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Leverstock Green F.C.

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

(H) Halstead Town

Leverstock Green continued their perfect start to their competitive season with a second win and a second clean sheet. Fergus Moore’s side enjoyed a more comfortable than expected win over Essex Senior League side Halstead Town to progress into the Preliminary Round of the Emirates FA Cup, where they will be at home to fellow SSML Premier Division side St Panteleimon in two weeks time.

Leverstock went into the game with an unchanged starting lineup from Tuesday night’s win, and the opening 15 minutes of the game was somewhat cagey with neither side creating a chance. However, the Green side made the breakthrough in the 20th minute with an excellent goal, as skipper Ibraham Nagheeb ran to the bye-line and delivered a pin-point cross to the far post, where George Mitchell-Gears came in to head home his first competitive goal for the club.

The lead was almost doubled two minutes later as Ryan Carruthers hit a shot from distance that went over the bar. The visitors should have been level in the 28th minute when Calvin Poku seemingly had the goal at his mercy from close range, but shot over the bar when it looked easier to score.

It was Leverstock that were on top, though, with Nagheeb being denied by Halstead keeper Jack Cherry, who tipped his shot over the bar in the 30th minute. On 36 minutes a superb pass from Mitchell-Gears put Luke Beckwith in behind the defence but he shot wide. In first half stoppage time Mitchell-Gears just failed to get on the end of a cross from Alvin Kyeremeh.

Leverstock went in at half time with a narrow 1-0 lead, which did not reflect how much they had been on top, but they continued to impress in the second half. On 50 minutes Mitchell-Gears just failed to get on the end of another cross, this time from Ethan Mooney. Beckwith had a run at goal and shot wide on 53 minutes, and a minute later Carruthers hit a shot from the edge of the box that went inches over the bar.

There were further chances for Chris Blunden and Mooney on the hour which didn’t go in, as the home support began to wonder whether their side would pay for their missed chances. The visitors had a chance to equalise on 63 minutes as Poku got on the end of a cross, but his shot was deflected wide by a great block from Luke Durnin. Leverstock had their best chance yet to double their lead when Nagheeb was brought down by a trip inside the box, and the referee awarded a penalty. Blunden stepped up to take the kick, and made no mistake, sending the keeper the wrong way to finally put Leverstock 2-0 up.

Lewis Collins came close to adding a third goal in the 85th minute, hitting a shot across goal and wide after a mazy run into the box. With all three subs having been used, Leverstock had a problem over the closing minutes as Durnin picked up a groin injury. Rather than go down to ten men, Durnin was moved up front with Carruthers taking his place in the back four. Three minutes into stoppage time the Green side broke away from a Halstead attack, and Rio Beach ran the ball down to the bye-line before floating over a cross, which found none other than Durnin, who had made his way slowly from the halfway line to be in place to head home a third Leverstock goal from a yard out.

It was a well-deserved win for the Leverstock side, who played some excellent football throughout the afternoon and can now look forward to another home tie on Saturday 20th August.

Leverstock Green (1) 3 (Mitchell-Gears 20, Blunden 67 pen, Durnin 90+3)
1. Josh Mollison, 2. Brad Robinson, 3. Rio Beach, 18. Luke Durnin, 5. Alvin Kyeremeh, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Ethan Mooney (14. Lewis Collins 61 mins), 8. Ibrahim Nagheeb, 9. Chris Blunden (12. James Collins 80 mins), 10. George Mitchell-Gears, 11. Luke Beckwith (15. Elgeniy Daalberg 68 mins). Subs not used: 16. Alfie Herd, 17. Sean Walsh, 19. Dan Weeks, GK Oscar Frost.
Halstead Town (0) 0
1. Jack Cherry, 2. Ryan Carter (17. Joe Vogler 85 mins), 3. Matt Travell, 4. Matt Coppen, 5. Jack Schelvis, 18. Joe Thomas (16. Mark Dallinger 74 mins), 7. Jordan Blackwell, 8. Jake Brown, 9. Calvin Poku, 10. Jordan Palmer, 11. Adam Hampson (12. Louis O’Sullivan 74 mins). Subs not used: 14. Nick Miller, 15. Joe Jones.

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(H) Tring Athletic

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(H) Risborough Rangers

Leverstock Green got their Spartan South Midlands Premier Division season off to a fantastic start with three points thanks to a dramatic late free kick from Chris Blunden. After a pre-season in which they had conceded goals left, right and centre, they might have been expected to struggle against last season’s runners-up, who only lost three games last season, but the whole team turned in a tremendous performance of courage, shape and discipline to keep the game tight and then win it at the death.

At the centre of the Green defence were two new signings in Luke Durnin and Alvin Kyeremeh, who hadn’t played together before but looked assured throughout the game. It wasn’t a happy return to Pancake Lane for keeper Alfie Bonfield, who lined up against his former side having made the switch to Risborough in the summer.

Leverstock had the game’s first effort at goal in the 5th minute, with Luke Beckwith hitting a shot from outside the box just wide. At the other end in the 13th minute veteran striker Jefferson Louis headed just wide from a free kick. Four minutes later Curtis Brown had a run at goal for the visitors but was well shepherded by Kyeremeh.

Leverstock had another good chance in the 30th minute when a cross from Ethan Mooney went over the head of a defender and found Beckwith, who got to the bye-line and put the ball across the face of goal, but no-one was on the end of it. The half ended with Louis hitting a shot just wide for Risborough.

