Leverstock Green fell to their fourth straight defeat as a team showing several changes was beaten 3-1 at home by London Colney in Tuesday night’s SSML Premier Division game at Pancake Lane.

The damage was largely done at the start of the match, as the visitors raced to a 2-0 lead inside 10 minutes. Ben Zaqiri scored both goals, capitalising on a mix-up at the back in the 4th minute to shoot home the first, and scoring the second in the 9th minute with an angled drive into the bottom corner.

The Leverstock side began to play their way into the match, but a third London Colney goal in the 29th minute left them with a mountain to climb as Joe Price scored with a shot from the edge of the box. Reece Cameron had the chance to pull a goal back in the 34th minute but shot over the bar.

Cameron had another chance early in the second half when the ball was squared to him in front of goal, but he couldn’t get his shot away in time and a follow-up effort from Alex Witham went wide. However, in the 56th minute a good run from Lewis Collins set up a chance for Cameron to shoot home from close range and give the Green side a glimmer of hope of a comeback.

It was not to be, though, as London Colney held on comfortably for the win, with Ryan Schmid pulling off a few good saves to ensure that they did not add to their score.

Leverstock Green’s winless run continued as they went down to a home defeat to North Greenford United in Saturday’s SSML Premier Division game.

The Green side, with two new signings in the starting line-up, made a bright start, but it was the visitors who struck first in the 10th minute, as Nick Turner had plenty of time and space in the box to slot home a shot from six yards.

Skipper Shane Wood was back in the starting line-up for the first time after a long injury lay-off, and he required more treatment after a great saving tackle in the 14th minute, but was able to continue. More defending was required in the 22nd minute as the visitors broke away and Aaron McLeish had a run at goal, but Alex Yearwood kept pace with him and was able to put in a superb tackle to thwart the danger.

The scores were levelled in the 39th minute, as one of the debutants Andrei Spinu delivered an excellent cross from the left touchline and Jay Kossifos came in to head home the equaliser. Leverstock should have gone in front three minutes later when good work from Kane O’Neil allowed him to get to the bye-line and pull back a cross which eluded the keeper and a defender and presented Spinu with an open goal, but he couldn’t keep the ball down and his effort looped over the bar.

Leverstock were then caught out by a lapse of concentration in first half stoppage time as the visitors broke away. Turner hit a shot from distance which keeper Ryan Schmid could only parry away, and Sammy Adams followed up unopposed to slot home the rebound and send his side into the break with a 2-1 lead.

The second half saw little in the way of chances for either side, with Leverstock’s best chance of an equaliser coming seven minutes from time when Danilson Vicente was momentarily through on goal, but pulled his shot wide of the target.

Leverstock continue their quest for points to arrest their slide down the table next Saturday, when they host Colney Heath.