Six games without a win had seen Leverstock Green slip into the relegation zone in Southern League Division One Central, but a late strike from Ashton Corder earned them a crucial win in Saturday’s home game against Stotfold.

Leverstock had Kombe Kawimbe back in the centre of defence after his three-game suspension, but Ademide Baruwa was serving a one-match suspension for accruing five yellow cards over the season.

It was a game of very few chances, with neither keeper having anything of significance to do until the 41st minute, when Leverstock keeper Finlay Murray did well to deny Elias Nichols from close range.

The second half was equally event-free for the most part. Leverstock put together their best move of the game in the 56th minute when Iker Noguera Leon threaded a pass to Arlo Coubrough, who ran on to deliver a cross that Joe McCarthy got on the end of, but couldn’t keep under the bar.

The game’s decisive moment came in the 84th minute, through an error by Stotfold defender Joseph Beardon, who passed the ball straight to Ashton Corder inside his own box. Corder still had keeper Liam Gooch to beat, but showed the composure to sit Gooch down before lifting the ball over him into the net to break the deadlock.

Given Leverstock’s recent stoppage time travails, there would still have been trepidation about them holding on for the win throughout stoppage time, but this time they saw the game out, with only a shot over the bar from Matty Harriott threatening their three points.

Leverstock remain in the bottom four with this result, but are now only one point adrift from the safety zone.

Leverstock Green (0) 1 (Corder 84)
1. Finlay Murray, 2. Callum Neal (14. Dan Casey 85 mins), 3. Vlad Karuchok, 4. George Mitchell-Gears, 5. Kombe Kawimbe, 6. Marcus Warren, 7. Romari Forde (12. Timi Bada 77 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Joe McCarthy (17. Aldo Petagine 89 mins), 10. Arlo Coubrough (15. Ashton Corder 69 mins), 11. Iker Noguera Leon (16. Callum Donnelly 89 mins).
Stotfold (0) 0
1. Liam Gooch, 2. Enock Ekongo, 3. Hugo Valencia, 4. Jemale Olayinka, 5. Matthew Moloney (14.Joseph Beardon 57 mins), 6. Simo Mbonkwi (16. Plamedi Bomolo 87 mins), 7. Elias Nichols (15. Ciaran Maher 77 mins), 8. Matty Harriott, 9. Taylor Rhiney, 10. Taylor Franklin, 11. Richesse Mvioki (17. William Ademiluyi 60 mins) Sub not used: 12. Aaron Diviney.

It was a tough afternoon for Leverstock Green against high-flying Royston Town on Saturday as they fell to a heavy defeat, with most of the damage being done during the first half.

Leverstock had two new loan signings in their squad today, with goalkeeper Finlay Murray joining on a work experience loan from Watford, and striker Arlo Coubrough joining on a youth loan from Sheffield United.

Murray was brought into action to pull off a good save from a shot in the 3rd minute. However, in the 11th minute Leverstock shot themselves in the foot with a botched short corner routine that allowed Royston to break away quickly, and Harvey Beckett put Joe Iaciofano through to slot past Murray and put Royston into a 1-0 lead.

Leverstock could have equalised four minutes later when Joe McCarthy pulled the ball back from the bye-line to find Coubrough, but his shot was kept out by the leg of visiting keeper Stanley Nairne. Royston added their second goal in the 34th minute when a far post corner was headed back across goal by Taylor Parr and Iaciofano had a simple job of heading home from close range. A combination of Murray and George Mitchell-Gears kept out a third Royston goal in the 41st minute, however the third goal came in the last minute of the half. Murray did well to turn a shot from Cemal Ramadan onto the bar, but the rebound was headed home by Beckett.

The second half saw a much improved performance from Leverstock. They pulled a goal back in the 74th minute from the penalty spot, with Romari Forde netting the spot kick after McCarthy had been pushed over in the box.

A second Leverstock goal would have made things interesting, and they had some near misses. McCarthy was just wide with a chip in the 86th minute, and two minutes later a header from Mitchell-Gears brought a great save from Nairne to tip it over the bar. Lucas Hammer brought a save out of Nairne at the near post, and was just wide with a volley in stoppage time. However, in the last seconds of stoppage time Revin Domi broke away to score a fourth goal for Royston with their first shot of the second half.

Results elsewhere meant that Leverstock have dropped back into the bottom four, although it is very tight with six teams being covered by two points at the moment.

