Leverstock Green’s Southern League survival hopes took a huge blow as they fell to a home defeat to one of their relegation rivals. Kidlington came from behind to win the game with two second half headers and open up a four-point gap ahead of Leverstock.

Leverstock had the better of the first half chances. In the 10th minute a pass from Luke Beckwith put Guiseppe Delgaudio in on goal, but visiting keeper Charlie Barnett got a hand to Delgaudio’s shot to keep it out. On 25 minutes Dan Pett set Beckwith up with a chance, but his shot was deflected just wide.

Finally in the 36th minute Leverstock struck on the break, as Delgaudio hit a superb pass from his own half into the path of Beckwith, who ran clean through and slotted the ball past Barnett to put Leverstock into a 1-0 lead. Beckwith almost doubled his tally four minutes later but his effort from distance went just wide.

Leverstock would have hoped to build on their advantage playing down the slope in the second half, but the departure of Kyle Connolly through injury in the 51st minute was a big blow. Kidlington started to look the stronger side and they equalised in the 58th minute with a very well-worked goal, breaking quickly with a cross coming in from the left touchline that was finished by a header at the far post from Fraser Allen.

Beckwith was unlucky again in the 65th minute as his header from a corner was cleared off the line. The game could have gone either way in the closing minutes, but it was Kidlington who got the crucial goal in the 86th minute, finished by Charlie Bacon with another header at the far post.

Leverstock still have ten games to play, but they are likely to need to win most of them to stand a chance of staying up.

Leverstock Green (1) 1 (Beckwith 36)
1. Ryan North, 2. Ademide Baruwa, 3. Jamie Breen (16. Ethan Mooney 79 mins), 4. Josh Dooley, 5. Gary Connolly (17. Marcus Warren 87 mins), 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Kyle Connolly (12. Nat Connolly 51 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Guiseppe Delgaudio (14. Keanu Fleming 76 mins), 10. Rawn Seale, 11. Luke Beckwith. Sub not used: 15. Lucas Georgiou.
Kidlington (0) 2 (Allen 58, Bacon 86)
1. Charlie Barnett, 2. Zarius Edwards-Giraud, 3. Michael Hopkins (15. Conor Taylor 42 mins), 4. Josh McConnell (12. Aydin Ulas 66 mins), 5. Matthew Gunn, 6. Otis Castle, 7. Charlie Bacon, 8. Felix Robertson, 9. Fraser Allen, 10. Patrick Osborne, 11. John Dennis (16. Nathaniel Opoku 72 mins). Sub not used: 13. Alfie Clarke, 14. Henry Woodcock.

Leverstock Green suffered another defeat as promotion-chasing neighbours Berkhamsted visited for a local derby in the Southern League Division One Central, and came away with a comfortable win.

Two early goals put the visitors in a position of control that they never looked like relinquishing. In the 6th minute Louie Collier crossed for BJ Christie to open the scoring with a simple close-range header. Leverstock could have replied within two minutes. Dan Pett won the ball in midfield and suddenly it was two on one as Pett found Luke Beckwith in front of goal, but Beckwith took an extra touch which allowed Jack Tompkins to come in from behind with a challenge which the referee deemed fair.

In the 15th minute Christie added the second Berko goal, beating Dan Weeks on the edge of the box before curling a superb finish past Ryan North. Again Leverstock had the chance to get a goal back in the 23rd minute. Rawn Seale had a sight of goal, but chose to square for Guiseppe Delgaudio, who was in a better position, but again took an extra touch which allowed a challenge to come in. Delgaudio was injured in the challenge and had to leave the game in the 34th minute.

Leverstock had another couple of chances, but were denied twice by Josh Bowler, the goalkeeper of their promotion-winning side last season. In the 54th minute Seale made a powerful run through the Berko defence, but his eventual shot was kept out by Bowler, and two minutes later Bowler did well to turn a superb long-range effort from Beckwith round the post.

