Lords Builders Merchants Stadium

Leverstock Green F.C.

Pancake Lane,
Leverstock Green,
Hemel Hempstead,
Herts.
HP2 4NQ

(H) Crawley Green

Leverstock Green extended their run of league wins to three and moved up to third in the SSML Premier Division table after a convincing win over Crawley Green in Saturday’s game at Pancake Lane. The damage was done by a scintillating display of attacking football in the first half from Fergus Moore’s side.

The visitors had the game’s first chance in the opening minute when Zion Selassie-Yoseph got on the end of a cross but headed over from close range. Instead it was Leverstock who opened the scoring in the second minute. Adrian Pitfield played the ball forward, and Ollie Lawford flicked it on to Ethan Mooney, who sidestepped keeper Sam Fearon and slotted home.

However, the lead didn’t last for long. In the 5th minute Crawley Green pushed forward, and Luke Andrews hit a shot from distance which hit the inside of the post and flew into the opposite corner of the net.

Leverstock shrugged off the setback and continued to attack. In the 10th minute visiting keeper Fearon pulled off a double save, keeping out a shot from Mooney and Paplamin Jawara’s shot from the rebound. Dan Pett hit a shot just over the bar in the 19th minute. On 22 minutes a pass from Kian Wilkes gave Lewis Collins a run at goal. Collins couldn’t hit his shot on target on this occasion, however two minutes later a great pass from Pitfield put Collins through on goal and this time he slotted the ball home confidently to put Leverstock back in front.

Fearon produced another double save in the 29th minute, keeping out Pett’s shot and his second attempt from the rebound. Three minutes later a pass from Pett found Collins in the box with plenty to do, but Collins twisted and turned past two defenders, bursting through to slot home a brilliant third goal for Leverstock.

Fearon was in action again in the 35th minute, turning away Lawford’s shot. However, a minute later a Leverstock corner was not cleared. After a couple of blocked attempts at goal, Pett laid the ball back to Wilkes, who drilled home a shot from just inside the box to put Leverstock 4-1 up.

The visitors turned in a better display in the second half, although Leverstock still had chances to add to their lead. On 56 minutes Fearon denied Lawford again, turning his shot onto the post, and there were a number of other efforts just off target. Leverstock seldom looked like conceding, although in the 72nd minute Alfie Bonfield was extended to keep out a header from Joe Hankins.

The Leverstock side played the last 15 minutes of the game with ten men. With all three subs already used, Pitfield had to leave the game with an injury. The closest they came to adding to their tally was four minutes from time when Paul Marks got on the end of a Pett corner but headed just wide.

Leverstock Green (4) 4 (Mooney 2, Collins 24, 32, Wilkes 36)
Team: 1. Alfie Bonfield, 2. Adrian Pitfield, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Paul Marks, 6. Kian Wilkes, 7. Ethan Mooney (18. Rawn Seale 66 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Ollie Lawford (16. Mikkel James 58 mins), 10. Paplamin Jawara, 11. Lewis Collins (14. Elgeniy Daalberg 73 mins). Subs not used: 12. Ryan Carruthers, 17. Bradley Robinson.
Crawley Green (1) 1 (Andrews 5)
1. Sam Fearon, 2. Adam Hughes, 3. Isiah Brown-Smith, 4. Joe Hubbard, 5. Marlon Burton, 6. Kieran Floyd, 7. Lewis Osbourne (16. Ollie Brannan 59 mins), 8. Luke Andrews (14. Joe Hankins 45 mins), 9. Zion Selassie-Yoseph, 10. Brendan Cowell (15. Kieran Marone 62 mins), 11. Dan Blackman. Subs not used: 12. Wes Iroegbu, 17. Jarred Isles.

Man of the match Lewis Collins receiving his award from match ball sponsor Jim Doble:

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(H) Berkhamsted

Berkhamsted win 4-2 on penalties.