Three minutes into the second half George Mitchell-Gears had an effort at goal from the edge of the box which flew just over the bar. In the 58th minute a Risborough free kick caused problems inside the Green six-yard box, but a save from keeper Josh Mollison and the woodwork kept the game goalless. A minute later Leverstock broke away and were only denied when a shot from Mooney was tipped over the bar by Bonfield.

There was another chance in the 72nd minute when a great pass from Rio Beach put Mitchell-Gears in behind the defence, but his lob over Bonfield also went over the bar. Risborough were denied again in the 81st minute when Mollison pulled off a superb save to tip a header from Louis which bounced up off the ground over the bar. Four minutes later a Risborough free kick found Gavin James free at the far post but his header was straight into Mollison’s arms.

Leverstock had done enough to earn an honourable draw, but things were about to get even better. Two minutes from time a foul on skipper Ibrahim Nagheeb presented them with a free kick 30 yards out in the centre of the pitch. The stage was set for Blunden to produce one of his trademark free kicks, and he did not disappoint. Blunden’s chip shot flew over the wall and dipped under the bar and over the despairing reach of Bonfield into the net to send the Leverstock support into ecstacy.

There could have even been a second goal a minute later as Leverstock broke away again, and Mitchell-Gears set up Blunden with a shot which deflected wide off the boot of a defender. The single goal proved to be enough, though, as the Green side held out comfortably over four minutes of stoppage time to claim a very impressive result and a deserved clean sheet.

Attention now turns to the Emirates FA Cup, and the visit of Essex Senior League side Halstead Town in Saturday’s Extra Preliminary Round tie.

Leverstock Green (0) 1 (Blunden 89)
1. Josh Mollison, 2. Brad Robinson, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Alvin Kyeremeh, 18. Luke Durnin, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Ethan Mooney (14. Lewis Collins 79 mins), 8. Ibrahim Nagheeb, 9. Chris Blunden, 10. George Mitchell-Gears, 11. Luke Beckwith. Subs not used: 12. Sean Walsh, 15. James Collins, 16. Alfie Herd, 20. Scott McGleish.
Risborough Rangers (0) 0
1. Alfie Bonfield, 2. Bertie Squires-Adams, 3. Joshua Fox, 4. Ben Sturges, 5. Josh Urquhart, 6. Ellis Hercules, 7. Asher Yearwood, 8. Kieran Schmidt, 9. Jefferson Louis, 10. Liam Enver-Marum (17. Gavin James 79 mins), 11. Curtis Brown (16. Harry Scot 69 mins). Subs not used: 12. Jordan Heggie, 14. Bailey Osborne, 15. Harvey Nicholls.

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(H) Totternhoe

Leverstock Green concluded their pre-season programme with a home defeat to SSML Division Two side Totternhoe. Varying degrees of player unavailability and injuries have meant that the pre-season preparation has been more disjointed than Fergus Moore would have liked, but there are still plenty of positives to take into their league opener against Risborough Rangers on Tuesday night, particularly the performance of centre back Luke Durnin in his first game.

Leverstock almost took the lead in the 20th minute when a free kick from Chris Blunden brought a save out of the visiting keeper. Luke Beckwith was first to the rebound but put it over the bar. Within a minute the ball was at the other end and Totternhoe had taken the lead. In the 29th minute a pass from Beckwith put Sean Walsh through on goal, but he was denied by the keeper. However, shortly afterwards Blunden found the space on the edge of the penalty area to hit a low shot that levelled the scores. Ethan Mooney hit the woodwork with a cross in the 36th minute.

Avoidable goals in the 47th and 65th minute put the visitors into a 3-1 lead, however a superb long-range strike from Ibrahim Nagheeb pulled a goal back in the 71st minute.

Starting XI: 1. Josh Mollison, 2. Alfie Herd, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Brad Robinson, 19. Luke Durnin, 6. Sean Walsh, 7. Ethan Mooney, 8. Ibrahim Nagheeb, 9. Chris Blunden, 10. George Mitchell-Gears, 11. Luke Beckwith. Subs used included: Lewis Nicholls, Ryan Carruthers, Callum Moore, James Collins, Billy Mardell-Smith, Kurainashe Musanhi.

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(H) Baldock Town

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(H) Hadley

In their penultimate pre-season friendly, Leverstock Green faced Hadley, who start this season in the Southern League having been promoted from the Spartan South Midlands League last season. It was a tough game for Fergus Moore’s side, but after a mostly even start to the game a sloppy end to the first half saw them 3-0 down at the break.

Leverstock put some pressure on the Hadley goal in the opening five minutes, winning a couple of corners, but early injuries saw both Ollie Cox and Robin Emanuels replaced, which unsettled the side. Hadley took the lead in the 21st minute with a scorcher of a shot from long-range that flew past keeper Josh Mollison, playing his first game for the club.

Leverstock had their best chance of the game in the 27th minute when Luke Beckwith got on the end of a corner from Ibrahim Nagheeb, but shot just over the bar. Hadley scored a second goal in the 43rd minute when they were allowed too much space on the edge of the box to hit a low shot into the corner of the net. In the final minute of the half a free kick floated into the box went over the head of a Leverstock defender and allowed Hadley to shoot a third goal in off the post, leaving a half time score of 3-0 that didn’t reflect how the half had gone.

The second half saw Hadley well on top playing down the slope, but a backs-to-the-wall effort saw the Leverstock defence only concede one further goal, when Hadley broke away from a Leverstock corner in the 66th minute. All of the squad that were present saw some action, with 19 players used during the course of the game.

Leverstock’s final friendly is on Saturday at home to Totternhoe.

 

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(H) Uxbridge

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