Leverstock Green got back to winning ways as they held on for a gritty 1-0 win against St Panteleimon in the fourth meeting between the clubs this season. The two sides are clearly very well-matched as the four meetings produced two draws and a single-goal win each.

It was a chilly night at the Lords Builders Merchants Stadium with frost forming on the pitch before kick-off, but it was still very much playable by the end. The visitors had an early chance when Jonathan Moura snuck between two Leverstock defenders in the box to go through on goal, but Tautvydas Poniskaitis dived to his right to turn away Moura’s shot from close range. Poniskaitis was on hand again in the 15th minute to save a header from Clayton Afonso.

Leverstock took the lead in the 20th minute. A corner from Ibrahim Nagheeb was headed towards goal by Alvin Kyeremeh, and Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica applied the finishing touch from a yard out.

Ethan Mooney came close to adding a second goal in the 32nd minute with a curled shot from the left edge of the penalty area which went just wide, and again four minutes later when Dan Pett’s pass put him through on goal, but keeper Lincon Marques stood his ground and saved Mooney’s shot. On 38 minutes Kyeremeh got on the end of another Nagheeb corner but his header was cleared off the line.

The second half saw fewer chances as Leverstock dug in and defended the slope. Luke Durnin cleared a shot off the line in the 54th minute, and Leverstock were somewhat fortunate in the 75th minute when a cross from Guilherme Monti was deflected towards the far post and came back off the inside of the post.

Stefanoaica had an effort from distance in the 77th minute which took a deflection and flew just wide, and new signing Richard Ennin tried his luck from a free kick just outside the box in the 80th minute but it was straight at Marques.

St Panteleimon were a threat throughout the second half, but it was a very solid performance by the Leverstock defence who were all outstanding, but it was Luke Durnin who was named MOM as the Green held out for the three points which takes them up to 6th in the SSML Premier Division table.

Leverstock Green (1) 1 (Stefanoaica 20)
1. Tautvydas Poniskaitis, 2. Alvin Kyeremeh, 3. Kurainashe Musanhi, 4. Dan Weeks, 18. Luke Durnin, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Ethan Mooney, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Chris Blunden (15. Richard Ennin 69 mins), 10. Ibrahim Nagheeb (12. Luke Beckwith 64 mins), 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica. Subs not used: 14. Elgeniy Daalberg, 16. Ayomide Oke, 17. Adrian Pitfield.
St Panteleimon (0) 0
1. Lincon Marques, 2. Renzo Alves, 3. Ahmed Zaghloul, 4. Clayton Afonso, 5. Hernany Marques (20. Patrick Maia 80 mins), 6. Ahmed Doukhi, 7. Jonathan Moura (19. Emerson Pilonetto 68 mins), 8. Javonne Molloy, 9. Dean Morgan (17. Steve Dodd 71 mins), 10. Guilherme Monti, 11. Ayub Albadri (18. Courtney Massay 68 mins). Sub not used: 15. Gustavo Nunes.

Two of the SSML Premier Division’s draw specialists both had to be content with another point each from today’s game, in what could either be seen as Leverstock Green squandering a two-goal lead or a great comeback from visitors Potton United.

With regular keeper Austin Byfield having picked up a groin strain in the week, Tautvydas Poniskaitis was back between the sticks for Leverstock, and he was first brought into action in the 12th minute to save a close-range header from former Green player Dave Parkinson.

Leverstock finally started to get some reward from their impressive build-up play in the latter stages of the first half. On 29 minutes Ibrahim Nagheeb went on a dazzling solo run into the box, but at the point he was getting his shot away he was denied by a last-ditch challenge. Bobby Armstrong got his head onto the resulting corner but it went wide.

On 36 minutes Luke Beckwith cut in from the left and curled a shot towards the far post which deflected wide off a defender. The resulting corner was not really cleared by the Potton defence, and when the ball was played back in, Beckwith headed it forward to Chris Blunden, who was denied by a flying save from keeper Cameron Groom. However, Alvin Kyeremeh followed up and slotted home the rebound from a narrow angle to put Leverstock into a 1-0 lead which they took into the break.

The second half saw the visitors come into the game more, and they went close on 50 minutes when Marcus Gouldbourne was through on goal. Poniskaitis parried the shot and Dan Weeks cleared the loose ball.

Ten minutes later Leverstock broke away from a Potton free kick, and Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica played a pass through to Beckwith, but Groom got there just ahead of him.

Ryan Carruthers came off the bench on 62 minutes to replace Beckwith, who had just been booked, and seven minutes later Carruthers won the ball on the edge of the penalty and had a clear shooting chance, but hit it straight at Groom.

However, a rare Carruthers goal was not long in coming. On 71 minutes Stefanoaica, who ran himself into the ground in this game, won the ball off a defender on the left side of the penalty area, then laid it across to Carruthers, who this time hit his shot out of Groom’s reach and in off the post for a 2-0 Leverstock lead.

