Leverstock Green are still looking for their first win in the Southern League after suffering a home defeat to their fellow SSML promotees Real Bedford on Saturday. Leverstock produced a shock win in the corresponding fixture last season, but a repeat performance seldom looked like materialising against a slick, skilful Real Bedford side who took their chances clinically.

Leverstock could have taken an early lead in the third minute when a cross from Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica found Guiseppe Delgaudio in front of goal, but the big centre-forward couldn’t get a proper contact on his shot under pressure from a defender. The opening 15 minutes of the game were reasonably even with the visitors not having a serious effort on goal until the 17th minute when Ben Stevens hit a shot over the bar. The Bedford side began to look more of a threat after this, though, with Stevens shooting wide on the break in the 20th minute. A minute later Joey Evans was threatening on the break but was denied by a block from Eyituoyo Akinbulumo. Evans had an even better chance when through on goal in the 32nd minute, but couldn’t get a shot away.

Eventually the pressure from the visitors told, as four minutes later Evans and Isaac Galliford combined in a slick one-touch move to set up a chance for Shaheim Ward to shoot open the opening goal from close range. Leverstock might have got back in the game five minutes later when Ethan Mooney won the ball in the opposition half and put Delgaudio through, but he tried to lay off back to Mooney instead of shooting himself and the chance was gone.

The second half saw the visitors continue to be on top, with Alfie Bonfield having to keep out a point blank effort from Lee Watkins in the 48th minute. Leverstock had a great chance to level the game in the 57th minute. A clipped pass from Callum Neal put Stefanoaica away down the right, and he squared the ball into the box towards substitute Rawn Seale, but it was cut out by a defender.

Instead it was the visitors who scored the next goal two minutes later in similar style to their first. More slick one-touch play around the box set up Evans to calmly slot home from six yards for a 2-0 lead. It was a similar story ten minutes later. Stefanoaica put another ball across the face of goal in the 67th minute that no-one could finish off, and two minutes later Jack Morrell scored a third Real Bedford goal with a glancing near post header from a corner.

Leverstock should have pulled a goal back in the 84th minute, but Seale headed over the bar from close range after getting on the end of a cross from Jamie Breen. Four minutes later Leverstock were reduced to ten men as Seale was shown a straight red card for hitting out at an opponent.

Leverstock Green (0) 0
1. Alfie Bonfield, 2. Callum Neal (16. Cem Poyraz 76 mins), 3. Rio Beach, 4. Josh Dooley, 18. Eyituoyo Akinbulumo, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Ethan Mooney (15. Lewis Collins 65 mins), 8. Dan Pett (14. Jamie Breen 63 mins), 9. Guiseppe Delgaudio (17. Rawn Seale 65 mins), 10. Nat Connolly (12. Luke Beckwith 70 mins), 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica.
Real Bedford (1) 3 (Ward 36, Evans 59, Morrell 69)
1. Tyler McGregor, 2. Drew Richardson, 3. Jacques Kpohomouh, 4. Jack Morrell, 5. Brett Longden, 6. Lee Watkins (15. Tyriq Ward 90 mins), 8. Callum Nicolson (14. Ed Corbit 85 mins), 17. Shaheim Ward (18. Harrison Knight 90 mins), 9. Joey Evans (12. Tom Hitchcock 83 mins), 10. Ben Stevens, 11. Isaac Galliford (7. Anthony Agemoh-Davies 78 mins).

Leverstock Green were on the verge of their first ever Southern League win, but a stoppage time equaliser meant that they had to be content with their first point instead. Fergus Moore had a depleted squad with four players away for this game, and Leverstock’s problems worsened during the game as three players picked up injuries.

Visitors Beaconsfield got off to a bad start when they were reduced to ten men in just the third minute of the game. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica was clean through on goal until a foul from Juan Velasco brought him down, and the referee showed Velasco a straight red card for the professional foul.

Leverstock’s injury problems started in the 28th minute when Rawn Seale had to be replaced by Alie Bangura due to a groin problem. Up to this point the visitors had seen more of the ball despite being down to ten men. Leverstock’s first big chance came in the 38th minute when Stefanoaica broke away again, and laid off to set up Bangura with a chance, but his shot was comfortably saved by keeper Edward Brearey. In the last minute of the half Beaconsfield went close when a shot from Josh Marcon went across goal and just wide, while a minute later at the other end Brearey pulled off two good saves to keep out shots from Bangura and Stefanoaica in quick succession.

Leverstock were forced into a half time change when Rio Beach had to leave the game injured, to be replaced by Ademide Baruwa. Beaconsfield had a near miss early in the second half when Dembele shot just over from close range. In the 60th minute Jamie Breen powered into the box on a solo run but shot over the bar. Six minutes later the visitors were close again with a shot just wide from Eremide Lawal.

Leverstock were forced into another change in the 66th minute when Baruwa had to go off injured after only 21 minutes in the game, and was replaced by youngster Connor McGinty. There were still chances at both ends, with a cross from Bangura just eluding Lewis Collins at the far post in the 73rd minute, and Nat Connolly and Jamie Breen having to make goalline clearances from successive corners three minutes later. Beaconsfield were denied again in the 83rd minute when Alfie Bonfield kept out a shot from Avtandiki Akhsiashvili.

The game looked like ending in a draw until Leverstock finally broke the deadlock in the 86th minute. Bangura got to the bye-line and stood up a great cross which was headed home by Stefanoaica to put the Green into a 1-0 lead.

However, in the third minute of stoppage time Leverstock gave away a free kick in a dangerous position. As the ball was floated in, Bonfield called for it but did not get to the ball before Germaine Dua got there first with a header to level the scores and clinch a point which his side certainly deserved for the way they had played throughout with ten men.

Leverstock now face a Bank Holiday Monday trip to Barton Rovers, and although there will be a couple of players returning for that one, the injury problems mean the squad will be stretched to its limits.

Leverstock Green (0) 1 (Stefanoaica 86)
1. Alfie Bonfield, 2. Callum Neal, 3. Jamie Breen, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Josh Dooley, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Lewis Collins (17, Scott McGleish 79 mins), 8. Nat Connolly, 9. Rawn Seale (12. Alie Bangura 28 mins), 10. Rio Beach (14. Ademide Baruwa H/T) (16. Connor McGinty 66 mins), 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica. Sub not used: 15. Alfie Herd.
Beaconsfield Town (0) 1 (Dua 90+3)
1. Edward Brearey, 2. Alex Peapell, 3. Juan Gonzalez Velasco, 4. Matthew Harriot (16. Iker Noguera Leon 89 mins), 5. Ben Tricker, 6. Germaine Dua, 7. Eremide Lawal (17. Jamil Yusuf 90+1 mins), 8. Joshua Marcon (15. Jadyn Dundas 84 mins), 9. Jamie Davies, 10. Akiel Raffie (12. Alex Mapp 90+4 mins), 11. Baiai Dembele (14. Avtandili Akhsiashvili 65 mins)