Last season it took Leverstock Green from December until March to get their third win in the Southern League, and the third win is proving equally elusive this season for Fergus Moore’s side, with ten games having passed since their last win in August. Leverstock were somewhat fortunate to come away with a point from tonight’s game against bottom side Rayners Lane, with Joe McCarthy popping up in stoppage time to net an equaliser.

Leverstock made a promising start to this game. In the 7th minute Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica, in the starting lineup tonight, delivered a cross which Jeffrey Sekyere headed over. Two minutes later a pass from Ryan Carruthers gave Stefanoaica the chance to beat a defender but his eventual shot went wide. In the 27th minute a pass from Marcus Warren put Sekyere through but his shot was across goal and wide. Five minutes later a long throw from Dan Casey bounced up for Sekyere, but his header from close range was saved by the keeper.

The chances kept on coming. On 35 minutes a cross from Stefanoaica was missed by the keeper but just eluded McCarthy coming in at the far post. Four minutes later McCarthy was in from a Carruthers pass, but couldn’t get a shot in. The ball ran for Sekyere, whose shot was saved, and then back to McCarthy, who was upended in the box by a challenge from Bobby Bircham. The referee awarded the penalty, and Sekyere sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot to net his fifth goal in successive games.

That should have been the springboard for Leverstock to go on and take control of the game, but in the last minute of the half they were undone by a pass which put former Leverstock striker Guiseppe Delgaudio through on goal. Harry Way came out his goal to make a challenge but Delgaudio went past him to slot into the empty net for a 1-1 half time scoreline.

Having played well in the first half, Leverstock’s second half display was very disappointing. Rayners Lane were looking the better side now, and there was a sense of inevitability about their 74th minute goal which put them in front. Bradley Walsh netted from close range after a free kick was not cleared for a 2-1 scoreline.

Leverstock seemed unable to create anything around the Rayners Lane box, and had scarcely had a shot in the second half as the game went into stoppage time. But in the third of the four minutes indicated, a flick on found McCarthy in the box, and he beat a defender before slotting under the keeper for a very welcome Leverstock equaliser to claim what might be another crucial point. It was an eighth draw in 14 league games for Leverstock this season.

Leverstock Green (1) 2 (Sekyere 39 pen, McCarthy 90+3)
1. Harry Way, 2. Dan Casey, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Josh Dooley, 20. Tommy Boxer (14. Iker Noguera Leon 79 mins), 6. Ryan Carruthers (12. Nat Connolly 74 mins), 7. Joe McCarthy, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Jeffrey Sekyere, 10. Marcus Warren (16. Juan Pablo Velasco 61 mins), 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica (18. Jack Allen 74 mins). Sub not used: 15. Ethan Mooney.
Rayners Lane (1) 2 (Delgaudio 45, Walsh 74)
1. Charlie Patmore, 2. Bobby Bircham (15. Kean Graver 59 mins), 3. Reece Jhuti, 4. Sam Denham, 5. Kyle Clifford, 6. Johnny Wilson, 7. Frankie Bircham, 8. Mweembe Chiabi, 9. Guiseppe Delgaudio (12. Samuel Adetiba 73 mins), 10. Jeremy Stewart (16. London Brookshaw 70 mins), 11. Bradley Walsh (17. Shakeel Naim 88 mins). Sub not used: 14. Qasim Khan.

It’s now nine games without a league win for Leverstock Green, although they should have got at least a point from Saturday’s game against high-flying Ware. Leverstock played very well, but conceded two goals from set piece headers and they did not make the most of the chances of the chances they created.

Leverstock started the game strongly, with Joe McCarthy looking their most dangerous player. McCarthy had a shot turned away by Ware keeper Ben Nightingale in the 4th minute, and was denied again by Nightingale in the 13th minute from a shot after a run into the box.

Having started the game well, Leverstock found themselves behind in the 23rd minute, and it was a familiar tale as Ware scored from a corner. Theo Ofori’s header went in off the post to put Ware into a 1-0 lead.

Leverstock almost equalised within a minute, as McCarthy got to the bye-line and pulled the ball back for Jeffrey Sekyere, whose shot from close range was straight at Nightingale’s legs. However, they didn’t have to wait much longer for the equaliser. In the 26th minute a flick on from McCarthy found Sekyere in the box, and Sekyere showed some neat footwork before planting a chip over Nightingale that went in at the far post to level the scores at 1-1.

Harry Way did well to turn away a long-range Ware shot in the 32nd minute, and two minutes before the break a pass from Dan Pett put Iker Noguera Leon in on goal, but Nightingale blocked his shot.

The scores were level after a competitive first half, but Leverstock were caught cold in the opening minute of the second half. A free kick from midway inside their half was floated to the far post, where big defender Joshua Okotcha found space to send a bullet header past Way for a 2-1 Ware lead.

Again Leverstock responded well to going behind. In the 51st minute a cross from Sekyere found McCarthy, who met it with a header that hit the bar and went over. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica came off the bench in the 64th minute to add to Leverstock’s attacking threat, and five minutes later he went close with a backheeled effort from Sekyere’s cross that was saved.

