Back-to-back 2-0 wins have taken Leverstock Green to the brink of confirming safety in the Southern League Division One Central for a second season. It was another excellent performance by the Leverstock side to take all three points away from Beaconsfield Town, completing a league double over the Rams, and like last week’s win against Flackwell Heath, the win was confirmed by a late goal from Jack Allen.

Leverstock could have taken the lead in the 2nd minute as a flick from Jeffrey Sekyere put Iker Noguera Leon through on goal, but after cutting back inside, Leon’s eventual shot went wide. However, in the 8th minute Leon was set free down the left wing and delivered a superb cross which found Sekyere in space inside the box, and Leverstock’s top scorer brought the ball down and shot home to put his side into a 1-0 lead.

Leverstock had chances to add further goals before the break. In the 19th minute Carmicheal Uchenna broke away from a Beaconsfield corner, carrying the ball from deep in his own half into the opposition penalty area. He had the opportunity to lay the ball off but opted to go it alone and his eventual shot drifted just wide. Four minutes later Uchenna pulled the ball back from the bye-line to set up a chance for Ryan Carruthers, but his shot went over the bar. Four minutes before the break Leon went on a solo run but hit his shot just over the bar.

There was another chance early in the second half as Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica went on a run which took him into the box. His shot was blocked and ran across goal into the path of Leon, who only had the keeper to beat but pulled his shot agonisingly wide. The home side put some pressure on the Leverstock goal in the second half, with Ashton Broome-Alexander having to deal with a shot from Tyler Webb in the 57th minute, and making an excellent save with his legs to deny Mirko Jovanovic, who was through on goal in the 63rd minute.

Beaconsfield won a series of corners, but Broome-Alexander dealt with them well, taking no chances in the windy conditions and punching them away. It was a very disciplined performance by the Leverstock defence, with Kombe Kawimbe particularly impressive at the heart of it.

Leverstock went close to clinching the game in the 85th minute when Sekyere was through, but shot into the side netting. However, a minute later a pass from Uchenna gave Stefanoaica the chance to run clear of the defence, and he squared across goal for substitute Jack Allen to net from close range for his second crucial goal in two games.

With other results going their way, Leverstock are now 12 points clear of the drop zone and will be hoping to mathematically confirm safety over the upcoming Easter weekend.

Beaconsfield Town (0) 0
1. Ezekiel Ifekoya, 3. James Dobson (14. George Brough), 4. Mark Nisbet (8. Jack Esiri), 5. Aaron White, 6. Luke Neville, 9. Manu Oke-William, 10. Oliver Turner, 11. Jamie Davies (7. Adam Colligan), 15. Tyler Webb, 16. Samuel Wraith, 19. Mirko Jovanovic (17. Nnaemeka Anyanwu). Sub not used: 20. Adin Balic.
Leverstock Green (1) 2 (Sekyere 8, Allen 86)
1. Ashton Broome-Alexander, 2. Kombe Kawimbe, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Pett (12. Ademide Baruwa H/T), 20. Olusegun Adedipe (16. Marcus Warren 75 mins), 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Iker Noguera Leon (18. Jack Allen 76 mins), 8. Carmicheal Uchenna, 9. Jeffrey Sekyere, 10. George Mitchell-Gears (14. Callum Donnelly 89 mins), 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica (19. Scott McGleish 90+1 mins)

After three straight league defeats, Leverstock Green stopped the rot as they twice came from behind for a battling point at Beaconsfield Town in Saturday’s Southern League Division One Central fixture.

With injuries still plaguing the Leverstock squad, there were four new signings in the starting lineup today. Goalkeeper Reuben Rabstein has joined on loan from Royston Town, having previously played for the club eight years ago. Attacking midfielder Zenon Stylianides has joined from FC Romania, while defender Chad King and midfield Zac Hawker have signed on dual registrations with Colney Heath and Egham Town respectively.

It wasn’t a great start to the game for Leverstock, as they fell behind in the 5th minute. As Beaconsfield forward Usman Lalustani made a run at goal, Rabstein came out of his goal to try to avert the danger, but Lalustani got round him and squeezed the ball in from a narrow angle to open the scoring.

The home side should probably have added another couple of goals as they dominated for much of the first half, but Leverstock weathered the storm and started to come into the game late in the half. They were rewarded with a goal in first half stoppage time. Hawker lofted a pass forward from near the halfway line to find Rawn Seale on the edge of the box, and Seale controlled the ball with his first touch before drilling home a low shot with his second touch to level the scores at 1-1.

Having got back in the game, Leverstock made another poor start to the second half and were behind again within 30 seconds. Manuchin Oke-William netted a diving header from close range for a 2-1 Beaconsfield lead.

But Leverstock fought back again and were level again in the 59th minute. After a corner had been headed away, Lewis Collins hit a shot back into the box, and Stylianides applied the finishing touch with an audacious backheel from a couple of yards out to score on his debut and make it 2-2.

For the remainder of the game it was Leverstock who looked the most likely to score again, and their best chance game in the 84th minute when Callum Neal intercepted the ball in his own half and played a long pass forward to give Guiseppe Delgaudio a run at goal, but his shot was saved by keeper Ed Brearey. Despite putting pressure on the home goal in the closing minutes Leverstock couldn’t find a winner, but equally they kept their own goal intact to ensure that they at least came away with the point they deserved.

Beaconsfield Town (1) 2 (Lalustani 5, Oke-William 46)
1. Ed Brearey, 2. Charlie Smith, 3. Troy Silvera, 4. Matthew Harriot, 5. Jacques Kpohomouh, 6. Liam Butters, 7. Usman Lalustani (14. Elias Grant 74 mins), 8. Akiel Raffie, 9. Manuchin Oke-Williams, 10. Joshua Marcon (18. Maksymilian Jarzabek 81 mins), 11. Eremide Lawal. Subs not used: 15. Cheyce Grant, 17. Avtandili Akhsiashvili, 19. Austen Edwards.
Leverstock Green (1) 2 (Seale 45+1, Stylianides 59)
1. Reuben Rabstein, 2. Callum Neal, 3. Jamie Breen (12. Ademide Baruwa 23 mins), 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Chad King, 6. Ryan Carruthers (14. Nat Connolly 81 mins), 7. Lewis Collins (15. Guiseppe Delgaudio 69 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Rawn Seale, 10. Zac Hawker, 11. Zenon Stylianides. Subs not used: 16. Oliwier Fusiek, 17. Marcus Warren.