Leverstock Green (0) 1 (Forde 74 pen)
1. Finlay Murray, 2. Callum Neal, 3. Vlad Karuchok, 4. Dan Pett, 5. George Mitchell-Gears, 6. Ademide Baruwa, 7. Romari Forde (15. Lucas Hammer 84 mins), 8. Nat Connolly (12. Dan Casey 90 mins), 18. Joe McCarthy, 10. Marcus Warren (17. Aldo Petagine 79 mins), 11. Arlo Coubrough (14. Ashton Corder 57 mins). Sub not used: 16. Iker Noguera Leon.
Royston Town (3) 4 (Iaciofano 11, 34, Beckett 45, Domi 90+6)
13. Stanley Nairne, 4. Harvey Beckett (14. Josh Dawodu 81 mins), 6. Archie Locke, 8. Taylor Parr, 9. Cemal Ramadan (24. Josh Coldicott-Stevens 72 mins), 10. Joe Iaciofano (21. Alfie Warman 61 mins), 11. Kian Harness, 15. Jack Dickerson (12. Konstantin Ivanov 90+3 mins), 18. Kieron Cathline, 20. Andronicos Georgiou (19. Revin Domi 61 mins), 22. Dylan Williams.

For the third straight game Leverstock Green suffered injury time heartbreak and were denied what would have been a deserved point from a superb performance against Waltham Abbey on Tuesday night.

Leverstock got off to the worst possible start as they found themselves a goal down with barely thirty seconds on the clock. With their defenders caught upfield, a Waltham Abbey through ball from their own half put Bailey Stevenson clean through on goal and he made no mistake slotting the ball past Ryan North.

But Leverstock soon settled down and began to threaten the visitors’ goal. Joe McCarthy and Iker Noguera Leon were both back in the side after missing out on Saturday, and they were instrumental in Leverstock’s forward play. In the 25th minute McCarthy turned inside the box and hit a shot just over the bar. Five minutes later Leon made a run into the box and hit a shot across goal which hit the far post with McCarthy just unable to convert the rebound.

In the 36th minute Leverstock got their deserved equaliser and it came from the magic feet of Leon, who dribbled through the entire Waltham Abbey defence on a dazzling solo run before giving keeper Hafed Al Droubi the eyes and slotting the ball in at his near post. George Mitchell-Gears might have added another goal in the 41st minute but shot over the bar from close range from a corner.

In the second half it continued to be Leverstock that posed the most threat of the two sides. In the 56th minute a ball to the far post found Ryan Carruthers all alone, but Al Droubi pulled off a great save to keep out Carruthers’ shot and the rebound just eluded McCarthy. In the 71st minute McCarthy’s pace took him through on goal, but he ran the ball just too far ahead and could not get a shot away. Two substitutes combined in the 81st minute as Ashton Corder showed some great footwork before squaring for Timi Bada, who didn’t make full contact with his shot and it squirted just wide.

A point would have been the least that Leverstock deserved from this match, but again they could not hold on to what they had through stoppage time. In the second minute of stoppage time the ball was in the Leverstock penalty area and a high boot almost made contact with an opponent’s head. The referee had little option but to award the penalty, and Prince William put the spot kick out of North’s reach to put his side in front.

Leverstock brought two forwards off the bench to try to save the game, but there was not enough time to create any serious chances, and once again they came away with nothing from a game in which they had given everything.

Leverstock Green (1) 1 (Leon 36)
1. Ryan North, 2. Callum Neal (16. Romari Forde 90+4 mins), 3. Vlad Karuchok (14. Timi Bada 79 mins), 4. George Mitchell-Gears, 5. Kombe Kawimbe, 6. Ryan Carruthers (12. Jack Allen 90+4 mins), 7. Ademide Baruwa, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Joe McCarthy, 10. Nat Connolly (17. Marcus Warren 82 mins), 11. Iker Noguera Leon (15. Ashton Corder 69 mins)
Waltham Abbey (1) 2 (Stevenson 1, William 90+2 pen)
1. Hafed Al Droubi, 2. Sam Robbins, 4. Charley Barker (14. Isaac Galliford 64 mins), 5. Callum Taylor, 6. Lewis Knight (17. Aiden Read 64 mins), 7. Prince William, 8. Isaac Pedro, 9. Steve Cawley (3. Max Appauh 58 mins), 10. Jack Blower, 11. Bailey Stevenson, 18Charlie Johnson . Subs not used: 12. Benjamin Baker, 15. Jaden Ogwuazor.