Leverstock Green pulled a further three points away from the relegation zone with a crucial 2-1 win against Marlow in Saturday’s Southern League fixture, their fourth win in the last five games.

Leverstock welcomed back midfielder Ademide Baruwa, who rejoined from Northwood during the week, and after starting on the bench Baruwa was quickly into the action, replacing Marcus Warren, who had an eye injury, in the 17th minute. Another early enforced change saw Joe McCarthy, back from a two-game suspension, having to leave the game injured in the 24th minute to be replaced by Iker Noguera Leon.

The first half saw little in the way of clear-cut chances for either side. Late in the half Marlow won two free kicks in dangerous positions just outside the box, but both of them were hit straight at the wall. In the last minute of the half Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica’s pass gave Carmicheal Uchenna a run at goal, but his shot from a narrow angle was saved by keeper James Sharlott.

Two goals early in the second half put Leverstock in control. In the 49th minute a neat passing move was completed when Uchenna’s pass put Jeffrey Sekyere through on goal, and the club’s top scorer made no mistake, slipping the ball under Sharlott to open the scoring. Another impressive goal came three minutes later. Leon’s pass put Sekyere away down the left channel, and his low cross into the box was met by Stefanoaica to finish from close range for a 2-0 Leverstock lead.

There could have been further goals, with Baruwa having a shot saved by Sharlott in the 63rd minute, and Sekyere dribbling through only to shoot over the bar in the 66th minute.

Marlow had shown little threat to the Leverstock goal, but there was a danger sign in the 79th minute when Sebastian D’Aversa hit a shot just wide. Five minutes later the same player was there on the edge of the box when the ball dropped to him, and finished with a shot into the corner of the net to pull a goal back and ensure another nervous finish for the Leverstock followers.

The two-goal lead could have been re-established in the 87th minute when Rio Beach broke away and set up Jack Allen, but Allen’s first shot was blocked and his follow-up effort was kept out by Sharlott’s legs.More than eight minutes of stoppage time were played, but as has been the case in recent games, Leverstock held their nerve and were able to get the win over the line.

Leverstock Green (0) 2 (Sekyere 49, Stefanoaica 52)
1. Ashton Broome-Alexander, 2. Kombe Kawimbe, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Pett, 20. Olusegun Adedipe, 6. Nat Connolly (15. Callum Donnelly 79 mins), 7. Joe McCarthy (16. Iker Noguera Leon 24 mins), 8. Carmicheal Uchenna, 9. Jeffrey Sekyere, 10. Marcus Warren (12. Ademide Baruwa 18 mins), 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica (18. Jack Allen 73 mins). Sub not used: 14. Dan Casey.
Marlow (0) 1 (D’Aversa 84)
1. James Sharlott, 4. Jacob Wilson (12. Flavio Gyawu-Kyem 60 mins), 5. Sebastian D’Aversa, 6. Alex Salmon, 7. Toby Raggett (2. Abdallah Khalil 73 mins), 8. Chris Ovenden, 10. Harvey Maudner (16. Kwesi Ntim 60 mins), 15. Alfie Agar, 17. Chris Lutonadio, 19. Enrique Tiamuna (9. Shamar Moore 59 mins), 21. Jack Empson (11. Patryk Bozych 87 mins).

Leverstock Green added another crucial three points to their total with an impressive win over bottom side AFC Dunstable in Tuesday night’s Southern League Division One Central fixture.

An early goal was vital for the Leverstock side to settle their nerves, and it took just six minutes for them to open the scoring, as Iker Noguera Leon had a shooting chance on the edge of the box and hit a low shot out of the reach of keeper Noah Vaughan into the corner of the net. The second goal was not long arriving, as George Mitchell-Gears fired home a half-volley from just inside the box to notch the first goal of his current spell at the club.

There could have been a third in the 23rd minute as a neat passing move put Leon through on goal, but Vaughan got a hand to his shot to tip it round the post. Five minutes later Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica made a run into the box but his shot from a narrow angle was kept out by Vaughan’s legs. Leon had another shooting chance in the 38th minute but hit it straight at Vaughan.

