Lords Builders Merchants Stadium

Leverstock Green F.C.

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

(H) Codicote

Leverstock Green Reserves exited their second cup competition on successive Saturdays, losing on penalties to Codicote’s first team in the Herts Senior Centenary Trophy. At half time the score was 1-1, with both goals coming from penalties – Connor McGinty for Leverstock and James Ewington for Codicote, and the visitors were down to ten men with Ewington having received two yellow cards. A second McGinty penalty put Leverstock 2-1 up, but yet another penalty saw Aaron Jarvis level the scores for Codicote. With the scores level at 90 minutes, the game went to penalties and Codicote won the shootout 4-2.

Thomas Morrell
Kaashan Darr
Freddie Newing 🟩
Alfie Herd
Bobby O’Flynn 🔻
Reece Marchant
Connor McGinty ⚽⚽
Tyrone Kumi 🟨
Rodger Siluba
Schilo Mateta-Kanda 🟩
Joe Dalli 🔻

Jack Evans 🟢 (for O’Flynn)
Alex Vtornicov
Filip Kastrati
Michael Adriano 🟢 (for Dalli)

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(H) Cockfosters Reserves

The reserves exited the Norman Appleby Trophy at the first hurdle with a 1-0 home defeat to Cockfosters Reserves.

Harry Maloret 🔻
Alex Vtornicov 🔻
Rodger Siluba
Jack Evans
Alfie Herd
Freddie Newing 🟨
Jose Costa 🔻
Raymond John 🔻
Michael Adriano 🔻
Connor McGinty 🟨
Ronnie Brennan

Joe Dalli 🟢 (for Maloret)
Josh Weidner 🟢 (for John)
Callum Moore 🟢 (for Adriano)
Bobby O’Flynn 🟢 (for Vtornicov)
Filip Kastrati 🟢 (for Costa)

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(H) Barton Rovers

Leverstock Green’s run in the Isuzu FA Trophy ended as they came out on the wrong side of a seven-goal thriller in Saturday’s Second Round Qualifying tie against Barton Rovers.

Leverstock got off to a great start as they took the lead in the 5th minute. Callum Neal delivered a cross from the right touchline and Guiseppe Delgaudio got up to head the ball past visiting keeper Tyler Josephs.

There could have been further goals later in the half. In the 18th minute Eyotuoyo Akinbulumo got on the end of a corner from Jamie Breen, but didn’t get enough on his header to divert it inside the post. Three minutes later another Breen corner reached Josh Dooley at the far post but his header went back across goal and wide. Alfie Bonfield saved shots from John Shamalo and Taylor Rhiney, and as the game went into first half stoppage time Leverstock still held the lead. However, a free kick was given away in a dangerous position, and Rhiney curled a superb shot over the wall and out of the reach of Bonfield to level the scores at the break.

Within a minute of the second half starting Leverstock were back in front. Luke Beckwith flicked the ball through to Delgaudio, and he sent a lob over Josephs for a 2-1 lead. The lead was almost increased in the 50th minute as a free kick from Beckwith could only be parried away by Josephs, but a defender got to the loose ball first to clear.

However, again Leverstock couldn’t hold onto their lead. In the 54th minute Ryan Neufville played a one-two which took him into the Leverstock box, where we was felled by a challenge from Akinbulumo. The referee awarded the penalty, and Rhiney netted the spot kick for his second of the game.

In the 61st minute Barton took the lead for the first time as Alfie Warman hit a volley from the edge of the box that went through a crowd of players past Bonfield. Five minutes later the scores were level again as Rio Beach got to the bye-line and put in a low cross which was finished from close range by Neal for a 3-3 scoreline.

But little over a minute later Barton were back in front again as Rhiney got in behind the Leverstock defence with a superb first time dipping shot over Bonfield to make it 4-3 to Barton and complete his hat-trick.

Leverstock pushed for another equaliser but were unable to find one, and Barton held on to progress to the next round.

Leverstock Green (1) 3 (Delgaudio 5, 46, Neal 66)
1. Alfie Bonfield, 2. Callum Neal, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Josh Dooley, 18. Eyituoyo Akinbulumo (16. Dan Weeks 90 mins), 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Luke Beckwith, 8. Cem Poyraz (15. Ethan Mooney 64 mins), 9. Guiseppe Delgaudio, 10. Nat Connolly, 11. Jamie Breen (14. Curtis Dibley 73 mins). Subs not used: 12. Ademide Baruwa, GK. Darren Bonfield.
Barton Rovers (1) 4 (Rhiney 45+2, 54 pen, 68, Warman 61)
1. Tyler Josephs, 2. Ryan Neufville, 3. Cam Hyde, 4. Ashton Grant (15. Saul Williams 60 mins), 5. Robbie Goodman, 6. Christian Swaby, 7. Lucas Kirkpatrick (14. Martel Powell 69 mins), 8. Alfie Warman, 9. John Shamalo (12. Kian Wilkes 69 mins), 10. Taylor Rhiney (16. Charlie Milton 83 mins), 11. Markel Cousins (17. Matt Moloney 60 mins).

 

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(H) Real Bedford

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).

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(H) Allenburys Sports

Leverstock Green Reserves maintained their unbeaten record in the Herts Senior County League Premier Division on Tuesday night as they faced also unbeaten Allenburys Sports (formerly Oracle Components FC). The visitors took a 1-0 lead, but an equaliser from Callum Moore meant that the sides shared the points.

