Lords Builders Merchants Stadium

Leverstock Green F.C.

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

(H) Hinton

Leverstock Green Development’s tough start to life in the Herts Senior County League continued as they suffered their fourth defeat from four games. Goals from Ryan Hennessy and Shay Kelly were not enough to prevent a 4-2 home defeat to Hinton.

Lineup:

1. Jamie Donovan
2. Ayoub Enajar
3. Freddie Newing
4. George Terry
5. Bobby Armstrong (c)
6. Harry Herbert
7. Toby Head
8. Alfie Herd
9. Ryan Hennessy
10. Callum Moore
11. Erick Anderson
12. Shay Kelly (for Terry)
19. Mayar Hajousman (for Anderson)
14. Billy Airey (for Herd)
15. Bobby O’Flynn (for Moore)
16. Riley Noel-Williams (for Herbert)

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(H) Chipperfield Corinthians

Leverstock Green Development were beaten 3-0 at home by Chipperfield Corinthians in Tuesday night’s Herts Senior County League Premier Division game.

Lineup:

1. Jamie Donovan
2. Ayoub Enajar
3. Toby Mandeville
4. George Terry (c)
5. Bobby Armstrong
6. Endrit Krasniqi
7. Martin Kirov
8. Schilo Mateta Kanda
9. Jack Marshall
10. Connor McGinty
11. Billy Airey
12. Freddie Newing
14. Toby Head
15. Alfie Herd
16. Bobby O’Flynn
17. Harry Herbert

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(H) Stansted

Leverstock Green FC continued their winning start to the 2023/24 season as they recorded a comfortable 4-0 win over league newcomers Stansted FC in their opening home league match. Stansted have been transferred from the Essex Senior League, and last week registered a notable FA Cup win over last season’s SSML Premier Division runners-up Stotfold, but Leverstock were in control of this game from early on.

The game was a milestone for the club as it was the 100th competitive game in charge for Fergus Moore, Scott McGleish and Darren Bonfield.

As in last Saturday’s FA Cup win over White Ensign, Leverstock Green FC raced out to a 2-0 lead early on. In the 6th minute Nat Connolly went on a run down the right and crossed into the box, wher Chris Blunden laid the ball back for George Mitchell-Gears to shoot home from the edge of the box and open the scoring.

Five minutes later it was 2-0. This time it was Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica who ran clear down the right and sent over a cross which eluded Mitchell-Gears, but Chris Blunden was there to shoot home with another confident finish.

Further goals were threatened as Stefanoaica twice hit shots over the bar, and in the 36th minute Leverstock had another chance when they were awarded a free kick just outside the box, but Blunden’s kick was comfortably gathered by Stansted keeper Harrison Crowther. However, the third goal was not long in arriving. On 38 minutes Ryan Carruthers broke away from the halfway line before feeding the ball to Luke Beckwith, and it was another excellent composed finish as Beckwith fired home for a 3-0 Leverstock Green FC lead.

There were further chances late in the half as a run from Rio Beach set up Carruthers for a shot which was well saved by Crowther, and the keeper did well again a minute later, coming off his line to deny Stefanoaica after he had been put through by a pass from Mitchell-Gears.

Stansted made a triple substitution at half time, but it did not change the course of the game. The visitors had a chance in the 53rd minute when a defensive slip let Jack Marshall through on goal, but Loris Marcimain produced a good save to keep the shot out. That proved crucial, as a minute later at the other end, Rio Beach hit a shot from outside the box which Crowther could only parry away, and Mitchell-Gears followed up to squeeze home the rebound from a very tight angle and make it 4-0 to Leverstock Green FC.

With the game largely in the bag, Fergus Moore began making substitutions. The first of them saw Danny May replace Callum Neal, and within a minute May produced a superb goallline clearance after some sloppy play had given Stansted a shooting chance. All five substitutes were used, including first team debuts for two 17-year olds – Luc Dischamps and Connor McGinty, who had impressed with displays for the Under-18s and Development Team respectively in midweek. McGinty came closest to getting his name on the scoresheet with a shot just over the angle of post and bar in the 78th minute.

Leverstock Green FC maintained their clean sheet to the end of the game, although there was a scare in the 90th minute when Billy Gannon had a shooting chance but put it over the bar. Next up for the Leverstock side is a tough visit to FC Romania on Wednesday night.

Leverstock Green FC (3) 4 (Mitchell-Gears 6, 54, Blunden 11, Beckwith 38)
1. Loris Marcimain, 2. Mikey Havill-Tierney (17. Brad Robinson 68 mins), 3. Rio Beach, 4. Callum Neal (15. Danny May 63 mins), 5. Dan Weeks, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Luke Beckwith, 8. Nat Connolly (16. Connor McGinty 68 mins), 9. Chris Blunden (14. Ryan Hennessy 75 mins), 10. George Mitchell-Gears, 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica (12. Luc Dischamps 73 mins).
Stansted FC (0) 0
1. Harrison Crowther, 2. Tom Millett (13. Billy Coyne 63 mins), 3. Charlie Adams (14. Archie Hammond H/T), 4. Carl Conway, 5. John Clarke, 6. Freddie Burrell (15. Fin Gregory H/T), 7. Louis Monk, 8. Jake Barlow, 9. Cabhan Clarke, 10. Jack Mitchell (12. Billy Gannon 64 mins), 11. Stan Gurney (16. Samuel Adetiba H/T).

Our next SSML Premier League match is on Wednesday 16th August 2023 AWAY to FC Romania, 7:45pm.

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(H) Aylesbury Vale Dynamos

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(H) Everett Rovers

Leverstock Green Development are still looking for their first point of the season after a 3-0 home defeat to Everett Rovers in their second Herts Senior County League Premier Division fixture on Tuesday night.

