Leverstock Green looked to be on course for their first win in the Southern League when they opened up a two goal lead for the first time this season with 15 minutes left against North Leigh. However, once the home side pulled a goal back it all unravelled quickly for Leverstock and instead it was North Leigh who were celebrating their first league win at the end.

The game started well for Leverstock, who were attacking up the considerable slope at Eynsham Park in the first half. With just over five minutes played Ryan Carruthers swung over a corner, and Callum Neal came in to meet it with a fierce volley to put his side 1-0 up.

Leverstock had chances for further goals. In the 9th minute Luke Beckwith combined with Rio Beach to set up a shot but it was saved by home keeper Monty Marriott. Guiseppe Delgaudio hit a good shot in the 33rd minute but Marriott pulled off a great save, and again five minutes later from Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica. In the closing minutes of the half North Leigh started to put some pressure on. On 41 minutes Kyle Chester just failed to connect with a ball across the face of goal, and three minutes later Alfie Bonfield pulled off a superb save to keep out a close-range shot from Calvin Njoroge.

Delgaudio had picked up a knock early in the game, and having tried but failed to run it off during the remainder of the half, had to be substituted in first half stoppage time. That reduced Leverstock’s attacking options for the second half, and with some others also playing with niggling injuries, the second half proved to be a struggle for the Green side as North Leigh were doing all the attacking. Despite facing almost constant pressure for 30 minutes, Leverstock were still hanging onto their lead, and with 15 minutes to go that lead was doubled. A brief period of pressure resulted in a Leverstock corner, and when the ball was not cleared, Ethan Mooney pounced from six yards out to shoot Leverstock into a 2-0 lead.

Perhaps the two-goal cushion caused the Leverstock side to take their foot off the gas a little, but the game went away from them very quickly. Two minutes later North Leigh were attacking again, and although Bonfield pulled off a great save to keep out a shot from Mekhi Thomas, Njoroge followed up to net the rebound and put his side back in the game. Leverstock were starting to look rattled now, and in the 81st minute a rash challenge in the box resulted in a penalty for the home side. Chester stepped up to take the spot kick and level the scores at 2-2.

North Leigh had all the momentum now, and in the 84th minute as Bonfield came out of his goal to thwart an attack, the ball was chipped over him and Harlee Vozza nodded home into the empty net to complete the turnaround. There was no coming back from a shellshocked Leverstock side, and the search for their first league win goes on.

North Leigh (0) 3 (Njoroge 77, Chester 81 pen, Vozza 84)
1. Monty Marriott, 2. Casey Groves, 5. Jack Alexander, 6. Noah Parsons (17. Andre Bromfield 80 mins), 4. Finlay Baker (14. Louis Mathias 59 mins), 15. Harvey Fox (3. Michael Hopkins 89 mins), 7. Calvin Njoroge, 8. Edward Odley, 9. Kyle Chester, 10. Harlee Vozza, 11. Morgan Williams (16. Mekhi Thomas 55 mins). Sub not used: 12. George Rushton.
Leverstock Green (1) 2 (Neal 6, Mooney 75)
1. Alfie Bonfield, 2. Callum Neal, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Gary Connolly, 6. Ryan Carruthers (18. Eyituoyo Akinbulumo 89 mins), 7. Luke Beckwith (12. Ronnie Brennan 77 mins), 8. Ethan Mooney, 9. Guiseppe Delgaudio (15. Callum Moore 45+1 mins), 10. Nat Connolly (14. Josh Dooley 60 mins), 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica. Sub not used: 19. Scott McGleish.