It was a heartbreaking last-gasp defeat for Leverstock Green on Tuesday night after they had fought their way back onto level terms against league leaders Didcot Town. The Green side can certainly take plenty of positives from a great performance on the night.

Leverstock’s speedy wingers created plenty of problems for the visitors, with Iker Noguera Leon having a run at goal in the 12th minute before hitting a shot wide. However, it was Didcot that opened the scoring a minute with Felix Robertson netting from close range from a cross that should have been dealt with.

Dan Pett had a good shooting chance in the 21st minute but sliced his effort wide, and two minutes before the break a cross from Joe McCarthy caused a scramble in the Didcot box in which Jack Allen had a chance to score, but opted to take an extra touch instead of shooting first time and the chance was lost.

Didcot could have taken a decisive lead in the opening minutes of the second half. A defensive slip left Owen James with a clear run at goal. Ryan North dived at the striker’s feet and appeared to get the ball, but James went down and the referee awarded a penalty and showed North a yellow card. James stepped up to take the kick but North saved it and also saved a follow-up effort from James.

It was a let-off for the Leverstock side, and they looked to make the most of it as they pushed forward throughout the half. Leon went close to an equaliser in the 73rd minute with a shot that was turned away by the keeper. Timi Bada came off the bench to bolster their attack, and with twelve minutes left a double substitution saw Leverstock switch to a back three.

The change appeared to have paid off when Leverstock got their deserved equaliser in the 84th minute. Leon went on another run before laying the ball off to Bada, who struck a superb low shot from just outside the box that beat the keeper’s outstretched arm into the corner of the net.

Leverstock might have even gone in front with Allen having another chance from close range but again delaying his shot too long, allowing it to be blocked by a defender. Leverstock would have certainly deserved the point, but it was not to be. In the third minute of stoppage time a free kick was conceded in a dangerous position, and Luke Carnell got on the end of the free kick with a header into the corner of the net out of North’s reach to win the game for the visitors.

Leverstock Green (0) 1 (Bada 84)
1. Ryan North, 2. Ademide Baruwa, 3. Vlad Karuchok (15. Ashton Corder 78 mins), 4. George Mitchell-Gears, 5. Kombe Kawimbe, 6. Ryan Carruthers (14. Nat Connolly 77 mins), 7. Joe McCarthy, 8. Dan Pett, 18. Jack Allen, 10. Marcus Warren (12. Timi Bada 72 mins), 11. Iker Noguera Leon (17. Aldo Petagine 85 mins). Sub not used: 16. Callum Donnelly.
Didcot Town (1) 2 (Robertson 13, Carnell 90+3)
1. Leigh Bedwell, 2. Lochlan Colquhoun, 3. Cameron McNeill, 4. Sam Bailey, 5. Luke Carnell, 6. Taylor Bedwell, 7. Connor Barrett (16. JP Nyuysemo 90+4 mins), 8. Felix Robertson, 9. Owen James (15. Kai Bartolo 76 mins), 10. Jenson Wright, 11. Reuben Harry (12. Leo Cole 66 mins). Subs not used: 14. Latham Hawkins, 17. Ben Dodd.

Leverstock Green registered their second straight league win with a very impressive performance against third-placed Biggleswade F.C., coming from behind to win the game.

It was a game which saw the 200th appearance for the club of skipper Dan Pett, and also the last appearance of Carmicheal Uchenna, who gave a man-of-the-match display in midfield ahead of signing a pro contact with Wealdstone this week.

After a quiet opening to the game, it was the visitors who had the game’s first chance as defensive hesitation allowed Matteo Perkins to run clean through on goal, but he was denied by a good save from Ryan North. However, three minutes later Perkins was threatening again, this time squaring for Bradley Bell to shoot home and put Biggleswade into a 1-0 lead.

Leverstock responded well to going behind and were soon back on level terms. Hesitation by keeper George Rose allowed Joe McCarthy to nip in and take the ball, and as McCarthy tried to get the ball from under his feet to put it into the empty net, he was brought down from behind. The referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot, and Iker Noguera Leon fired the spot kick into the top corner to make it 1-1 in the 27th minute.

Rose was somewhat lucky to stay on the field in the 38th minute as he came out of his area to challenge McCarthy, committing a foul that left both players requiring treatment. Despite McCarthy being clean through, the referee only showed a yellow card to the Biggleswade keeper. Leon took the resulting free kick and his effort went just over the bar. In the final minute of the half Leon delivered a cross to the far post which was headed wide by Uchenna.

The second half saw Leverstock well on top with Leon and McCarthy again causing lots of problems for the Biggleswade defence. The visitors rarely threatened, although North produced a great save to tip a header over the bar in the 66th minute.

In the 72nd minute McCarthy was again through on goal and again brought down just outside the box, this time by Lawrie Marsh, but again the referee only showed a yellow card, one of six picked up by the visitors. Again the resulting free kick was off target, this time from Uchenna.

However, four minutes later a through ball from Marcus Warren gave McCarthy another run at goal, and this time he stayed on his feet and hit an exquisite finish which flew over Rose into the top corner to put Leverstock into a deserved 2-1 lead.

The team kept its discipline and shape to see the game out, successfully defending a corner in stoppage time to add another three points to their total.

Leverstock Green (1) 2 (Leon 27 pen, McCarthy 76)
1. Ryan North, 2. Callum Neal, 3. Vladyslav Karuchok, 4. George Mitchell-Gears, 5. Kome Kawimbe, 6. Carmicheal Uchenna, 7. Ademide Baruwa, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Joe McCarthy, 10. Marcus Warren (16. Nat Connolly 82 mins), 11. Iker Noguera Leon. Subs not used: 12. Jack Allen, 14. Timi Bada, 15. Ryan Carruthers, 17. Ashton Corder.
Biggleswade FC (1) 1 (Bell 22)
1. George Rose, 2. Michael Simpson (14. Leo Jenkins H/T), 3. Harry Jones , 4. Lawrie Marsh, 5. Jack Empson (16. Adam Hunt 85 mins), 6. Conor Inskip (17. Twariq Yusuf 76 mins), 7. Ethan Kessel (12. William Ademiluyi H/T), 8. Rio Martucci, 9. Daniel Bond, 10. Bradley Bell, 11. Matteo Perkins (15. Jake Bunyan 77 mins).