Leverstock Green are still looking for a win to kick-start their season after they went down 2-1 in Saturday’s SSML Premier Division opener at London Colney. Having lost both full-backs to injury in the abandoned FA Cup replay against Edgware, there was another injury blow today with skipper Shane Wood being stretchered off in the second half.

The home side, who have just one player remaining from the squad which won the Premier Division title last season, took the lead with just over four minutes on the clock. Kambo Smith made a run into the box, and although Wood got in a sliding tackle, the ball still continued towards goal where Kit Brown finished from close range past Leverstock’s debutant keeper Philip Daniels.

However, the scores were levelled in the 14th minute. Chris Marsh spotted a run by Sam Nair and lofted a perfect pass into his path, and Nair slotted the ball past home keeper Joe Simmonds for the equaliser.

For the rest of the half it was Leverstock on top. On 17 minutes Marsh played a pass out wide to David Lawrence, who pass inside found Ross Adams, but Adams’ shot went over the bar. In the 25th minute Wood got on the end of a cross from Jonathan Lacey with a looping header which landed just over the bar. On 39 minutes Lawrence received a pass from Nair and clipped a shot from a narrow angle inches over the angle of post and bar. Half time was reached with the score still 1-1, with Leverstock having played the ball around very well, but once again without the goals to show for their possession.

London Colney improved in the second half and on the hour had two chances within a minute to go back in front, but Brown shot across goal and wide when clean through from the first chance, and Daniels pulled off a great save to turn a shot from Lawrence Vaughan round the post.

Midway through the half, Green skipper Wood landed awkwardly from an aerial challenge and stayed down. Wood received treatment for some time before being stretchered off with a twisted ankle. Not long after the game resumed, the home side went back in front when Smith received the ball on the edge of the box and quickly turned and shot home a 76th minute goal for a 2-1 lead.

Leverstock pushed forward and created chances, but they are still struggling to put the ball in the net. On 79 minutes Simmonds saved a shot from Lawrence from a narrow angle, and on 82 minutes Luke Preedy set up a clear chance for Nair but again Simmonds saved his shot. Two minutes later Lawrence got on the end of a cross from Nair but couldn’t direct his shot on target.

There was almost 15 minutes of stoppage time played, during which Dwayne Clarke missed a great chance to put London Colney 3-1 up, and Leverstock substitute Craig King received a straight red card following an altercation with an opponent. Luca DeMare also limped off injured towards the end of stoppage time to give yet another potential injury worry for Tuesday night’s FA Cup replay against Edgware.

An excellent second half comeback saw Leverstock Green claim a well-deserved point from their visit to league leaders London Colney on Saturday. Two superb strikes from top scorers Jonathan Lacey and Curtis Donaldson erased a 2-0 half time deficit.

The result was all the more impressive given the depleted squad available to Scott Dash and his management team today, with several key players unavailable on top of the long injury list. Leverstock had the game’s first near miss in the 4th minute as David Lawrence floated in a free kick which Jack Watts met with a header that was just wide. There was another chance in the 12th minute as Danilson Vicente went on a run with the ball from the halfway line but was robbed inside the penalty area when there were two good passing opportunities available.

London Colney had only had a couple of off-target shots before taking the lead in the 30th minute. Watts had cleared a dangerous ball into the box towards the corner flag, where Brima Johnson tried to win a goal kick off David Parkinson, but Parkinson won the ball despite a strong shout for handball and put it back into the box where Spencer Clarke-Mardel shot home.

The second goal in the 36th minute was unfortunate for Watts, who lost his footing midway inside his own half having received a pass from George Biggadike, allowing Jon Clements to nip in and head straight towards goal, shooting past Liam Jahn from the edge of the box having left the chasing defenders in his wake.

London Colney took their 2-0 lead into the break, and almost increased it in the 52nd minute with a shot from Jack Woods which went inches wide. There was still little to choose between the sides, who were both struggling to play football in the windy conditions. Leverstock just needed a goal to get themselves back into the game, and it arrived in the 64th minute via another moment of individual brilliance from Jonathan Lacey. There seemed little on as the ball dropped for Lacey in a crowded penalty area, but he connected with a volley straight towards the top corner of the net which went in off the angle of post and bar.

Another moment of individual brilliance resulted in the deserved equaliser in the 78th minute. A Leverstock free kick had been headed away, but Curtis Donaldson picked up the ball 30 yards out, headed straight for the penalty area and hit the sweetest of strikes on the run across keeper Tom Cowans and into the far corner of the net. It was the 100th goal in all competitions for the Leverstock side this season.

The home side pressed strongly over the closing minutes for a winner, but the back four of Watts, Biggadike, Johnson and youngster Luke Nugent, making only his second start for the first team, remained as strong to the end as they had throughout the game.

This was the fourth meeting between the two sides this season, and they will meet for a fifth time on Tuesday night in the semi-finals of the Challenge Trophy, again at Cotlandswick, kick-off 7.45 pm.