In the last game before the forthcoming lockdown brings an end to non-elite football for at least four weeks, Leverstock Green rediscovered their scoring boots to record an emphatic win over Wembley. After three games without a goal, Leverstock found the net six times in this game, and enter lockdown in 12th place in the SSML Premier Division table and with a positive goal difference.

Luke Peerless had a free kick well-saved by the visiting keeper in the 4th minute, but in the 23rd minute Frank Jowle opened the scoring directly from a corner. Mickey Shuttlewood went close to a second goal on 31 minutes, but after Matt Fallon stopped a couple of efforts, Wembley scored an equaliser in the 37th minute. However, Luke Peerless headed Leverstock back into the lead two minutes before the break with a near-post header from Brima Johnson’s long throw.

Dan Weeks went close to adding another in the 48th minute, but his header hit the bar. The third goal eventually arrived in the 56th minute as Jamie Calvin scored his first goal for the club in his third appearance, slotting home from Jowle’s cross.

Not long afterwards the game was stopped for 10 minutes due to an injury to one of the linesmen, but after a suitable replacement was found the game continued. Calvin added his second goal in the 80th minute, netting the rebound after Adiel Mannion’s shot was saved, to put Leverstock firmly in control at 4-1 up. Johnson made his second assist of the night, crossing for Jowle to make it 5-1 with his second goal of the night in the 89th minute, and the sixth was added deep into stoppage time by Lewis Collins, making his first appearance of his second spell at the club and scoring his first ever senior goal, with Peerless setting him up for a finish from close range.

Team: 1. Matt Fallon, 2. Brima Johnson, 3. Dan Weeks, 4. Jamie Ovington, 14. Mickey Shuttlewood, 6. Steve Hawes (12. Kian Wilkes 90+4 mins), 7. John Smith (17. James Hall 87 mins), 8. Luke Peerless, 16. Jamie Calvin, 10. Adiel Mannion, 11. Frank Jowle (15. Lewis Collins 90+2 mins). Subs not used: 5. Ollie Cox, 9. Connor Church.

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.