The young AFC Dunstable side came more into the game in the last ten minutes of the half, and a foul from Olusegun Adedipe gave them a free kick just outside the box, but the shot was saved by Ashton Broome-Alexander.

Leverstock struggled to make any further ground early in the second half, and Broome-Alexander had to make another good save in the 59th minute to keep out a shot from a narrow angle. A double substitution on the hour saw Jack Allen and Luke Beckwith introduced, and added some pep to the Leverstock side.

Broome-Alexander made another crucial save in the 68th minute to punch away a dangerous cross, and within a minute Leverstock had their third goal. Allen hit a shot from the edge of the box which took a deflection off a defender and looped up over Vaughan’s head into the net as the big striker scored his first goal for the club.

Leverstock were playing with more freedom now, and top scorer Jeffrey Sekyere added his name to the scoresheet in the 78th minute, cutting in from the left on a solo run before drilling home a low shot from a narrow angle. There was more to come in the first minute of stoppage time as Allen went on a solo run into the box before firing home his second of the night and completing Leverstock’s biggest ever win in the Southern League.

Leverstock Green (2) 5 (Leon 6, Mitchell-Gears 11, Allen 69, 90+1, Sekyere 78)
1. Ashton Broome-Alexander, 2. Kombe Kawimbe, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Pett, 6. Ryan Carruthers (15. Nat Connolly 65 mins), 7. Iker Noguera Leon (18. Jack Allen 61 mins), 8. Carmicheal Uchenna, 9. Jeffrey Sekyere, 10. George Mitchell-Gears (16. Marcus Warren 70 mins), 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica (12. Luke Beckwith 61 mins). Sub not used: 14. Dan Casey.
AFC Dunstable (0) 0
1. Noah Vaughan, 2. Aaron Addy (12. Tyrelle Joseph 80 mins), 3. Wallace Clark, 4. James Doherty, 5. Mohibur Rahman, 6.Jamie De Beer, 7. Alfie Carrington (12. Jeffery Yeboah H/T), 8. Jeremy Amissah (14. Benjamin Burt 51 mins), 9. Shea Greene, 11. Cyril Mensah (17. Christopher Carter 69 mins), 15. Jake Cowley (16. Jude Slough 89 mins).

It was a second straight win for Leverstock Green and a very impressive result against second-placed Hitchin Town in a see-saw game of three penalties. A superb finish from substitute Iker Noguera Leon late in the game proved to be the winner.

The visitors had the game’s first serious attempt on goal in the 19th minute when Kye Tearle hit a shot from the edge of the box just over the bar. Leverstock were unlucky not to take the lead in the 24th minute. As the ball came into the box, Joe McCarthy got in ahead of keeper Tyler McGregor and tried to take the ball around him, but McGregor scrambled back and pulled off a save to keep out McCarthy’s shot.

Hitchin went in front from the game’s first penalty in the 30th minute. Olusegun Adedipe was penalised for a late challenge just inside the box, and Taylor Rhiney made no mistake from the spot. Leverstock should have been level before the break. In the 41st minute Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica’s pass gave McCarthy a run at goal, and McCarthy laid off to set up Jeffrey Sekyere with a clear chance, but his shot went over the bar.

Hitchin took their lead into the break, but Leverstock fought back strongly in the second half. In the 59th minute Carmicheal Uchenna went on a solo run which took him past a number of defenders before laying off to Stefanoaica, who controlled the ball and drilled it into the bottom corner to level the scores and notch his second goal in two games.

It got better for Leverstock. In the 74th minute McGregor was adjudged to have fouled McCarthy as the two challenged for the ball, and the referee awarded the second penalty of the game. Sekyere sent McGregor the wrong way to put Leverstock into a 2-1 lead. It was a short-lived lead though, as two minutes later the referee was pointing to the spot again when a tackle from Dan Pett brought down a Hitchin player just inside the box. Rhiney stepped up again and was successful again to level the scores at 2-2.

In the 82nd minute Stefanoaica was replaced by Iker Noguera Leon, and the Spanish striker got his first touch of the ball two minutes later when a pass from Uchenna put him in behind the last defender, and Leon ran on to slot the ball past McGregor superbly to put Leverstock back in front at 3-2.

