Leverstock Green and Biggleswade United fought out a tough, uncompromising 0-0 draw in Tuesday night’s SSML Premier Division game. Despite the absence of goals it was an enthralling match with near misses at both ends. Both sides gave their all, and Leverstock in particular gave a resolute display at the back and were in no mood to give anything away.

There was another new signing making his debut tonight in centre forward Jamie Calvin, whose previous clubs include Daventry Town, Kings Langley, Kidlington and Hertford Town.

The visitors made a very fast start to the game and could have been a couple of goals up inside five minutes. In the second minute former Green player Ethan Flanagan got on the end of a cross from Codi Spavins and headed just wide. A minute later Charlie Black struck a shot from distance which Matt Fallon got a hand to and tipped onto the bar. At the other end Oran Swales put in a cross in the 5th minute that was cleared from the six yard box, and another which whipped across the face of goal in the 14th minute, but the first real chance came in the 18th minute when Dan Weeks got on the end of a cross but headed over the bar.

Biggleswade were threatening again on 22 minutes when a pass from Dave Parkinson put Spavins through, but after a couple of twists and turns Spavins’ eventual shot was blocked by a sliding challenge from Mickey Shuttlewood. Two minutes later the action was at the other end when Swales hit a shot from a narrow angle which was saved by keeper Taylor Haddow. On 32 minutes Fallon made another great save, diving to his left to keep out a rasping shot from former Green player Parkinson with one hand. Three minutes later a deflected free kick from Swales caused some confusion in the Biggleswade six-yard box but the ball would not go in.

The game threatened to boil over in the closing minutes of the half, and Leverstock were temporarily reduced to ten men when John Smith was sent to the sin bin.

Five minutes into the second half the visitors hit the bar for a second time as Parkinson hit another fierce shot from distance, after which Smith rejoined the game. On 62 minutes Fallon had to save again, keeping the ball out with his legs when Spavins was through on goal. Two minutes later Weeks won the ball in midfield and ran on to hit a shot, but it was comfortably saved by Haddow. On 72 minutes a cross from Frank Jowle sailed just over the head of Calvin.

As the game went into stoppage time it was still 0-0, but Leverstock were very unlucky not to grab a late winner as they had all the pressure during stoppage time. Two minutes into stoppage time a free kick dropped for Calvin eight yards out, but his hooked shot went just over. Five minutes into stoppage time a corner from Swales was met at the far post by Shuttlewood with a downward header that bounced up and agonisingly just over the bar. The final whistle came soon after, and it was a deserved point for both sides, and an impressive result for Leverstock against a team that had won their last four games.

Leverstock Green: 1. Matt Fallon, 2. Brima Johnson, 3. Will Bisney, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Mickey Shuttlewood, 6. Steve Hawes (17. Kian Wilkes 74 mins), 7. John Smith, 8. James Hall, 9. Jamie Calvin, 10. Oran Swales, 11. Frank Jowle (16. Sidney Gueye 74 mins). Subs not used: 12. Cass Grant, 14. Jamie Ovington, 15. Connor Church.

Biggleswade United: 1. Taylor Haddow, 2. Milo Keane, 3. Ross Taylor, 4. Jaiden Irish, 5. Jordan Wright, 6. Ethan Flanagan, 7. Codi Spavins (15. Dan Parkinson 79 mins), 8. Gareth Hunt (14. George Harlow 89 mins), 9. Dave Parkinson (16. Charlie Clayton 66 mins), 10. Charlie Black, 11. Dom Morgillo. Subs not used: 12. Jordan Jarrold, 17. Ollie Leslie.

Leverstock Green’s inconsistent form continued as they suffered a second straight defeat after last Saturday’s impressive win over Newport Pagnell. As with Tuesday night’s defeat at Crawley Green, there was also a red card in this game, but this time it was opponents Harefield United who were down to ten men for two-thirds of the game. Despite their numerical disadvantage, Harefield worked hard to keep the Green at bay, in a game that also saw two missed penalties.

For the first time in a home game this season Leverstock were attacking up the slope in the first half. The game’s first effort on goal came in the 11th minute, and it was a stunner from Harefield’s Harry McCorkell, who struck a shot from distance that Matt Fallon got a hand to, but could not prevent from flying into the net.

However, in the 29th minute Harefield were reduced to ten men, as Lindell Stewart was shown a straight red card for striking out at a Green player right in front of the referee.

Leverstock’s first real chance came on 37 minutes as a pass from Luke Peerless put Guiseppe Delgaudio through on goal, but his shot went across goal and wide. Four minutes later a cross from Dan Weeks found Jamie Ovington in the box, but again the resulting shot went wide. The flurry of chances continued as Lenny Farhall shot just over the bar for Harefield on 42 minutes, and a fierce strike from John Smith went just over the bar two minutes later.

In the last minute of the half Farhall looked set to score a second for Harefield as he was clean through, but Fallon got a hand on his shot to tip it into the air, and Mickey Shuttlewood completed the save by sliding in to clear the ball off the line. However, the ball went back to Farhall, who was then brought down by Ovington to present Harefield with a penalty. An extraordinary period of play was completed by Farhall’s penalty being saved by Fallon.

It was only a brief reprieve though, as two minutes into stoppage time Farhall was clean through again with the Leverstock defence looking for an offside flag that did not come, and Farhall unselfishly squared to Samuel Adetiba, who had little more than a tap-in to score a crucial second goal for Harefield on the stroke of half time.