Starting XI:

Jamie Donovan
Billy Airey
Ayoub Enajar
Shay Kelly
Connor McGinty
George Mitchell-Gears
Freddie Newing
Bobby O’Flynn
Daniel Pett
Bradley Robinson
Ryan Hennessy

Substitutes:

Mayar Hajousman
Alfie Herd
Toby Mandeville
Jack Marshall
Riley Noel-Williams

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(H) White Ensign

It was an Emirates FA Cup classic at the Lords Builders Merchants Stadium as Leverstock Green FC scored two late goals to win an eight-goal thriller against Essex Senior League side White Ensign. Leverstock’s strike partnership of Chris Blunden and Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica were in top form, scoring all five goals between them in this Extra Preliminary Round tie.

With regular keeper Austin Byfield still away and backup keeper Loris Marcimain unavailable, Fergus Moore drafted in former Edgware Town keeper Greg Marsh. The visitors were the first to go close with only a minute played as Robbie Farrell struck the post with a shot from the edge of the box. In the 13th minute White Ensign thought they had a penalty when Marsh appeared to bring down Farrell just inside the box, but after consulting his assistant, the referee awarded a free kick just oustide the box, which was defended well.

White Ensign had been the better side for the opening 15 minutes, but Leverstock Green FC opened the scoring in the 16th minute with their first real attack of the game. A defensive slip allowed Stefanoaica to run clear down the right and square the ball for Blunden to shoot home from the edge of the  six-yard box. Four minutes later the lead was doubled. Nat Connolly curled in a free kick from the left edge of the penalty area which was headed away, but only as far as Stefanoaica, who took a couple of touches before blasting a shot which flew into the net despite the efforts of defender Ben Sargent to clear it off the line.

The visitors had a chance to pull a goal back in the 28th minute as Farrell was through on goal, but Marsh produced a good save to turn the shot round the post. The resulting corner was not cleared, though, and a second cross was headed home at the near post by Nathan Wilson to reduce the arrears to 2-1.

There was a lengthy period of stoppage time at the end of the half due to an injury to Ryan Carruthers requiring treatment. There was another good chance for Leverstock when a pass from Blunden put Stefanoaica through, but Ensign keeper Harry Fairs saved well, and Carruthers headed wide from the resulting corner. At the other end Marsh saved a diving header from Archie McFadden. In the 7th minute of stoppage time Rio Beach produced a bit of magic, going on a dazzling run into the box before pulling the ball back for Blunden to shoot home his second and send Leverstock Green FC into the break with a 3-1 lead.

The game was still very much in the balance, though. Ensign brought on substitute Billy Bonham-Dare at half time, and three minutes into the half Bonham-Dare received the ball with his back to goal before turning and shooting past Marsh to pull it back to 3-2.

Stefanoaica showed his pace again in the 58th minute, going on another run at goal but being denied by Fairs. On 71 minutes Stefanoaica got in behind the last defender and headed for goal again, this time squaring for Luke Beckwith, whose shot brought a great save out of Fairs.

Going into the last ten minutes Leverstock still held their slender lead, but it was back all square at 3-3 in the 81st minute as Robbie Allen ran into the box and beat Marsh at his near post with a shot from a narrow angle. That left Leverstock facing the prospect of a Wednesday night trip to Great Wakering, but there were still more goals to come. In the 86th minute Leverstock lauched a quick counter-attack. A pass from George Mitchell-Gears gave Stefanoaica another run at goal, and his square pass across the six-yard box found Blunden, who controlled it and shot home to complete his hat-trick and put Leverstock Green FC back in front.

The visitors had to throw caution to the wind in search of an equaliser, which left them vulnerable to a quick break, and that is what happened in the third minute of stoppage time. A pass from Mikey Havill-Tierney put Stefanoaica through again, and this time he went alone, sidestepping Fairs to seal the tie with his second and Leverstock’s fifth goal.

Despite Blunden’s hat-trick, it was Stefanoaica’s two goals and two assists that earned him a man of the match nomination. There was also a notable moment in stoppage time as Joe Sadler came off the bench to make his FA Cup debut at the age of 16. Leverstock Green FC will now travel to Isthmian League North Division side Walthamstow in the Preliminary Round in two weeks time.

Leverstock Green FC (3) 5 (Blunden 16. 45+7, 86, Stefanoaica 20, 90+3)
1. Greg Marsh, 2. Mikey Havill-Tierney (15. Brad Robinson 90+6 mins), 3. Rio Beach, 4. Callum Neal, 5. Dan Weeks, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Luke Beckwith (12. George Mitchell-Gears 78 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Chris Blunden, 10. Nat Connolly (16. Joe Sadler 90+4 mins), 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica. Subs not used: 14. Ryan Hennessy, 17. Danny May, GK. Darren Bonfield.
White Ensign FC (1) 3 (Wilson 29, Bonham-Dare 48, Allen 81)
1. Harry Fairs, 2. Ben Sargent, 3. Albert Galbally, 4. Archie McFadden, 5. Mitchell Stuart-Evans, 6. Nathan Wilson, 7. Kyle McAlindon (14. Ethan Evison 43 mins), 8. Joe Hunter, 9. Robbie Allen, 11. Billy Hutchison (17. Billy Bonham-Dare 48 mins), 19. Robbie Farrell (16. Mekhi Hyde 73 mins). Subs not used: 12. Callum Farris, 15. Callum Merenda, 10. Joe Gregory, 18. Denzel Adebiyi.

Our next FA CupXP Round match is on Saturday 19th August 2023 AWAY to Walthamstow FC, 3pm.

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(H) Marlow U23

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