(London Colney win 4-3 on penalties)

Leverstock Green exited the FA Vase at the First Qualifying Round stage in a penalty shoot-out at London Colney on Saturday. As with the previous match, it was a case of missed chances proving costly, and despite a late equaliser which took the game into a shoot-out, it was the home side that held their nerve to win through to the next round.

After a quiet opening to the game, Leverstock had a couple of efforts at goal, with Rawn Seale hitting a shot just wide after a good run in the 13th minute, and Ethan Mooney shooting over the bar after being set up by Seale two minutes later.

In the 27th minute a great pass from Paplamin Jawara put Mooney through on goal but he shot over the bar again. A minute later Leverstock went even closer when a cross from Rio Beach found Lewis Collins at the far post with a volley that hit the underside of the bar and bounced out. At the other end two minutes later the home side had their first near-miss of the game when Isaac Olayeye hit the post with a shot.

Leverstock had had the better chances, but it was London Colney who opened the scoring in the 42nd minute. The Green defence was expecting an offside flag when Herbie Townsend received the ball on the right side of the penalty area, but it didn’t come, and Townsend’s cross found Pijus Montvydas in space to head home past Alfie Bonfield.

Even then Leverstock had chances to level the scores before the break as Mooney got on the end of a cross from Collins but hit the post from close range, and Seale hit a shot across goal and wide in the final minute of the half.

The second half saw fewer chances for both sides. Leverstock created little, with too many of their crosses being easily gobbled up by giant home keeper Thierry-Allan Belleau. The presence of the injured Isiah Noel-Williams was also sorely missed. After three substitutions, Leverstock finally found an equaliser in the 81st minute, as a mix-up in the London Colney defence left Seale all alone, onside and clean through to take the ball round Belleau and slot into the empty net.

There had been little in the way of stoppages during the second half until a couple of injuries in the final minutes resulted in a lengthy period of stoppage time. One of those injuries was to Belleau, who had to leave the game to be replaced by sub keeper Sam Launay. Leverstock were unable to seriously test Launay over the few minutes that he played, and with replays and extra-time both abolished in this season’s Vase, the game went straight to penalties.

Scott McGleish stepped up to take Leverstock’s first kick, but it hit the post and went wide. Andrew Simmons scored London Colney’s first kick to put them into a 1-0 lead. The next six penalties were all successful with neither keeper getting close to any of them. Rio Beach stepped up for Leverstock’s 5th kick needing to score to keep the tie alive, but his kick went wide sending London Colney through 4-3 on penalties.

Fergus Moore’s side will have the chance of quick revenge, as the two sides meet again at Cotlandswick next Saturday in the league. Before that, they are at home to Leighton Town on Tuesday night.

London Colney (1) 1  (Montvydas 42)
Team: 1. Thierry-Allan Belleau (22. Sam Launay 90+3 mins), 2. Andrew Simmons, 3. Josip Jevdjic, 4. Callum Ismail, 5. Zack Holding, 6. Jack Mace, 7. Herbie Townsend (12. Jordan Gill 90 mins), 8. Isaac Olaleye, 9. Andre Odetola, 10. Pijus Montvydas, 11. Wilberforce Ocran (14. Ziad Baker 69 mins). Sub not used: 15. James Lawrance.
Penalties: Simmons, Montvydas, Gill, Holding
Leverstock Green (0) 1 (Seale 81)
Team: 1. Alfie Bonfield, 2. Adrian Pitfield (17. Paul Marks H/T), 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Brima Johnson, 6. Ryan Carruthers (18. Scott McGleish 55 mins), 7. Ethan Mooney, 8. Kian Wilkes, 9. Rawn Seale, 10. Paplamin Jawara, 11. Lewis Collins (12. Elgeniy Daalberg 75 mins). Subs not used: 14. Ollie Lawford, 16. Dan Pett, 19. Juliusz Pazio, 20. Fergus Moore.
Penalties: McGleish (missed), Wilkes, Mooney, Jawara, Beach (missed)