Berko were in cruise control for most of the second half, but added a third goal in the 78th minute. Rayan Clarke was brought down by a challenge inside the box, and another former Leverstock player Jonathan Lacey scored from the penalty spot.

Leverstock Green (0) 0
1. Ryan North, 2. Ademide Baruwa (17. Marcus Warren 75 mins), 3. Jamie Breen (16. Lucas Georgiou 76 mins), 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Gary Connolly, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Lewis Collins, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Guiseppe Delgaudio (14. Keanu Fleming 34 mins), 10. Luke Beckwith, 11. Rawn Seale. Subs not used: 12. Nat Connolly, 15. Oliwier Fusiek.
Berkhamsted (2) 3 (Christie 9, 15, Lacey 78 pen)
1. Josh Bowler, 2. Jack Tompkins, 3. Lucas Perry, 4. Adam Watkins (14. Charley Barker 78 mins), 5. Max Rosner, 6. Charlie Johnson, 7. Jonathan Lacey (17. Simeon Olarerin 78 mins), 8. Luke Andrews (12. Jordon Frederick 78 mins), 9. BJ Christie (15. Matt Bateman 70 mins), 10. Louie Collier (16. Rayan Clarke 70 mins), 11. Connor Tomlinson.

Leverstock Green’s bid to stay in the Southern League took a blow on Tuesday night with a home defeat against playoff-chasing Barton Rovers. It was a good effort by a Leverstock side further depleted with three players missing from Saturday’s lineup, and they finished the game strongly but could not find an equaliser.

The first half was dominated by Barton, and Leverstock were somewhat fortunate that they only had one goal to show for it. Barton went close with early efforts from Alfie Warman and Markel Cousins, and in the 14th minute Taylor Rhiney was through on goal but Ryan North saved. Barton’s goal came in the 37th minute from a corner, which was driven low towards the near post. The ball went under Nat Connolly’s feet and Rhiney bundled the ball home from close range. Matthew Moloney should have added a second in the 42nd minute but missed a sitter from close range.

The early stages of the second half saw the visitors continue to have the upper hand, with North having to make two quick saves in the 49th minute. Rhiney was through on goal again in the 61st minute, but his shot hit the post, perhaps with a faint touch from North.

Leverstock’s first serious effort on goal was a Kyle Connolly shot from the edge of the box that went just wide in the 62nd minute. There was another chance in the 69th minute when a shot from Keanu Fleming was saved by keeper Dylan Thompson, and Luke Beckwith’s effort from the rebound was blocked wide.

In the 80th minute a corner from Kyle Connolly was heading directly for goal but was headed off the line by a defender. Another Connolly corner in the 88th minute caused a goalmouth scramble in which the Leverstock players were convinced that Ryan Carruthers had put the ball over the line, but it was not given. Over the final minutes Barton were hanging on as Leverstock continued to push forward, but could not find the goal that their play over the last 30 minutes had deserved.

Leverstock Green (0) 0
1. Ryan North, 2. Oliwier Fusiek (14. Josh Dooley 53 mins), 3. Kyle Connolly, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Nat Connolly, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Lewis Collins, 8. Rawn Seale, 9. Guiseppe Delgaudio, 10. Marcus Warren (16. Keanu Fleming 66 mins), 11. Luke Beckwith. Subs not used: 12. Jose Costa, 16. Lucas Georgiou, 17. Callum Moore.
Barton Rovers (1) 1 (Rhiney 37)
1. Dylan Thompson, 2. Josh Flanagan, 3. Cameron Hyde, 4. Martel Powell, 5. Robbie Goodman, 6. Charlie Mliton, 7. Ashton Grant (12. Saul Williams 87 mins), 8. Alfie Warman (15. Kian Wilkes 75 mins), 9. Matthew Moloney, 10. Markel Cousins (16. Thomas Baggaley 87 mins), 11. Taylor Rhiney (14. Albie Hall 66 mins). Sub not used: 17. Mason Watkins.