Leverstock Green FC added another three points to their tally, but it proved to be an unexpectedly tense finale to a game in which Leverstock very much dominated the possession. The outcome was in the balance until the final seconds when the third goal was scored.

Visitors Sawbridgeworth Town arrived at the Lords Builders Merchants Stadium bottom of the league and without a league win, but Leverstock had to work very hard to break them down. The early stages saw the Green side with plenty of the ball, playing it around nicely, but lacking the penetration to get through a defence that was often able to stick a boot or a block in to prevent a clear-cut chance developing. Leverstock’s first clear sight of goal came in the 19th minute when a pass from Dan Pett gave Ethan Mooney a run at goal, but a block from the chasing defender took the sting out of Mooney’s shot and allowed keeper Ethan Gannon to save.

There was another good chance in the 31st minute when Pett put Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica away down the right to deliver a cross which found Jayden Newman on the edge of the six-yard box. Newman had his back to goal, but managed to turn and get in a shot which took a deflection and went just wide. The resulting corner was not adequately cleared by the visitors, and in the resulting scramble Dan Weeks got the ball to Newman, and he found the net with a shot from close range to put Leverstock into a long-overdue 1-0 lead.

Chances started to come more readily. On 34 minutes Stefanoaica showed some nifty footwork inside the box before laying off to Ryan Carruthers, whose shot went inches wide. Two minutes later a pass from Danny May put Stefanoaica in on goal, but he didn’t catch his shot properly and Gannon gathered. The second goal arrived in the 37th minute, but it was something of a bolt from the blue as Mooney hit a thunderbolt from distance that left Gannon standing as it flew into the net.

Leverstock Green FC appeared to be in total control of the game, but in the last minute of the half, they found their lead cut in half. A pass from Kyron Mitchell put Torie Ndongala through to shoot past Josh Bowler, who had been a spectator for most of the half, and reduce the half-time deficit to 2-1.

There should have been a third goal within two minutes of the restart. A rare mistake from the visitors’ defence left Newman with a clear run at goal, but Gannon managed to get a faint touch to Newman’s shot and deflect it wide. The danger of only having a single-goal lead was shown in the 57th minute when Sawbridgeworth’s Wesley Santos won the ball on the halfway line and went on a run through the Leverstock defence before slotting a shot past Bowler which was only kept out by a superb sliding last-ditch clearance from Danny May.

Another chance came and went in the 64th minute as Stefanoaica exchanged passes with Nat Connolly but hit the resulting shot over the bar. Four minutes later there was another huge let-off as Austin Garrod ran through the middle of the Leverstock defence before hitting a shot which went just wide.

In the dying minutes Santos went on another run through the defence and went down under challenge on entering the penalty area, but the referee waved away appeals for a penalty. It wasn’t until the fourth minute of stoppage time that Leverstock Green FC finally clinched the game, with two substitutes combining as Luke Beckwith got to the bye-line and pulled the ball back for Lewis Collins, who netted from close range. The final whistle was blown soon after the restart and Leverstock had their three points, but Sawbridgeworth deserve huge credit for a battling performance throughout and may be considered unlucky to get nothing from the game.

Leverstock Green FC (2) 3 (Newman 32, Mooney 37, Collins 90+4)
1. Josh Bowler, 2. Mikey Havill-Tierney, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Weeks, 18. Ryan Carruthers, 6. Danny May, 7. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Jayden Newman (17. Rawn Seale 62 mins), 10. Nat Connolly (14. Lewis Collins 79 mins), 11. Ethan Mooney (12. Luke Beckwith H/T). Subs not used: 15. Callum Neal, 16. Joe Sadler.
Sawbridgeworth Town FC (1) 1 (Ndongala 44)
1. Ethan Gannon, 2. Wale Adedeji, 3. George Spillane, 4. Danny Palmer (19. Joe Cloake 88 mins), 5. Jeremy Ebelebe, 6. Jacob Lodge, 7. Kyron Mitchell (12. Lewis Wicker 82 mins), 8. Austen Garrod, 9. Torie Ndongala (16. Billy Wise 80 mins), 10. Leandro Alva (14. Georgie Fairhead 61 mins). Sub not used: 17. Declan Lambe.