Once again the Leverstock faithful had to endure five minutes of stoppage time with a slender lead, and there was a nervous moment when a corner was given away and everyone including McGregor came up for it, but the danger was cleared and Leverstock held on for a fully-deserved win against a Hitchin side that didn’t really create a single clear-cut chance in open play or force a serious save out of Ashton Broome-Alexander. Leverstock’s unbeaten run extends to five games, and the three points takes them further clear of the relegation zone and moves them up a place in the Division One Central table.

Leverstock Green (0) 3 (Stefanoaica 59, Sekyere 74 pen, Leon 84)
1 Ashton Broome-Alexander, 2. Kombe Kawimbe, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Pett, 20. Olusegun Adedipe (14. Dan Casey 64 mins), 6.Carmicheal Uchenna (15. Callum Donnelly 88 mins), 7. Joe McCarthy, 8. orge Mitchell-Gears, 9. Jeffrey Sekyere, 10. Marcus Warren (12. Ryan Carruthers 71 mins), 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica (16. Iker Noguera Leon 82 mins). Sub not used: 18. Jack Allen.
Hitchin Town (1) 2 (Rhiney 30 pen, 76 pen)
1. Tyler McGregor, 2. Kye Tearle, 3. Callum Kane, 4. Brett Longden (12. Toby Syme 82 mins), 5. Charlie Briggs, 6. Ciaren Jones, 7. Liam Brooks (16. Diogo Freitas-Gouveia 83 mins), 8. Josh Coldicott-Stevens (15. Kavan Cotter 73 mins), 9. Taylor Rhiney, 10. Lewis Franklin, 11. Callum Nicolson. Subs not used: 14. Blue Joy, 17. Fernando Bell-Toxtle.

Leverstock Green opened up a three-point gap between themselves and the relegation zone with a crucial 2-1 win over Welwyn Garden City in Tuesday night’s Southern League Division One Central fixture. It was another nervous finish for the Leverstock faithful as the visitors pulled a goal back late in the game, but this time there was to be no last-gasp equaliser.

Leverstock could have opened the scoring in the 12th minute when a pass from Jeffrey Sekyere put Joe McCarthy through on goal, but Welwyn keeper Lamar Johnson came off his line to save with his legs. They only had to wait another minute for their goal, though. George Mitchell-Gears’ crossfield pass found Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica with space to run at goal, and Stefanoaica drilled a shot home from the edge of the box into the corner of the net for his first goal of the season.

Welwyn though they had equalised five minutes later with a header from a corner, but the referee disallowed it for a foul on Leverstock keeper Ashton Broome-Alexander. In the 22nd minute Broome-Alexander saved well from a Remel Larwood shot, and in the 33rd minute Broome-Alexander batted the ball away after a long throw had been flicked on across goal. A minute later Leverstock doubled their lead. Carmicheal Uchenna went on a run into the Welwyn half and played a one-two with Stefanoaica before hitting a shot from the edge of the box towards the bottom corner of the net. It wasn’t the hardest shot but Johnson couldn’t get to it and the ball went in off the post as Uchenna scored his first goal for the club.

There should have been a third goal in first half stoppage time. McCarthy was through again, Johnson saved again and the rebound fell for Stefanoaica, but he didn’t get his shot away quickly enough and the chance went away.

The second half saw Leverstock defending the slope and coming under heavy pressure from the visitors, but they were not able to create much in the way of clear-cut chances. Leverstock occasionally threatened on the break, and came closest to scoring in the 59th minute when Stefanoaica went on another run, kept the ball after a challenge and squared it across goal, but it was just behind the incoming McCarthy.

Leverstock were still holding onto their two-goal lead towards the end of the game, but in the 86th minute a free kick was given away in a dangerous position. The ball was delivered into the box and Evaristo Mendes applied the finishing touch to pull a goal back. Leverstock supporters then had to face the prospect of five minutes of stoppage time during which Welwyn continued to pump the ball forward, but this time the Green side were able to see the game out and claim the three points from an excellent and very hard-working performance.