In the 77th minute Sekyere sent the ball out wide to Stefanoaica, who delivered a cross that found McCarthy in front of goal but again Nightingale pulled off a great save to keep his shot out. In the 89th minute a cross from McCarthy found Stefanoaica with a looping header that went just over the bar. Leverstock kept pushing until the end for an equaliser, but it would not come.

Leverstock Green (1) 1 (Sekyere 26)
1. Harry Way, 2. Dan Casey, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Josh Dooley, 5. Thomas Georgiou, 6. Nat Connolly (12. Ryan Carruthers 80 mins), 7.Joe Mccarthy (14. Ethan Mooney 90+2 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Jeffrey Sekyere, 10. Juan Pablo Velasco (19. Jack Allen 74 mins), 11. Iker Noguera Leon (15. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica 64 mins). Sub not used: 16. Marcus Warren.
Ware (1) 2 (Ofori 23, Okotcha 46)
1. Ben Nightingale, 2. Finley Titchmarsh, 3. George Alfieri, 4. Sami Moutawafiq, 5. Joshua Okotcha, 6. Bendie Idikayi, 7. Theophilus Ofori (14. Caiden Remy-Dee 71 mins), 8. Herbie Townsend, 9. Reece Beckles-Richards (12. Gabriel Chapps 81 mins), 10. Rechan Esprit (15. Max Granville 71 mins), 11. Samuel Kifwasima-Mayuma. Subs not used: 16. Jay Rolfe, 17. David Sota.

Leverstock Green came from behind to claim another excellent point against Hadley, last season’s playoff semi-finalists and expected to do very well again this season. It was the first time this season that Leverstock had conceded the first goal in a league match, but they fought back well and deserved the point.

There was a debut in central defence for Thomas Georgiou, signed on a month’s youth loan from Watford.

Leverstock had the game’s first chance in the 7th minute. A free kick from Juan Pablo Velasco found Callum Neal with a looping header that was tipped over the bar by keeper Charles Taylor. Three minutes later Rio Beach did well to clear a Hadley cross off the line, but the ball was not cleared, and Finlay Aldridge hit a superb shot from the edge of the box that flew into the net to put Hadley into a 1-0 lead.

They might have doubled their lead two minutes later when Luke Alfano hit a shot from a similar position which went just over the bar. Leverstock had some chances to get back on level terms. In the 18th minute Josh Dooley got a flick to a Rio Beach cross that went just over. In the 25th minute Nat Connolly’s cross found Iker Noguera Leon with a header that was straight at Taylor. Two minutes later a pass from Leon gave Joe McCarthy a run at goal. McCarthy’s eventual shot was saved by Taylor and Jeffrey Sekyere could not get to the rebound.

In the 35th minute a cross from Velasco missed everyone and hit the far post, bouncing away from goal. In first half stoppage time Velasco delivered a great cross which went just over McCarthy’s head.

Hadley had a chance to double their lead five minutes into the second half, but Harry Way pulled off a great save to turn Isaac Stones’ shot wide. Two minutes later Velasco went close with a low free kick that went just wide. In the 68th minute Leverstock had another free kick in a dangerous position, this time it was Leon that stepped up but his shot went just over.

Leverstock finally got their deserved goal in the 71st minute. Dooley played a great ball down the left which put McCarthy through, and he cut inside from the touchline before finishing superbly past Taylor to level the scores at 1-1.

Hadley had a golden opportunity to win the game in the first minute of stoppage time. Leverstock were caught on the break after giving the ball away in midfield, and Alphonso Kennedy received the ball in space with the goal at his mercy, but Way pulled off a superb save to keep his shot out. Leverstock might have snatched the game in the last minute of stoppage time as a momentary chance opened up for Joel Onu, but he could not lift the ball over Taylor.

Leverstock Green (0) 1 (McCarthy 71)
1. Harry Way, 2. Callum Neal, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Josh Dooley, 5. Thomas Georgiou, 6. Nat Connolly (12. Dan Casey 76 mins), 7. Joe McCarthy (16. Aldo Petagine 90+2 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Jeffrey Sekyere, 10. Juan Pablo Velasco, 11. Iker Noguera Leon (18. Joel Onu 82 mins). Subs not used: 14. John Gyabaah, 15. Ryan Carruthers.
Hadley (1) 1 (Aldridge 10)
1. Charles Taylor, 2. Alvin Kyeremeh (17. Cheik Zidouemba 76 mins), 3. Callum Ismail, 4. Cameron Ferguson, 5. Luke Massingham, 6. Hedley Ogbebor, 7. Antonio Paone-Michael, 8. Jordan Edwards (14. Peter Rosemin 88 mins), 9. Isaac Stones (13. Prince Kandolo 75 mins), 10. Finley Aldridge (18. Alphonso Kennedy 75 mins), 11. Luke Alfano (16. Romeo Meoded 30 mins).