Leverstock Green FC got back to winning ways with an emphatic 5-1 win over Baldock Town in Saturday’s SSML Premier Division fixture.

It was the first home game since the untimely passing of club secretary Dean Bradford, and Dean was remembered with a minute’s applause before the game.

The Leverstock squad had seen some changes over the last week, with goalkeeper Josh Bowler brought in to cover for the injured Austin Byfield, transferring from today’s opponents Baldock. Striker Chris Blunden decided during the week that he wanted to move on, but Fergus Moore had a ready made replacement with Rawn Seale returning to the club, having been top scorer during season 2021/22. George Mitchell-Gears returned from a three-game suspension, but Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica was still unavailable. For their part, Baldock travelled with a depleted squad and had a very young side out today.

Leverstock Green FC started the game positively and were soon in front. In the 7th minute Seale made a run into the box before squaring. Rio Beach’s shot was parried by keeper David Archer, but Mitchell-Gears followed up to net the rebound. Four minutes later the lead was doubled. Seale laid the ball off to Luke Beckwith 30 yards out, and Beckwith did the rest, running at the defence before hitting a powerful low shot into the corner of the net that gave Archer little chance.

Beckwith was in again in the 20th minute, running on to a great ball from the back from Danny May, but Archer did well, coming off his line to block Beckwith’s shot. Leverstock had a free kick in a dangerous position three minutes later, but Dan Pett’s effort flew over the bar.

The third goal arrived in the 32nd minute, thanks to great work by Seale, who got to the bye-line and pulled the ball back into the six-yard box where Mitchell-Gears stabbed it home for his second of the game.

It was 3-0 at half time, but Baldock were denied a goal back in the opening minute of the second half by a superb save from Bowler, tipping a goalbound shot over the bar. Instead it was Leverstock Green FC who got the next goal, as Beach crossed for Seale to come in and slot home in the 53rd minute for a 4-0 lead.

With a comfortable lead, Leverstock took the opportunity to rest some players with Monday night’s Herts Senior Cup tie at Hitchin in mind, and there was a first team debut for Development Team striker Michael Adriano. All five subtitutes were used, and it was one of them – Ethan Mooney – who added the fifth goal in the 78th minute with an outrageous strike from the left edge of the penalty area into the top corner of the net.

However, the clean sheet was not to be, as Baldock pulled a goal back a minute later with an equally impressive strike from Archie O’Brien, giving Bowler no chance from 30 yards out. To their credit, the Baldock side kept battling until the end.

Leverstock Green FC (3) 5 (Mitchell-Gears 7,32, Beckwith 11, Seale 53, Mooney 78)
1. Josh Bowler, 2. Mikey Havill-Tierney (16. Brad Robinson 59 mins), 3. Rio Beach, 4. Danny May, 5. Callum Neal (18. Dan Weeks 62 mins), 6. Nat Connolly, 7. Luke Beckwith, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Rawn Seale (12. Michael Adriano 71 mins), 10. Ademide Baruwa (14. Ryan Carruthers 68 mins), 11. George Mitchell-Gears (15. Ethan Mooney 71 mins).
Baldock Town FC (0) 1 (O’Brien 79)
1. David Archer, 2. Marley Rochester-Stein (12. Louie Carr H/T), 3. Fraser Findlay, 4. George Kingham, 5. Dempsey Thomas, 6. Roman Chapps, 7. Flavius Drescanu, 8. Archie O’Brien, 9. Brandon Carney, 10. Harry Dollimore, 11. Owen Robertson (14. Zen Cunningham 12 mins). Subs not used: 15. Luke Rowland, 16. Charlie Joy, 17. Jude White.