Leverstock Green (2) 2 (Stefanoaica 13, Uchenna 34)
1. Ashton Broome-Alexander, 2. Kombe Kawimbe, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Pett, 5. Olusegun Adedipe, 6. Carmicheal Uchenna (12. Dan Casey 87 mins), 7. Joe Mccarthy (16. Jamal Yates 79 mins), 8. George Mitchell-Gears (15. Aldo Petagine 79 mins), 9. Jeffrey Sekyere, 10. Marcus Warren, 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica (18. Jack Allen 64 mins). Sub not used: 14. George Eldridge.
Welwyn Garden City (0) 1 (Mendes 86)
1. Lamar Johnson, 2. Adam Pollock, 3. Layne Eadie, 4. Jack Green, 5. Aiden Read (15. Evaristo Mendes H/T), 6. Panny Boxer, 7. Remel Larwood (12. Ethan Rookard 59 mins), 8. Isaac Pedro, 9. Steve Cawley, 10. Eddie Corbit, 14. Lewis Taaffe. Sub not used: 17. Donny Green.

It was another heartbreaker for Leverstock Green as once again they were denied a full three points by an equaliser deep into stoppage time. Leverstock had defended superbly throughout and certainly deserved the win, but a goal out of nothing in the sixth minute of stoppage time meant they only came away with a point.

There were two new signings in the Leverstock lineup, with Carmicheal Uchenna, signed from AFC Dunstable starting at left back, while Kombe Kawimbe, signed on a youth loan from neighbours Hemel Hempstead Town came on as a second half substitute.

It was a game of few chances, especially in the first half. There had been little action of note before the incident that led to Leverstock taking the lead in the 40th minute. A through pass from Iker Noguera Leon put Joe McCarthy in behind the last defender. McCarthy’s shot was partially stopped by keeper Liam Gooch, but as he chased the ball trickling towards goal, he was brought down. The referee awarded the penalty, and although Jeffrey Sekyere’s spot kick was saved by Gooch, Sekyere got to the rebound first to put Leverstock a goal up.

There could have been a second goal in stoppage time as a through ball found Sekyere, who nodded the ball past Gooch, but it was heading away from goal and McCarthy couldn’t quite get to it.

In the second half Leverstock were playing against the slope, plus the wind and increasingly heavy rain, but they still reduced Stotfold to few chances. Leverstock keeper Ashton Broome-Alexander produced good saves to keep out a cross that missed everybody in the 53rd minute, and in the 65th minute when Stotfold broke away and Ashley Kersey was through on goal.

At times Leverstock had difficulty getting the ball out of their own half, but still had some promising moments. In the 64th minute a pass from Sekyere gave Iker Noguera Leon a run at goal, but a great tackle from a defender forced a corner. From the resulting corner Dan Casey’s header brought a save out of Gooch.

As the match went deep into stoppage time Leverstock still held their lead and looked to have taken everything that Stotfold had thrown at them, but in the sixth minute of added time a hopeful ball was pumped into the box from the halfway line and Kersey got on the end of it with a looping header that left Broome-Alexander stranded and found the net, leaving Leverstock to once again rue their absence of luck.

Leverstock Green (1) 1 (Sekyere 40)
1. Ashton Broome-Alexander, 2. Dan Casey, 3. Carmicheal Uchenna, 4. Dan Pett, 5. Callum Neal, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Joe McCarthy (16. Marcus Warren 88 mins), 8. Nat Connolly (14. Kombe Kawimbe 74 mins), 9. Jeffrey Sekyere (19. Jack Allen 90+4 mins), 10. George Mitchell-Gears, 11. Iker Noguera Leon (15. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica 76 mins). Sub not used: 12. Rio Beach.
Stotfold (0) 1 (Kersey 90+6)
1. Liam Gooch, 2. Enock Ekongo, 4. James Peters, 5. Daniel Sears, 6. Lewis Thomas, 7. Luca Cardines (10. Lucas Titchmarsh 72 mins), 8. Jake Bunyan (16. Aaron Diviney 86 mins), 9. Henry Snee, 11. Codi Spavins (15. Hamid Seisay 78 mins), 12.Sebastian Simpson, 19. Ashley Kersey. Subs not used: 3. Ola Okeowo, 14. Romero Smart-Tull.