Lords Builders Merchants Stadium

Leverstock Green F.C.

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

(H) AFC Dunstable

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(H) Rayners Lane

Leverstock Green got off the mark in the Gladwish/SSML Spring Cup, and today’s results left Group B wide open with all five sides still in with a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals. The Green side came from behind to secure an excellent result against a team that had beaten Harefield United 4-1 the previous week.

It was the visitors Rayners Lane who had the early chances in the game. Adi Connolly tipped a header from Bengie Idikayi over the bar in the 12th minute, and an effort from the resulting corner was cleared off the line. Two minutes later Connolly saved again, turning away a shot from Rob Hastings.

John Smith had a chance for Leverstock in the 17th minute but shot wide, and two minutes later a neat backheel from Frank Jowle gave Cass Grant a run at goal, but his shot went across goal and wide.

Rayners Lane took the lead in the 23rd minute from the penalty spot. It was a rather harsh decision, penalising what looked like a good tackle from Michael Gabblah, but Courtney Austin stepped up to put the spot kick away.

Leverstock were only behind for seven minutes. Steve Hawes played a ball forward from the halfway line that Adiel Mannion chased to the bye-line and pulled back for Jowle, who lofted a shot over the keeper for the equaliser.

The referee awarded the second penalty of the game in the 58th minute after a challenge on Jowle inside the box sent him over. Ollie Lawford had only been on the pitch for just over a minute, but he stepped up to send the keeper the wrong way from the spot and put Leverstock 2-1 up.

The Green side was reduced to ten men temporarily in the 60th minute when Gabblah was sin-binned for contesting a decision, but they held their lead for the ten minutes that they were at a numerical disadvantage.

There were a couple of late chances to add further goals, with a great cross from Will Bisney in the 85th minute finding Lawford, who shot wide, and Mickey Shuttlewood heading wide from Lawford’s corner two minutes later, but the 2-1 lead proved to be enough.

Next Saturday Matt Harding’s side travel to Harefield United for their third group game.

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(H) Hemel Hempstead Town

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(H) Colney Heath

Leverstock Green were beaten at home by Colney Heath in their opening group game in the Gladwish/SSML Spring Cup. It was an even game with Leverstock having more attempts on goal, but the visitors took their chances to claim the points.

The Leverstock squad was certainly in the wars today. Goalkeeper Matt Fallon had to pull out of the game due to a shoulder injury sustained during the warmup that ends his season. Jamie Ovington had to take his place between the sticks. Ollie Cox suffered a broken nose towards the end of the game, Mickey Shuttlewood had lengthy treatment for a head injury, and Lewis Collins had to be susbstituted midway through the first half.

The Green side made a good start to the game, with Ollie Cox having a free kick turned wide by the keeper in the third minute. Cox was probably lucky to stay on the field with only a yellow card after an incident in the 12th minute, but he went even closer to scoring in the 25th minute when he struck the bar with a free kick from just outside the box.

Colney Heath didn’t have a serious attempt at Ovington’s goal until the 38th minute when George Devine scored with a well-placed shot from the right edge of the penalty area that went in off the far post.

They held their 1-0 lead going into the break, but Leverstock were unlucky not to equalise in the 49th minute when Adiel Mannion got on the end of Dan Weeks’ cross with a header that keeper Alex Clarke did well to tip over the bar.

There was another near miss in the 68th minute when John Smith’s header from Cox’s corner was cleared off the line, and an even nearer miss in the 74th minute when James Hall met a cross from Weeks’ with a header that was somehow cleared off the line, although some felt it may have crossed the line.

Leverstock were pushing forward again in the 80th minute when they were caught on the break, and Devine outpaced Shuttlewood to go clean through and lob the ball over the oncoming Ovington to seal a 2-0 win for his side.

Matt Harding’s side will now look to get off the mark next Saturday when they host Rayners Lane in their next group game.