Having established the cushion of a two-goal lead, Leverstock promptly lost their concentration and conceded a goal within two minutes, as Gouldbourne had the space on the edge of the area to send a shot over Poniskaitis into the top corner of the net.

Worse was to come in the 78th minute as a cross came in from the left, and Macson Fraser cut in front of a Leverstock defender before firing home the equaliser.

The visitors were reduced to ten men temporarily when skipper Jesse Armoo was sent to the sin-bin in the 81st minute, but Leverstock couldn’t take advantage of the extra man for the ten minute period. They did however come close to winning the game in the fifth minute of stoppage time when a cross from Kyeremeh dropped for Stefanoaica, who looked set to score but his shot was kept out by a great save from Groom.

On the balance of the second half play a draw was a fair result, but Leverstock will again feel like two points have been dropped rather than a point gained.

After the game there was a special presentation to skipper Dan Weeks, who was making his 200th appearance for the club.

Leverstock Green (1) 2 (Kyeremeh 37, Carruthers 71)
1. Tautvydas Poniskaitis, 2. Alvin Kyeremeh, 3. Kurainashe Musanhi, 4. Dan Weeks, 18. Bobby Armstrong, 6. Ethan Mooney (14. Elgeniy Daalberg 80 mins), 7. Luke Beckwith (12. Ryan Carruthers 62 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Chris Blunden, 10. Ibrahim Nagheeb, 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica. Subs not used: 15. Ayomide Oke, 16. Brad Robinson, 20. Luke Durnin.
Potton United (0) 2 (Gouldbourne 73, Fraser 78)
1. Cameron Groom, 2. Kye Tearle (15. Lil Francisco 68 mins), 3. Callum Wilson, 4. Sam Willis, 5. Jesse Armoo, 6. Aidan Fennelly, 7. Macson Fraser, 8. Josh Brown, 9. Dave Parkinson, 10. Marcus Gouldbourne, 17. Cole Butler. Subs not used: 12. Louis Octave, 14. Josh Howard-Dobson, 16. Jimmy Martin.

 

Leverstock Green were unable to follow up Saturday’s win at Harpenden as they crashed to a home defeat against Crawley Green on Tuesday night. After a tight first half the visitors took control in the second half with some clinical finishing as Leverstock were caught on the break too many times.

There was a chance for Leverstock in the 5th minute as skipper Dan Weeks got on the end of a free kick from Ibrahim Nagheeb, but his header went over the bar. Crawley’s first near-miss came in the 18th minute when an overhead kick from Brandon Carney struck the post.

Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica looked like Leverstock’s most dangerous player, and in the 22nd minute he made a strong run into the box and pulled the ball back into the six-yard box but it was cleared. Six minutes later the action was at the other end as Austin Byfield dived low to turn away a shot from Joe Hankins. In the 33rd minute Elginey Daalberg went on a solo run from the halfway line to the edge of the penalty area but then hit his shot over the bar. Leverstock’s best chance of the half was in the 39th minute when a great pass from Dan Weeks put Stefanoaica in behind the defence, but after running across the face of the six-yard box, he hit his eventual shot wide. In the last minute of the half Dan Pett got on the end of a cross and turned quickly but his shot was saved.

The teams went in at half time with the game still goalless, but the second half was barely a minute old when Crawley Green took the lead. Leverstock were caught on the break from their own attack, and the ball was threaded through to Hankins, whose shot found the net despite Byfield getting a hand to it.

There was almost a second in the 53rd minute as Hankins slid in to meet a cross from Carney but it went just wide, and Carney hit the woodwork for a second time in the 57th minute as his free kick from distance hit the post. The second Crawley goal came in the 61st minute and again it was careless from Leverstock as they were caught by a quick breakaway from their own corner and Hankins was put through again to slot the ball past Byfield.

There was a let-off for Leverstock in the 70th minute when Carney was clean through and looked set to score but shot straight at Byfield. However, Leverstock couldn’t take advantage, and squandered two corners when the cross couldn’t beat the first man. On 76 minutes Leverstock had a promising attack which broke down on the halfway line, and again they were punished as the ball was quickly played out to the right and seconds later a cross came in which Carney finished from close range for the third Crawley Green goal.

Leverstock had continued to push forward throughout the half, but were unable to force visiting keeper Dan Gould into a serious save and could not force the ball home from a couple of goalmouth scrambles. Eventually in the 87th minute Chris Blunden pulled a goal back with a shot from the edge of the box, but that proved to be nothing more than consolation as Crawley Green came away with a deserved three points.