Leverstock Green put up a tremendous performance against their Southern League neighbours Berkhamsted, but for the second time this season they were beaten in a penalty shoot-out. The Green side soaked up a lot of pressure from the Berko side, but created some good chances themselves in a competitive game that could have gone either way in the 90 minutes. Both sides made a number of changes from their previous games, and the Leverstock side included Ollie Cox, playing his first game since returning to the club from Leighton Town.

The visitors went close in the second minute of the game when Phil Draycott’s cross from the left found Alie Bangura six yards out, but Green keeper Juliusz Pazio kept his shot out. Pazio saved another shot from Lewis Toomey in the 11th minute, and comfortably gathered a number of other shots from distance. Leverstock had a few long-range efforts themselves which were saved by visiting keeper Xavi Comas Leon, but the best effort of the half came in stoppage time when Cox’s effort from 20 yards was turned round the post by Leon.

The second half was big on effort from both sides but short of goalmouth action for much of the half. Berko had a golden opportunity to open the scoring in the 66th minute when Alie Bangura was tripped on a run into the box, but Lewis Toomey skied the resulting penalty way over the bar.

Three minutes from time Leverstock had a couple of good chances to win the game. Firstly a pass from Ryan Carruthers put Ethan Mooney through on goal, but his shot went just wide. Soon after there was another chance when a cross from Elgeniy Daalberg found Ollie Lawford in front of goal in space, but Lawford’s first touch let him down, and his shot was closed down.

With the deadlock still unbroken after 90 minutes, the tie went to penalties. Kian Wilkes took the first kick, but it was saved by Leon, and although Mooney and Paplamin Jawara were both successful, Lawford’s kick was also saved. Meanwhile Berko scored all four of their kicks to win the shootout 4-2, and will now face a home tie against Hemel Hempstead Town in the next round.

Leverstock Green 0
Team: 1. Juliusz Pazio, 2. Harry Bonner (17. Adrian Pitfield 73 mins), 3. Bradley Robinson, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Paplamin Jawara, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Ethan Mooney, 8. Kian Wilkes, 9. Mikkel James (14. Ollie Lawford 86 mins), 10. Ollie Cox (16. Paul Marks 78 mins), 11. Elgeniy Daalberg. Subs not used: 12. Lewis Collins, 18. Rawn Seale.
Penalties: Wilkes (saved), Mooney, Jawara, Lawford (saved).
Berkhamsted 0
Team: 1. Xavi Comas Leon, 2. Mohamed Bangura, 3. Matt Cooper, 4. Lucas Kirkpatrick, 5. Robbie Goodman, 6. Charlie Briggs, 7. Phil Draycott, 8. Connor Toomey (14. Adam Watkins 56 mins), 9. Lewis Toomey, 10. James Verney (16. Jake Tabor 76 mins), 11. Alie Bangura. Subs not used: 12. Ryan Kinnane, 15. Max Farrelly.
Penalties: Briggs, Draycott, Watkins, A.Bangura.

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(H) Broadfields United

Leverstock Green continued their run of good form as they notched up their fourth win from the last five league games. It was a first home game in six weeks for Fergus Moore’s side, and they came back from an early deficit to win 3-1 against a good Broadfields United side.

The Green side went close to taking an early lead when Ryan Carruthers hit a shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 6th minute, but it came back off the base of the post. Instead it was visitors Broadfields who struck first in the 9th minute, as a cross came over from the right and Rhys Ellis got on the end of it to shoot past Alfie Bonfield.

However, Leverstock were soon back in the game. Rawn Seale had already had a couple of shouts for a penalty which had been turned down by the referee, but when he was clearly tripped by Aldis Aliu, there was no hesitation in awarding a spot kick, which was calmly slotted home by Ollie Lawford for a 16th minute equaliser.

In the 24th minute Lawford and Seale combined to put Lewis Collins through on goal, but Collins’ shot drifted just wide of the far post. A shot from Lawford brought a good save out of visiting keeper Matt Faley in the 32nd minute, and a minute later at the other end Bonfield pulled off a good save to turn away a shot from Connor Spinks. Collins twice threatened with solo runs, firstly in the 32nd minute when his eventual shot was gathered by Faley, and again seven minutes later when his shot brought a great save out of Faley.