Leverstock made a strong start to the second half. On 51 minutes Cass Grant was brought down just outside the box for a free kick in a similar position from which Peerless had scored in the previous two games. Peerless took the kick again, lifting it over the wall, but it went agonisingly wide and hit the stanchion behind the goal. A minute later Grant was in with a good chance but keeper Reece Mallett came off his line and charged down Grant’s shot.

On 55 minutes Leverstock could have been further behind when they were caught on the break. Farhall was clean through and sent a lob over Fallon, but it hit the base of the post and went wide.

On 69 minutes Tom Littleboy took a corner which looked to be heading straight in until Mallett tipped it over. From the subsequent corner both Shuttlewood and Delgaudio got their heads on the ball but couldn’t divert it on target. Littleboy then pulled the ball back for Steve Hawes, who shot over the bar. Soon after Leverstock had another great chance when Littleboy was brought down in the box and the referee pointed to the spot. Peerless stepped up to take the penalty and sent it to Mallett’s left, but it hit the outside of the post and went wide.

That proved to be the last chance for Leverstock to get back into the game. In fairness they were missing a few important players, and there wasn’t a lot to choose between the teams over the course of the game, but Harefield looked organised and efficient and deserved their win.

Leverstock Green (0) 0
Team: 1. Matt Fallon, 2. Jamie Ovington (15. Brima Johnson 58 mins), 3. Connor Church (17. Will Bisney 79 mins), 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Mickey Shuttlewood, 6. Steve Hawes, 7. Luke Peerless, 8. John Smith, 9. Guiseppe Delgaudio, 10. Tom Littleboy, 11. Cass Grant (14. Kian Wilkes 66 mins). Subs not used: 12. Frank Jowle, 16. James Hall.

Harefield United (2) 2 (McCorkell 11, Adetiba 45+2)
Team: 1. Reece Mallett, 2. Austin Schofield, 3. Steven Green, 4. Harry McCorkell, 5. Joe Clifton, 6. Sean Mangan, 7. Thomas Payne, 8. Samuel Adetiba (14. Kerran Birch 82 mins), 9. Lenny Farhall, 10. Lindell Stewart, 11. Elliott Dobbs. Subs not used: 12. Richard Pacquette, 15. Paul Underwood, 16. Zak Jackson, 17. Jacob Ballheimer.

Leverstock Green bounced back from their midweek disappointment at Colney Heath to score a late winner of their own, clinching a come-from-behind victory against a strong Newport Pagnell Town side. The visitors are likely to be one of the title contenders this season, and the Green side put in a very determined and hard-working performance, soaking up a lot of pressure but coming out on top.

There was a debut in the Leverstock line-up today for Oran Swales who has joined for a month-long loan from Berkhamsted, and it proved to be a very impressive debut.

Leverstock made a good start to the game as they attacked down the slope, but it was the visitors who took the lead in the 12th minute. After Josh Crawley’s free kick from just outside the box had been deflected wide by the Green wall, the resulting corner was crossed into the six yard box where Christian Smail headed home.

However, their lead only lasted five minutes. Brima Johnson played a short free kick to Swales, who ran on with the ball before cracking a low drive from outside the box into the bottom corner of the net for the equaliser.

Newport Pagnell went close again from a corner in the 36th minute as Crawley flicked the ball onto the roof of the net, while Leverstock had a near miss just before the break when Luke Peerless curled a shot from a narrow angle just wide.

The visitors were attacking down the slope in the second half, and had a couple of chances in the opening five minutes with James Sage heading over from a corner, and Crawley shooting over the bar after being set up by a good move. On 52 minutes they came even closer when Jimmy Burnside hit a rasping shot which cracked against the crossbar after Matt Fallon got fingertips to it.

Newport Pagnell continued to dominate possession, with Leverstock at times struggling to keep the ball out of their own half for more than a few seconds. However, the Green side was in no mood to give anything away, and their determination plus some calm and composed defending meant that the visitors did not get any further direct strikes at Fallon’s goal.

With eight minutes to play and the game still tied at 1-1, Sidney Gueye was brought down by a challenge on the edge of the “D”. The result was a free kick in a dangerous position, and Luke Peerless took full advantage as he hit a shot which took a deflection off the wall and flew into the net to put Leverstock into the lead.

Cass Grant had a chance to make the game safe in the 90th minute, but his shot went wide. However, the 2-1 lead proved to be enough for Leverstock to take the three points. There were outstanding performances all across the pitch, particularly from Jamie Ovington and Connor Church in his first full game of the season, but the star performer was 17-year-old Kian Wilkes in midfield.

Leverstock Green (1) 2 (Swales 17, Peerless 82)
Team: 1. Matt Fallon, 2. Brima Johnson, 3. Connor Church, 4. Jamie Ovington, 5. Dan Weeks, 6. Steve Hawes (14. James Hall 70 mins), 7. John Smith (17. Sidney Gueye 73 mins), 8. Kian Wilkes, 9. Luke Peerless, 10. Oran Swales, 11. Frank Jowle (16. Cass Grant 61 mins). Subs not used: 12. Mickey Shuttlewood, 15. Will Bisney.

Newport Pagnell Town (1) 1 (Smail 12)
Team: 1. Charlie Jones, 2. Adam Pryke, 3. Jack Menday (14. Ben Shepherd 64 mins), 4. Leigh Stevens (17. Ben Ford 64 mins), 5. Christian Smail, 6. James Sage, 7. Sam Olawale, 8. Luke Dunstan, 9. Jimmy Burnside, 10. Josh Crawley, 11. Mo Ahmed (15. Aaron Murrell 85 mins). Subs not used: 12. Michael Lyon, 16. Tom Guiney.