Leverstock Green are still looking for their first win in the Southern League after suffering a home defeat to their fellow SSML promotees Real Bedford on Saturday. Leverstock produced a shock win in the corresponding fixture last season, but a repeat performance seldom looked like materialising against a slick, skilful Real Bedford side who took their chances clinically.

Leverstock could have taken an early lead in the third minute when a cross from Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica found Guiseppe Delgaudio in front of goal, but the big centre-forward couldn’t get a proper contact on his shot under pressure from a defender. The opening 15 minutes of the game were reasonably even with the visitors not having a serious effort on goal until the 17th minute when Ben Stevens hit a shot over the bar. The Bedford side began to look more of a threat after this, though, with Stevens shooting wide on the break in the 20th minute. A minute later Joey Evans was threatening on the break but was denied by a block from Eyituoyo Akinbulumo. Evans had an even better chance when through on goal in the 32nd minute, but couldn’t get a shot away.

Eventually the pressure from the visitors told, as four minutes later Evans and Isaac Galliford combined in a slick one-touch move to set up a chance for Shaheim Ward to shoot open the opening goal from close range. Leverstock might have got back in the game five minutes later when Ethan Mooney won the ball in the opposition half and put Delgaudio through, but he tried to lay off back to Mooney instead of shooting himself and the chance was gone.

The second half saw the visitors continue to be on top, with Alfie Bonfield having to keep out a point blank effort from Lee Watkins in the 48th minute. Leverstock had a great chance to level the game in the 57th minute. A clipped pass from Callum Neal put Stefanoaica away down the right, and he squared the ball into the box towards substitute Rawn Seale, but it was cut out by a defender.

Instead it was the visitors who scored the next goal two minutes later in similar style to their first. More slick one-touch play around the box set up Evans to calmly slot home from six yards for a 2-0 lead. It was a similar story ten minutes later. Stefanoaica put another ball across the face of goal in the 67th minute that no-one could finish off, and two minutes later Jack Morrell scored a third Real Bedford goal with a glancing near post header from a corner.

Leverstock should have pulled a goal back in the 84th minute, but Seale headed over the bar from close range after getting on the end of a cross from Jamie Breen. Four minutes later Leverstock were reduced to ten men as Seale was shown a straight red card for hitting out at an opponent.

Leverstock Green (0) 0
1. Alfie Bonfield, 2. Callum Neal (16. Cem Poyraz 76 mins), 3. Rio Beach, 4. Josh Dooley, 18. Eyituoyo Akinbulumo, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Ethan Mooney (15. Lewis Collins 65 mins), 8. Dan Pett (14. Jamie Breen 63 mins), 9. Guiseppe Delgaudio (17. Rawn Seale 65 mins), 10. Nat Connolly (12. Luke Beckwith 70 mins), 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica.
Real Bedford (1) 3 (Ward 36, Evans 59, Morrell 69)
1. Tyler McGregor, 2. Drew Richardson, 3. Jacques Kpohomouh, 4. Jack Morrell, 5. Brett Longden, 6. Lee Watkins (15. Tyriq Ward 90 mins), 8. Callum Nicolson (14. Ed Corbit 85 mins), 17. Shaheim Ward (18. Harrison Knight 90 mins), 9. Joey Evans (12. Tom Hitchcock 83 mins), 10. Ben Stevens, 11. Isaac Galliford (7. Anthony Agemoh-Davies 78 mins).