Leverstock Green FC drew for the fourth time in the last five matches against second-placed Milton Keynes Irish on Tuesday night. It was scheduled to be Leverstock’s home match, but due to the Pancake Lane pitch being unplayable at lunchtime, the game was switched to MK’s Manor Fields ground. It was another excellent performance by the Green side, who were only denied the win by some heroics from MK goalkeeper Tom Ladyman.

Leverstock had a good chance to take the lead in the 6th minute, as Rio Beach went on a mazy run before threading a pass to put Rawn Seale through on goal. However, Ladyman produced the first of his great saves to deflect Seale’s shot round the post. MK had the ball in the net in the 22nd minute but the offside flag had already been raised before the goal was scored. Leverstock went close again in the 28th minute as Paul Marks got on the end of a Dan Pett corner but couldn’t keep his header under the bar.

The scoring was opened in the 30th minute, with an element of controversy. Pett won the ball off an MK defender with a challenge that many of their contingent felt was a foul. The referee played on, and Pett played a pass through to Seale, who was denied by Ladyman. However, Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica followed up to curl the ball into the empty net to put Leverstock Green FC 1-0 up.

It should have been 2-0 in the 37th minute as Seale was in with another great shooting chance, but his low shot was somehow deflected over the bar by another great save from Ladyman. Instead the scores were levelled in the 41st minute. MK were awarded a free kick in a dangerous position just outside the box, and Mason Spence’s shot left Josh Bowler standing as it flew into the net.

Luke Beckwith replaced the injured Stefanoaica at half time, and Beckwith also found himself frustrated by Ladyman. Clean through on goal in the 55th minute, Beckwith’s shot was kept out by the keeper’s boot. Two minutes later at the other end Ryan Smith had a good chance but shot wide.

It was Leverstock’s turn to have a free kick just outside the box in the 64th minute, and Pett produced a great effort, but again it was Ladyman who dived to his left to turn it round the post. In the 72nd minute the action was at the other end as Bowler produced a superb save to turn away a shot from Ty Ward.

The game finished with the scores still level at 1-1, and Leverstock Green FC have now dropped to 5th in the table below a resurgent Harpenden Town, and probably still require a couple of wins from their remaining four games to seal a play-off spot.

Leverstock Green FC (1) 1 (Stefanoaica 30)
1. Josh Bowler, 2. Callum Neal, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Paul Marks, 5. Josh Dooley, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Ethan Mooney, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Rawn Seale (16. George Mitchell-Gears 90+1 mins), 10. Ademide Baruwa, 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica (12. Luke Beckwith H/T). Subs not used: 14. Nat Connolly, 15. Curtis Dibley, 17. Mikey Havill-Tierney.
Milton Keynes Irish FC (1) 1 (Spence 41)
1. Tom Ladyman, 2. Clinton Zane, 3. Callum Hirst, 18. Nat Beecher, 5. Shahiem Ward, 11. Jack Whitehead, 7. Andre Olukanmi, 8. Ryan Smith (6. Nathan Smith 62 mins), 9. JJ Meadows, 10. Ty Ward, 20. Mason Spence. Subs not used: 12. Oliver Coleman, 14. Elijah West, 15. Junior Musvaburi.

A goal deep into stoppage time rescued a well-deserved point for Leverstock Green FC from their visit to Milton Keynes Irish. MK were second in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division with 12 wins and a goal difference of 41 from their first 14 league games, so were expected to pose the toughest test so far for Leverstock. However, Fergus Moore’s side worked hard throughout to ensure that they matched them all the way.

With three central defenders missing there was a welcome return for Paul Marks, making the move from Belstone for his first Leverstock appearance since 2021/22.

Leverstock Green FC could hardly have made a better start to the game, and were ahead with 90 seconds on the clock. A superb pass from just inside his own half by Ryan Carruthers put Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica in behind the last defender with a clear run at goal, and Stefanoaica did the rest, running on to slot past keeper Tom Ladyman for his 13th goal of the season.

There could have been a second goal in the 5th minute. A poor back pass put Ladyman in trouble, and Rawn Seale won the ball, but his shot was blocked on the line by a covering defender. Instead the scores were level two minutes later. George Shrieves received the ball just outside the Leverstock box, and got past a couple of defenders before hitting a low shot which Josh Bowler got a hand to, but couldn’t keep out.

Leverstock Green FC had some defending to do for the next 20 minutes. In the 14th minute there was an almighty goalmouth scramble from an MK corner, with Rio Beach firstly heading off the line, and two further follow-up efforts being blocked in the six-yard box. In the 24th minute another corner went over the outstretched arm of Bowler but was cleared off the line by Dan Pett. Four minutes later there was a controversial moment when Bowler came off his line to claim the ball ahead of an oncoming attacker. Bowler’s momentum and the slippery conditions appeared to take him just outside the penalty area with the ball still in his hands. The referee blew for the free kick, and showed Bowler a yellow card when many in the ground were expecting a straight red.

With no further chances, the scores were level at the break. The second half saw a spell of heavier rain, although the pitch still held up very well. Leverstock were under some pressure early in the second half, with a challenge from Beach denying a chance for Mason Spence in the 49th minutes, and a great save from Bowler keeping out a shot from Ryan Smith two minutes later.

In the 59th minute Luke Beckwith was through on goal, but tried to square for Stefanoaica instead of hitting a shot himself, and the pass was blocked. Four minutes later Leverstock had a free kick in a dangerous position a yard outside the box, but Stefanoaica’s effort curled just wide of the post.

It was still a very even contest until the 77th minute when the home side took the lead with a somewhat fortuitous goal. A punch away from Bowler cannoned off his own defender and landed at the feet of Spence, who had the simple task of shooting home from a yard out.

