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.

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.