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(H) Tring Athletic

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(H) Edgware Town

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(H) Colney Heath

Leverstock Green returned to league action after lockdown, and did so in magnificent style, ending the unbeaten league record of local rivals Colney Heath despite having to play for 85 minutes with ten men. It was a genuinely deserved result for a battling team performance on a pitch which was left quite heavy after the rain during the week.

The game was in just its fifth minute when Leverstock were reduced to ten men. Luke Peerless reacted to a challenge from Jay Lovell with hands to the face, and although there was little contact, it was in full view of the linesman, and the referee had little alternative but to show a straight red card.

The visitors had the chance to take the lead in the 8th minute in a goalmouth scramble following a corner, but James Hall cleared off the line. Leverstock’s first effort on target came in the 17th minute as Adiel Mannion hit a shot from a narrow angle which former Green keeper Matt Evans turned round the post. Two minutes later Evans was in action again, turning a long-range free kick from Jamie Ovington round the post.

However, it was Colney Heath who took the lead in the 29th minute, as Harry Shepherd got to the bye-line and sent over a cross which found Heath skipper Jack Woods to head home the opening goal.

Leverstock were not disheartened by the goal, though, and hit back four minutes later when Frank Jowle curled a cross from the edge of the box towards the far post where Kian Wilkes slid in to net the equaliser from close range.

The visitors could have gone back in front on 38 minutes when Shepherd was clean through on goal, but pulled his shot wide of the post. Instead it was Leverstock who got their noses in front on 41 minutes. Hall delivered a great cross into the box which Jowle headed towards goal, and Ovington applied the finishing touch into the net as the ten men of Leverstock went into the break with a 2-1 lead.

There was still much work to do in the second half as Colney attacked down the slope. Four minutes in Matt Fallon had to make a great save to keep out a header from Marcus Mealing. However, on the hour mark Mealing got on the end of another cross from the right and this time headed home the equaliser. Ovington almost put the Green back in front five minutes later with an acrobatic overhead kick, but Evans saved. On 70 minutes John Smith got a yellow card for a challenge on Mealing just outside the box, and Mealing’s attempt from the resulting free kick took a deflection off the wall and went just wide.

Leverstock brought on two new young signings in Isiah Noel-Williams and Michael Gabblah, and Lewis Collins was also introduced in the 72nd minute. Five minutes later Leverstock broke away and Collins received the ball on the halfway line before pushing forward and passing to Jowle. A slip by a defender left Jowle clean through, and he showed his experience with a composed finish, slipping the ball under Evans to put Leverstock back in front at 3-2.

The ten men continued to hold steady at the back over the closing minutes, with Mickey Shuttlewood being particularly impressive against his former club, as the visitors put on the pressure, and after five minutes of stoppage time the final whistle put the seal on a tremendous result for Matt Harding’s side.

Leverstock Green (2) 3  (Wilkes 33, Ovington 41, Jowle 77)
Team: 1. Matt Fallon, 2. Brima Johnson, 3. Dan Weeks, 4. Kian Wilkes, 5. Mickey Shuttlewood, 6. Jamie Ovington, 7. James Hall (14. Isiah Noel-Williams 68 mins), 8. Frank Jowle, 9. Luke Peerless, 10. John Smith (12. Michael Gabblah 81 mins), 11. Adiel Mannion (15. Lewis Collins 72 mins). Subs not used: 16. Cass Grant, 17. Tom Littleboy.

Colney Heath (1) 2  (Woods 29, Mealing 60)
Team: 1. Matt Evans, 2. Max Jessop, 3. Dan Clifton, 4. Jay Lovell (12. George Devine 56 mins), 5. Martin Standen, 6. Sam Doolan, 7. Chris Griffin, 8. Aaron Jewell (14. Spencer Clarke-Mardel 56 mins), 9. Jack Woods, 10. Marcus Mealing, 11. Harry Shepherd (16. Hadley Gleeson 80 mins). Subs not used: 15. Bailey Stevenson, 17. Harry Lewis.

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