Leverstock Green FC finally played their first match of 2024, and it proved to be a spectacular night as the Green side found their shooting boots to put six goals without reply past Biggleswade United.

Leverstock made a bright start to the game, with two half-chances within the opening five minutes, and they took the lead in the 8th minute. Top scorer Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica received the ball by the right touchline and went on a solo run into the box before slotting home from a narrow angle for his 18th goal of the season.

There was almost a second goal four minutes later when a free kick from Dan Pett found the head of Dan Weeks, but it was deflected wide off a defender. It wasn’t long coming, though, as Pett took the resulting corner and Callum Neal headed home from inside the six yard box to make it 2-0.

Leverstock Green FC were well in control of the game, and chances kept on coming. On 16 minutes a pass from Luke Beckwith put Stefanoaica in again. His shot hit the bar, and the rebound dropped for Rio Beach, but he couldn’t get his effort on target. A minute later Rawn Seale was through on goal but his shot was saved by keeper Tom Wyant. The third goal eventually arrived on 22 minutes, and it was very similar to the second as a Pett corner found Neal at the near post with a glancing header to notch his second of the night.

There could have been a fourth goal a minute later but Wyant did well to keep out shots from Beckwith and a rebound effort from Nat Connolly. In the 30th minute a pass down the wing from Neal gave Stefanoaica another run at goal, but his eventual shot was turned wide by Wyant. In first half stoppage time Connolly was denied again as he slid in to meet a cross from Beckwith, but it was saved from close range.

Leverstock picked up where they left off in the second half. In the 48th minute Connolly pushed forward before laying off to Beckwith, who hit a ferocious shot from the edge of the box that Wyant got a hand to, but couldn’t keep out to make it 4-0.

The visitors had some brighter moments during the second half, with Josh Bowler having a couple of saves to make, but the clean sheet was never seriously threatened. Leverstock started making some changes, and one of the subs Jayden Newman added his name to the scoresheet in the 74th minute, turning on the edge of the six-yard box before steering a shot past Wyant. Just a minute later it was 6-0 as a cross from Neal found Seale to flick the ball past Wyant from close range.

The three points take Leverstock Green FC back up to fourth place, and the six goals are a huge boost to their goal difference as they continue to compete for a promotion play-off place.

Leverstock Green FC (3) 6 (Stefanoaica 8, Neal 12, 22, Beckwith 48, Newman 74, Seale 75)
1. Josh Bowler, 2. Callum Neal (17. Brad Robinson 77 mins), 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Weeks, 18. Luke Durnin (14. Paul Marks 78 mins), 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Luke Beckwith (15. Ethan Mooney 62 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Rawn Seale, 10. Nat Connolly, 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica (16. Jayden Newman 51 mins) (12. Callum Moore 77 mins).
Biggleswade United FC (0) 0
13. Tom Wyant, 16. Markel Cousins (14. Haseeb Fariad 64 mins), 3. Joe Babbage, 4. Mason Watkins-Clark (2. Aaron Dada 19 mins), 5. Cade Stephens-Abbey, 19. Gareth Hunt, 7. Aaron Hudson, 8. Jaiden Irish, 9. Coree Wilson (17. David Parkinson 56 mins), 10. Mekhi Angol, 11. Jake Stronge. Subs not used: 15. Ethan Flanagan, 18. Tom Roberts.

It was an afternoon to forget for Leverstock Green FC, who crashed to a heavy home defeat to in-form neighbours Colney Heath, and suffered a serious injury. It was a similar line-up to that which had played the last four games unbeaten, except that Ryan Carruthers was absent through suspension, and George Mitchell-Gears started in place of Luke Beckwith.

The visitors opened the scoring in the fourth minute of the game, and it was a goal that Green keeper Josh Bowler will be disappointed with, as a long-range shot from Jack Kimber bounced in front of him and found the net.

A few minutes later Mitchell-Gears went into an innocuous challenge with an opponent, but landed awkwardly. After initially trying to continue, Mitchell-Gears went down in agony and was stretchered off in the 13th minute with what looked like a serious ankle injury.

Three minutes later Leverstock Green FC were two goals down to another avoidable goal, as Jack Percy ran from his own half through the Green defence with barely a challenge before slotting past Bowler to double his side’s lead.

On 24 minutes Leverstock had the chance to pull a goal back when Rio Beach was sent flying by a challenge in the box and the referee awarded a penalty. However, Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica missed for the second Saturday in a row as his kick was comfortably saved by Colney keeper Connor Sansom.

The penalty miss was soon forgotten, as four minutes later Dan Pett swung in a free kick from the right, and Stefanoaica connected with a looping header that went in off the post to reduce the arrears to 2-1 and put Leverstock Green FC back in the game.

However, it was only another three minutes before Colney were two goals back in front, as Kai Thomas-Fraser got up unchallenged to head home a corner at the far post.

In the last minute of first half stoppage time Stefanoaica got on the end of another Pett free kick, but this time his header went into the arms of Sansom, and the scoreline was still 3-1 at half time.

Leverstock Green FC needed to get a goal back and they very nearly did in the 52nd minute. Ethan Mooney’s cross was headed away, but only as far as Luke Beckwith, who hit a shot that rattled the crossbar. Instead of pulling a goal back, Leverstock found themselves further behind four minutes later, Bowler pulled off a good save to keep out a shot, but the rebound was not cleared and George Sippetts had an easy chance to shoot home from close range.

That put paid to any chance of a comeback, although Beckwith was unlucky again in the 76th minute as he struck the woodwork again, this time with a shot that hit the inside of the post and rebounded across goal, but didn’t go in.

It was only Leverstock’s second league defeat since early October, but they will need to turn things around quickly with further home games against Crawley Green and Tring Athletic between Christmas and New Year.

Leverstock Green FC (1) 1 (Stefanoaica 28)
1. Josh Bowler, 2. Ethan Mooney, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Paul Marks (18. Luke Durnin 63 mins), 5. Callum Neal, 6. Nat Connolly (17. Mikey Havill-Tierney 75 mins), 7. Jayden Newman (14. Lewis Collins 59 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Rawn Seale, 10. George Mitchell-Gears (12. Luke Beckwith 13 mins), 11. radu-Mihai Stefanoaica 16. Callum Moore 81 mins).
Colney Heath FC (3) 4 (Kimber 4, Percy 16. Thomas-Fraser 31, Sippetts 56)
1. Connor Sansom, 2. Kai-Thomas-Fraser, 3. Bradley Dixon-Smith, 4. Ollie Seeby, 5. Jamie Willing (12. Sam Denham 84 mins), 6. Chad King, 7. Jack Percy (15. James Samways 61 mins), 8. Sam Ejjayha, 9. George Sippetts (17. Adam Wallace 84 mins), 10. Jack Kimber (14. Micky Shuttlewood 89 mins), 11. Ollie Lawford. Sub not used: 16. Jordan Kinoshi.