However, Leverstock Green FC were not beaten and pushed forward for an equaliser. In the 84th minute a cross from Ethan Mooney looked set to drop for Jayden Newman, but Ladyman claimed the ball. Two minutes into stoppage time Leverstock were unlucky again when a shot from Stefanoaica hit the inside of the post and rebounded across goal, but didn’t go in. MK immediately broke away and had a two-against-one situation, but the chance was blocked. Had they taken the ball into the corner instead of going for the third goal they would probably have run the clock out and won the game.

Instead, Leverstock Green FC got the ball back and won a corner in the 4th minute of stoppage time. Before the corner was taken, Scott McGleish came off the subs bench. McGleish didn’t touch the ball, but perhaps his presence caused concern in the MK defence as Dan Pett swung the corner right into the danger zone, and Stefanoaica was there to smash the ball home from close range for a dramatic equaliser.

In the aftermath of the goal Ladyman was sent to the sin-bin and was replaced in goal by Liam Smyth, but there wasn’t enough time left for anything to happen and the final whistle went for a final score of 2-2, a game bookended by Stefanoaica’s two goals.

Milton Keynes Irish FC (1) 2 (Shrieves 7, Spence 77)
1. Tom Ladyman, 2. Clinton Zane, 3. Callum Hirst, 18. Nat Beecher (4. Liam Smyth 90+4 mins), 5. Shahiem Ward, 6. Nathan Smith, 14. Oliver Coleman (15. Stephen Brooks 75 mins), 8. Ryan Smith, 10. Ty Ward, 11. Geoff Shrieves, 20. Mason Spence. Subs not used: 12. Luke Gardner, 7. Andre Olukanmi, 16. Daniel Griffiths.
Leverstock Green FC (1) 2 (Stefanoaica 2, 90+4)
1. Josh Bowler, 2. Ethan Mooney, 3. Rio Beach (19. Scott McGleish 90+3 mins), 4. Paul Marks, 5. Callum Neal, 6. Ryan Carruthers (14. George Mitchell-Gears 74 mins), 7. Luke Beckwith (15. Jayden Newman 82 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Rawn Seale, 10. Nat Connolly, 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica. Subs not used: 12. Ademide Baruwa, 16. Mikey Havill-Tierney.

Leverstock Green got back to winning ways in the league as they turned in a superb performance to win a difficult away game 3-0 at Milton Keynes Irish. Fergus Moore’s side dominated the game with a tough, hard-working performance and it was a fully-deserved win capped by three goals of the highest quality.

Leverstock started the game strongly, and in the 8th minute Paplamin Jawara floated in a free kick which found Dan Weeks, but his header went over the bar. On 11 minutes Lewis Collins pulled out a cross which was met by Rawn Seale with a glancing header that was heading for the corner of the net until home keeper Jack Taylor pulled off a great save. Taylor saved well again in the 20th minute to prevent an own goal deflecting in off one of his defenders.

In the 27th minute Leverstock finally got the goal their football had deserved. Ryan Carruthers, who only started the game due to Kian Wilkes felling unwell during the warm-up, threaded a superb pass which put Collins in behind the last defender, and Collins finished confidently with a first-time shot past Taylor.

The home side came into the game more during the later stages of the first half. On 33 minutes Alfie Bonfield saved with his legs to deny George Boland, who turned and shot from close range, and five minutes later Bonfield again kept out a close range effort from Boland. On 39 minutes Taylor was almost embarrassed as a long-range effort from Jawara slipped out of his hands and bounced behind him, but he just about recovered to grab the ball before it crossed the line.

Leverstock took their slender lead into the second half where, if anything they were even more dominant than the first half. The Green defence did not allow the home side a single effort at goal during the half.

The second goal arrived in the 62nd minute after a run at goal by Seale was ended by a foul challenge five yards outside the box. Jawara stepped up to take the free kick and, not for the first time this season, delivered the goods as he floated the ball over the wall and into the top corner of the net for a superb strike.

Irish were reduced to ten men in the 72nd minute as Scott Belgrove received a straight red card for downing Paul Marks in an off-the-ball incident that was spotted by the linesman.

With three minutes to go Dan Pett was the victim of a foul challenge a few yards outside the left edge of the penalty area. Jawara stepped up again, and although this one was a much narrower angle than the first one, he produced another outstanding strike to curl the ball over Taylor into the corner of the net for a third Green goal.

There should have been a fourth goal in the 90th minute when a pass from Seale set up a very presentable chance for Ollie Cox on the edge of the box, but he couldn’t keep his shot under the bar. The game was already won anyway, and the final whistle heralded another impressive three points for this Leverstock side.

Milton Keynes Irish (0) 0
Team: 1. Jack Taylor, 6. Steve Brooks, 3. Keelan Shand, 4. Liam Smyth (17. Oliver Coleman 54 mins), 5. Muzaffar Amoako, 9. Michael Lyons, 10. George Boland, 7. Andre Olukanmi, 12. Dominic Lawless (16. Scott Belgrove 57 mins), 11. Robert McDonald, 20. Mason Spence. Subs not used: 2. Ryan Coyle, GK. Benjamin Agyemang.
Leverstock Green (1) 3 (Collins 27, Jawara 62, 87)
Team: 1. Alfie Bonfield, 2. Adrian Pitfield, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Paul Marks (17. Scott McGleish 82 mins), 14. Ryan Carruthers (15. Ollie Cox 75 mins), 7. Lewis Collins (16. Elgeniy Daalberg 87 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Rawn Seale, 10. Paplamin Jawara, 11. Ethan Mooney. Subs not used: 12. Harry Bonner.