Leverstock Green (0) 1 (Blunden 87)
1. Austin Byfield, 2. Brad Robinson (12. Luke Beckwith 63 mins), 3. Kurainashe Musanhi, 4. Dan Weeks, 18. Luke Durnin, 6. Ryan Carruthers (14. Chris Blunden 54 mins), 7. Ethan Mooney, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica, 10. Ibrahim Nagheeb, 11. Elgeniy Daalberg (20. Scott McGleish 79 mins). Subs not used: 15. Callum Moore, 16. Ayomide Oke.
Crawley Green (0) 3 (Hankins 47, 61, Carney 76)
1. Dan Gould, 2. Nicolae Trif (14. Parrys Smith 84 mins), 3. Luke Abraham, 4. Kai McArthur, 5. Garry Jones, 6. Mike Evans, 7. Brandy Makuendi (12. Tejon Brown 74 mins), 8. Ernest Njoroge (16. Jacob Troughton-Smith 87 mins), 9. Joe Hankins, 10. Brandon Carney (15. Ayomide Akinbobola 80 mins), 11. Lucas Kirkpatrick. Sub not used: 17. Daniel Blackman.

Leverstock Green have suffered only two home defeats this season, and both of them have been to Colney Heath. With the visitors having had a managerial change between the two games, there were only a few players in common between the Colney side that won the Premier Division Cup tie in October, and the side that inflicted Leverstock’s first home league defeat of the season in this game. A week ago against Tring Athletic it was the performance of Leverstock keeper Austin Byfield that won the point, but this time the boot was on the other foot as visiting keeper Liam Studley kept out the Green side with a number of superb saves.

There were few chances in the early part of the game, and Leverstock’s bad luck with centre-backs continued as Alvin Kyeremeh had to be helped off the pitch with an injury in the 19th minute, to be replaced by Bobby Armstrong. Colney Heath had the better of the opening ten minutes, but Leverstock were on top towards the end of the half. They were denied a goal in the last minute of the half by the first of Studley’s great saves. George Mitchell-Gears got on the end of an Ibrahim Nagheeb free kick with a downward header, which Studley got down to save at the base of his post.

Leverstock made a bright start to the second half, but they were forced into another change on 51 minutes when Elgeniy Daalberg replaced Mitchell-Gears. Controversially, the referee restarted play the instant that Daalberg had entered the pitch rather than allowing him to take up his position, and Colney Heath took advantage as a ball was played 60 yards forward to Alex Cathline, who made a powerful run at goal and struck a shot from outside the box which beat Byfield and put his side into a 1-0 lead.

Brad Robinson was sin-binned as a result of protests about the goal, reducing Leverstock to ten men for ten minutes. Once they were back up to eleven the Green side had a number of chances, including a cross from Rio Beach which went just over the angle on 66 minutes and a header from Armstrong which went just over the bar two minutes later. On 76 minutes Ibrahim Nagheeb was fouled just outside the box and stepped up to take the free kick himself. His effort was on target but tipped over the bar by a great save from Studley. A minute later Ryan Carruthers had an effort cleared off the line.

On 79 minutes Leverstock were again reduced to ten men, this time permanently as Luke Beckwith received a second yellow card. There was another free kick in a dangerous position on 84 minutes as Chris Blunden was brought down just outside the box. Blunden took the free kick and again it was on target but Studley dived full length to turn it round the post. Colney Heath were then reduced to ten men as George Taban was sin-binned.

Leverstock continued to push forward as the game threatened to boil over in the closing minutes, and they were perhaps denied a couple more chances as the referee blew for full time after less than two minutes stoppage time, in a half that saw seven substitions and a couple of injury stoppages among others. However, it was a second straight game without a goal, and Fergus Moore’s side will need to find their scoring touch again quickly when they travel to Cockfosters for their next game on Saturday.

Leverstock Green (0) 0
1. Austin Byfield, 2. Brad Robinson (15. Adrian Pitfield 64 mins), 3. Rio Beach, 4. Danny May (20. Scott McGleish 70 mins), 5. Alvin Kyeremeh (18. Bobby Armstrong 19 mins), 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Luke Beckwith, 8. Ibrahim Nagheeb, 9. Chris Blunden, 10. George Mitchell-Gears (12. Elgeniy Daalberg 51 mins), 11. Ethan Mooney. Sub not used: 14. Ayomide Oke.
Colney Heath (0) 1 (Cathline 52 mins)
1. Liam Studley, 2. George Taban, 3. Bradley Dixon-Smith, 4. Marco Geremia, 5. Shim Eaton-Bonnick, 6. Myles John (17. Taran Rattrey 68 mins), 7. Jayden Silcott-Brown, 8. Vass Mandeville, 9. Alex Cathline (14. Kamel El-Maghur 60 mins), 10. Serge Erkarslan (16. Alex Dubniuc 60 mins), 11. Hadley Gleeson (15. James Samways 80 mins). Sub not used: 12. Clarence Emeh.