A dramatic stoppage time winner from Jack Allen secured Leverstock Green’s progress in the Emirates FA Cup, setting up an away tie against divisional rivals Ware in the next round, and ensuring a victory in the 250th game in charge for Fergus Moore and Scott McGleish.

Visitors Walthamstow, from the Isthmian North Division, have endured a torrid summer with two managerial changes, and arrived at the Lords Builders Merchants Stadium with a squad containing many players that had only been signed in the past week. They had the better of the early play, though, forcing a double save from Leverstock keeper Finlay Penniston-Walker in the 8th minute, keeping out shots from Jordan Peart and Joden Trickett.

Leverstock’s first chance came in the 13th minute when a fine cross from the right by George Eldridge found Allen in front of goal, but he headed over the bar. There was little else in the way of chances in the first half, but in the first minute of stoppage time Walthamstow took the lead when a corner from the right found William Oduwa to head home from close range.

Leverstock made a stronger start to the second half, and their chances were boosted when the visitors were reduced to ten men, Nathaniel Orafu receiving a second yellow card in the 57th minute. They should have equalised a minute later when Eldridge swung over another excellent cross but Allen couldn’t force it home at the far post.

There was another chance in the 63rd minute when Joe McCarthy was put through and took the ball past the keeper, but as he steadied himself two defenders had got back to cover the line. McCarthy laid it back to Allen, but again he was off target, shooting over the bar. Allen shot over the bar again in the 68th minute in a scramble following a corner, and in the 74th minute Carmicheal Uchenna hit a free kick just wide.

Leverstock rang the changes with four substitutions in nine minutes, and one of those substitutes proved crucial as they finally levelled the scores in the 81st minute. George Mitchell-Gears was on hand to drill home a shot through a crowd of players following another scramble in the six yard box.

Leverstock continued to pile on the pressure over the closing minutes against the ten men, but as the game went into stoppage time it looked increasingly likely that the teams would meet again on Tuesday in a replay. However, as the game ticked into a seventh minute of stoppage time, Callum Neal played a long ball forward. Flick-ons from Mitchell-Gears and Ashton Corder put Allen though on goal, and this time he made no mistake, lifting a shot past the keeper into the corner of the net to cue scenes of great celebration.

Even then the game wasn’t over, and Leverstock were denied a third goal when a shot from Marcus Warren was saved, but the final whistle went soon after and the Green side were safely through.

Leverstock Green (0) 2 (Mitchell-Gears 81, Allen 90+7)
1. Finlay Penniston-Walker, 2. Callum Neal, 3. Vladyslav Karuchok (15. George Mitchell-Gears 71 mins), 20. Archie Quinlan (17. Dan Pett 75 mins), 5. Kombe Kawimbe, 6. Ryan Carruthers (18. Marcus Warren 80 mins), 7. George Eldridge, 8. Carmicheal Uchenna, 9. Jack Allen, 10. Ademide Baruwa, 11. Joe McCarthy (12. Ashton Corder 76 mins). Subs not used: 14. Enoch Folorunsho, 16. Aldo Petagine, 19. Scott McGleish.
Walthamstow (1) 1 (Oduwa 45+1)
1. Anton Robinson, 2. Jared Small, 3. Luke Warner-Eley, 4. Nathaniel Orafu, 5. Hamid Seisay, 6. William Oduwa, 7. Zion Sinclair (18. Shaun Soukou 60 mins), 8. Gassem Benelghazi (12. Lewis Allan 39 mins), 9. James Collins, 10. Joden Trickett (14. Elijah Grant 56 mins)(17. Reece Jacobs 90+5 mins), 11. Jordan Peart (16. Ozzy Adeniji 76 mins). Subs not used: 15. Lewis Nicholls, 20. Sion Nurse.