The scores were level after an evenly-contested half, and in the early stages of the second half it was Broadfields who had the better of things attacking down the slope, with Rico Clarke-Rowe hitting a shot just wide in the 49th minute.

Fergus Moore made his first change in the 65th minute, replacing Lawford with Paplamin Jawara, and barely a minute later his side had taken the lead. Ethan Mooney got to the bye-line and delivered the ball across the face of goal, and Collins slid in at the far post to stab the ball home.

The game was still finely poised going into the final minutes, with Broadfields still showing plenty of attacking threat, but in the 90th minute a mistake by the visitors inside their own box was pounced on by Elginey Daalberg, who shot home a third goal which ensured that Leverstock would take all three points.

Leverstock take a break from league action on Tuesday night as they entertain neighbours Berkhamsted in the first round of the Herts Senior Cup.

Leverstock Green (1) 3 (Lawford 16 pen, Collins 66, Daalberg 90)
Team: 1. Alfie Bonfield, 2. Adrian Pitfield, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Paul Marks, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Lewis Collins (14. Elgeniy Daalberg 81 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Rawn Seale (16. Mikkel James 90+1 mins), 10. Ollie Lawford (17. Paplamin Jawara 65 mins), 11. Ethan Mooney. Subs not used: 12. Harry Bonner, 18. Bradley Robinson.
Broadfields United (1) 1 (Ellis 9)
Team: 1. Matt Faley, 2. Francis Tango, 3. George Harsini (14. Max Walcott 83 mins), 4. Kyle Brooks, 5. Callum Rogers, 6. Nate Lewis-Robinson, 7. Aldis Aliu, 8. Rhys Ellis, 9. Connor Spinks, 10. Rico Clarke-Rowe, 11. Jamie Davey (15. Rob Blennerhassett 83 mins). Subs not used: 12. Liam O’Keefe, 16. Billy Smith, 17. Darren Brown.

Match ball sponsor Roger Stokes named Ethan Mooney as Man of the Match, and is pictured here presenting the award. (Photo by Tony Smart)

A selection of match photos taken by Paul Holdrick:

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(H) Harpenden Town

The under-18s suffered an unfortunate last-minute defeat in Thursday night’s SCFYL Corinthian Division game at Pancake Lane.

After a goalless first half, Harpenden took an early lead in the second half, but were then reduced to ten men. Leo Broom equalised for Leverstock with 20 minutes to play, but in the dying moments of the game Harpenden scored a winner.

>>Details on Full Time

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(H) Kings Langley

Leverstock Green’s under-18s put up a much-improved performance at home to Kings Langley in Thursday night’s SCFYL Corinthian Division game, but still ended up on the losing side.

The visitors were two goals up by 35 minutes, with Ben Delecata scoring both goals for Kings Langley, the second from the penalty spot.

However, on 39 minutes Ollie Sills pulled one back with an individual goal, and Dan Payne netted a penalty on 43 minutes to send the teams into the break level at 2-2.

Goals from Sam Wood and Ollie Clark put Kings Langley back into a two-goal lead before the hour mark, but Leverstock hit back again, with Ben Payne scoring on 63 minutes to reduce the arrears to 3-4. However, two further Kings Langley goals in the final 15 minutes left a final score of 3-6, with Leverstock still looking for their first point of the season after four games and the visitors extending their 100% start to three games.

Details on Full Time

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(H) Leighton Town

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(H) Luton Town Cedars

For the second game in a row the under-18s ended up with nothing having led the game at half time. This time they led 3-2 at half time against Luton Town Cedars, with Ben Payne scoring two goals and Dan Payne scoring from a free kick, but again they were victims of a second half comeback as the Luton side won 4-3.

Starting XI:
Jake Amos-Astley
Leo Broom
Calum Charman
Oscar Frost
Keane Fullwood
Ben Humphrey
Christian Madukah
Finn McLean
Ben Payne
Daniel Payne
Oliver Sills

Substitutes:
Rudy Ashenden
Charlie Dale
Teddy Dunning
Alex Rowe

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