pitch for eight minutes.

For the remainder of the match Tigers put their nine men behind the ball, and despite their numerical advantage Leverstock were unable to find a way through. Witham had a shot saved by the keeper, and both Kossifos and Cameron had efforts on goal that went over the bar, but that was as good as it got.

Leverstock’s next match is on Tuesday night, when they are at home to title favourites Biggleswade F.C.

vs

(A) London Tigers

Leverstock Green were beaten 2-0 at London Tigers in their final league match of the season.

Goalkeeper Kallum Wells made his debut, but was sent off for a professional foul in the first half. London Tigers scored a goal in each half, through Paolo Alves and Ibrahim Lukulay.

vs