JSJ Stadium

Stotfold Football Club
JSJ Stadium
New Roker Park, Arlesey Road
Stotfold
Bedfordshire SG5 4HE

(A) Stotfold

Leverstock Green suffered a late defeat at Stotfold in a Boxing Day clash between two sides thereatened with relegation from Southern League Division One Central.

It was a scrappy game of few chances played on a soft pitch. The Leverstock side showed a number of changes from their last game, including in goal where there was a debut for Frankie Beckles, signed on a dual registration from Bedfont Sports and Wealdstone.

Leverstock made a promising start, with Jamie Breen making some threatening runs down the left, but there was little end product. Stotfold had a couple of near-misses, with Haroon Merial shooting wide from a good position on 18 minutes, and a header from Mitchell Gooch landing on the top of the bar in the 25th minute.

But the game was goalless at half time, with the second half continuing in a similarly scrappy fashion. Stotfold had more of the pressure but the Leverstock side battled well to keep them from having any clear shots at Beckles’ goal. The game looked like it would fizzle out into a goalless draw until three minutes from time when the ball dropped for Stotfold substitute Alex Coppin on the edge of the box, and Coppin made a good connection with a volley that beat Beckles and went in off the post to clinch the points.

Leverstock had to pick themselves up quickly with another game to come in two days at home to Aylesbury United.

Stotfold (0) 1 (Coppin 87)
1. Liam Gooch, 2. Tommy Reynolds, 3. Callum Kane, 4. Lewis Lynn (15. Ernest Njoroge 82 mins), 5. Dan Sears, 6. Luke Abraham (14. Matthew Ball 76 mins), 7. Codi-Lee Spavins (16. Robbie Buchanan 76 mins), 8. Mitchell Gooch, 9. Remell Sterling (17. Joziah Barnett 87 mins), 10. Haroon Merial, 11. Joe Sellers-West (12. Alex Coppin 82 mins).
Leverstock Green (0) 0
1. Frankie Beckles, 2. Adam Morley, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Daniel Isaac, 6. Ryan Carruthers (17. John Gyabaah 89 mins), 7. Jamie Breen, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Rawn Seale, 10. Marcus Warren (14. Nat Connolly 75 mins), 11. Keanu Fleming (12. Ademide Baruwa 72 mins). Subs not used: 15. Callum Moore, 16. Oliwier Fusiek.

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(A) Stotfold

Leverstock Green maintained their unbeaten league record as they came away from Stotfold with a well-deserved point from Saturday’s SSML Premier Division fixture. It was a game of few chances, but the Green side had to defend against a strong wind during the second half.

With Chris Blunden unavailable for two weeks, Fergus Moore brought in centre-forward Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica on a dual registration from Egham Town, and he looked impressive on his debut. Leverstock have also lost the services of Luke Beckwith to AFC Dunstable, although still retain his registration, and with George Mitchell-Gears still recovering from illness, it was a completely different front line today to that which started the season.

Apart from a Stotfold header from a corner going over the bar in the opening minute, there was little goalmouth action in the early stages of the game. In the 11th minute Lewis Collins made a purposeful run at goal but didn’t make proper contact with his shot and it was easily gathered by the keeper. The game’s first save came in the 25th minute when Austin Byfield tipped a fierce shot from Codi-Lee Spavins over the bar.

Leverstock had marginally more of the play in an even first half, and they took the lead in the 36th minute. Dan Pett floated in a free kick towards the far post, and Collins came in with a diving header to net his first goal of the season. In the 41st minute Pett tried a cheeky attempt to chip the Stotfold keeper from a free kick, but it didn’t come down in time.

It looked like Leverstock would go into the break ahead, but a controversial penalty in stoppage time changed things. A foul which left Stefanoaica on the ground was not spotted, and he was still down as Stotfold broke away. Leverstock looked to have dealt with the danger until Bobby Armstrong was penalised for a sliding challenge in which the ball appeared to have been won. The penalty was awarded, and Jordan Stevenson sent Byfield the wrong way to level the scores.

The second half was equally short on chances, with Leverstock’s best chance coming in the 68th minute when Alvin Kyeremeh got on the end of a free kick from Ibrahim Nagheeb, but his header went straight into the keeper’s hands. Pett went close again in the 80th minute with a curled shot that went just over the bar.

Stotfold had a couple of decent chances, but couldn’t get the ball on target, and although they were enjoying a sustained spell of pressure towards the end of the game, the Leverstock side continued to defend well and held out for the point.

Stotfold (1) 1 (Stevenson 45+1 pen)
1. Liam Gooch, 2. Sammy Nicholld, 3. Jordan Stewart (12. Aaron Deviney 81 mins), 4. Jack Bradshaw, 5. Brett Longden, 6. Gideon Sarpong, 7. Aaron Hector, 8. Joe Ryan (14. Dev Simms 60 mins), 9. Mason Spence, 10. Jordan Stevenson (15. Jody Bamford 87 mins), 11. Codi-Lee Spavins (17. Jack Woods 87 mins). Sub not used: 16. Scott Piggott.
Leverstock Green (1) 1 (Collins 36)
1. Austin Byfield, 2. Adrian Pitfield, 3. Rio Beach, 18. Bobby Armstrong, 5. Alvin Kyeremeh (20. Scott McGleish 75 mins), 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Lewis Collins, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica, 10. Ibrahim Nagheeb, 11. Ethan Mooney. Subs not used: 12. Elgeniy Daalberg, 14. George Mitchell-Gears, 15. Kai Stonnell, 16. Sean Walsh.

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