Harry Maloret
Mikey Havill-Tierney 🟨
Luc Dischamps 🔻
Jose Costa 🔻
Bobby O’Flynn
Freddie Newing
Connor McGinty
Rodger Siluba 🟨 🔻
Callum Moore ⚽ 🟨
Schilo Mateta-Kanda 🔻
Joe Dalli 🔻

Jack Evans 🟢 (for Costa)
Alfie Herd 🟢 (for Dalli)
Michael Adriano 🟢 (for Siluba)
Alex Vtornicov 🟢 (for Dischamps)
Finlay Sykes 🟢 (for Mateta-Kanda)

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(H) Bury Town

After 30 seasons of competing in the FA Vase, Leverstock Green made their debut in the FA Trophy on Saturday, and their inaugural campaign will continue after a superb win over Isthmian League North Division leaders Bury Town in the First Round Qualifying. A goal in first half stoppage time was enough to win the game as Leverstock turned in a determined backs-to-the-wall performance during a second half in which they came under heavy pressure.

Guiseppe Delgaudio had Leverstock’s first shot of the game in the 8th minute, which was saved by Bury keeper Charlie Beckwith. Two minutes later Delgaudio got on the end of a great ball by Rio Beach but couldn’t quite get a shot away. Delgaudio continued to be the main threat, just failing to get a strong enough header to Ethan Mooney’s cross in the 26th minute, and seconds later having a shot from close range saved by Beckwith and then hitting the bar from the rebound with the goal at his mercy.

Bury had shown some threat going forward, and as the first half went into stoppage time they went close as Ethan Mayhew just failed to connect with Thomas Thulborn’s cross at the far post. Seconds later at the other end, Beach hit a shot which Beckwith grabbed but could not hold onto. Delgaudio pounced to thump home the loose ball and put Leverstock into a 1-0 lead. Even then Bury might have levelled the game further into stoppage time as a shot from Thulborn went across goal and just wide.

The second half was all about Leverstock having to fend off a constant stream of attacks from the Bury side down the slope. Man of the match Eyituoyo Akinbulumo made a crucial intervention in the 48th minute to get his head to Thulborn’s cross and put it wide with players coming in behind him. His partner in central defence Gary Connolly also got an important boot in to clear another dangerous cross into the six-yard box. In the 74th minute Alfie Bonfield couldn’t hold onto a shot from Cemal Ramadan, but Ryan Carruthers was first to the loose ball to clear it to safety.

The visitors had a strong shout for handball during a goalmouth scramble late in the game, but the referee was unmoved. It was a long half for Leverstock but they held out successfully to claim another historic result and put their name into the hat for Monday’s Second Round Qualifying draw. As Leverstock’s first actual win in 90 minutes against a fellow Step Four side, it will also give them great encouragement in the search for their first Southern League win.

Leverstock Green (1) 1 (Delgaudio 45+1)
1. Alfie Bonfield, 2. Callum Neal (16. Cem Poyraz 61 mins), 3. Rio Beach, 4. Gary Connolly, 18. Eyituoyo Akinbulumo, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Ethan Mooney (12. Lewis Collins 73 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Guiseppe Delgaudio (14. Curtis Dibley 76 mins), 10. Nat Connolly, 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica. Subs not used: 15. Josh Dooley, GK. Darren Bonfield.
Bury Town (0) 0
1. Charlie Beckwith, 2. Joe White, 3. Lewis O’Malley, 4. Theo Carter, 5. Joshua Curry, 6. Edward Upson (12. Ryan Horne H/T), 7. Maxwell Maughn, 8. Ethan Mayhew, 9. Cemal Ramadan (15. Reuben Truter 81 mins), 10. Thomas Thulborn (14. Oliver Canfer 73 mins), 11. Michael Davis. Subs not used: 16. Ryan Jolland, 17. Benjamin Mayhew.

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(H) Beaconsfield Town

Leverstock Green’s Under-18s exited the FA Youth Cup at the Preliminary Round stage. They put up a good performance against a strong Beaconsfield academy side, and were in the game until being reduced to ten men during the second half.

After an even opening to the game, Beaconsfield took the lead in the 22nd minute with a finish from close range. However, the Green side levelled the game in the 35th minute. A through ball gave George Eldridge a run at goal and the striker finished superbly with a shot from just inside the box. There was an even better finish in first half stoppage time as Biscat Yilma broke away and scored with a superb chipped shot over Leverstock keeper Max Pepper to put Beaconsfield back in front at 2-1.

Leverstock had the chance of an equaliser early in the second half when Sonny Latham-Gough was through and took the ball past the keeper, but couldn’t get his shot on target. At the other end Pepper saved well to turn a free kickm from Liam Jenkins round the post in the 57th minute.

The key moment in the game came in the 68th minute when Leverstock were reduced to ten men. Ryan Barry was shown a straight red for pulling down a Beaconsfield forward who was through on goal. The result was a free kick just outside the box, and this time Jenkins fired a shot past Pepper to put Beaconsfield 3-1 up. The tie was now beyond the Leverstock side, and Beaconsfield added further goals in the 73rd and 81st minutes.

Max Pepper
Ryan Barry 🟥
Alfie Hart 🔻
Shae Robinson
Oscar Martin 🔻
Joe Sadler
Luca Crofts
Luke Dunton 🔻
Sonny Latham-Gough 🔻
Josh Weidner
George Eldridge âš½

Christopher McNamee
Freddie Turner 🟢 (for Hart 70)
Archie Baker 🟢 (for Martin 58)
Taylor Wilkinson-Ousby 🟢 (for Latham-Gough 79)
Matthew Brett 🟢 (for Dunton 70)
Leo Rumsby-Ferris

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