Leverstock Green added another crucial three points to their total with an impressive win over bottom side AFC Dunstable in Tuesday night’s Southern League Division One Central fixture.

An early goal was vital for the Leverstock side to settle their nerves, and it took just six minutes for them to open the scoring, as Iker Noguera Leon had a shooting chance on the edge of the box and hit a low shot out of the reach of keeper Noah Vaughan into the corner of the net. The second goal was not long arriving, as George Mitchell-Gears fired home a half-volley from just inside the box to notch the first goal of his current spell at the club.

There could have been a third in the 23rd minute as a neat passing move put Leon through on goal, but Vaughan got a hand to his shot to tip it round the post. Five minutes later Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica made a run into the box but his shot from a narrow angle was kept out by Vaughan’s legs. Leon had another shooting chance in the 38th minute but hit it straight at Vaughan.

The young AFC Dunstable side came more into the game in the last ten minutes of the half, and a foul from Olusegun Adedipe gave them a free kick just outside the box, but the shot was saved by Ashton Broome-Alexander.

Leverstock struggled to make any further ground early in the second half, and Broome-Alexander had to make another good save in the 59th minute to keep out a shot from a narrow angle. A double substitution on the hour saw Jack Allen and Luke Beckwith introduced, and added some pep to the Leverstock side.

Broome-Alexander made another crucial save in the 68th minute to punch away a dangerous cross, and within a minute Leverstock had their third goal. Allen hit a shot from the edge of the box which took a deflection off a defender and looped up over Vaughan’s head into the net as the big striker scored his first goal for the club.

Leverstock were playing with more freedom now, and top scorer Jeffrey Sekyere added his name to the scoresheet in the 78th minute, cutting in from the left on a solo run before drilling home a low shot from a narrow angle. There was more to come in the first minute of stoppage time as Allen went on a solo run into the box before firing home his second of the night and completing Leverstock’s biggest ever win in the Southern League.

Leverstock Green (2) 5 (Leon 6, Mitchell-Gears 11, Allen 69, 90+1, Sekyere 78)
1. Ashton Broome-Alexander, 2. Kombe Kawimbe, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Pett, 6. Ryan Carruthers (15. Nat Connolly 65 mins), 7. Iker Noguera Leon (18. Jack Allen 61 mins), 8. Carmicheal Uchenna, 9. Jeffrey Sekyere, 10. George Mitchell-Gears (16. Marcus Warren 70 mins), 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica (12. Luke Beckwith 61 mins). Sub not used: 14. Dan Casey.
AFC Dunstable (0) 0
1. Noah Vaughan, 2. Aaron Addy (12. Tyrelle Joseph 80 mins), 3. Wallace Clark, 4. James Doherty, 5. Mohibur Rahman, 6.Jamie De Beer, 7. Alfie Carrington (12. Jeffery Yeboah H/T), 8. Jeremy Amissah (14. Benjamin Burt 51 mins), 9. Shea Greene, 11. Cyril Mensah (17. Christopher Carter 69 mins), 15. Jake Cowley (16. Jude Slough 89 mins).

It was a second straight win for Leverstock Green and a very impressive result against second-placed Hitchin Town in a see-saw game of three penalties. A superb finish from substitute Iker Noguera Leon late in the game proved to be the winner.

The visitors had the game’s first serious attempt on goal in the 19th minute when Kye Tearle hit a shot from the edge of the box just over the bar. Leverstock were unlucky not to take the lead in the 24th minute. As the ball came into the box, Joe McCarthy got in ahead of keeper Tyler McGregor and tried to take the ball around him, but McGregor scrambled back and pulled off a save to keep out McCarthy’s shot.

Hitchin went in front from the game’s first penalty in the 30th minute. Olusegun Adedipe was penalised for a late challenge just inside the box, and Taylor Rhiney made no mistake from the spot. Leverstock should have been level before the break. In the 41st minute Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica’s pass gave McCarthy a run at goal, and McCarthy laid off to set up Jeffrey Sekyere with a clear chance, but his shot went over the bar.

Hitchin took their lead into the break, but Leverstock fought back strongly in the second half. In the 59th minute Carmicheal Uchenna went on a solo run which took him past a number of defenders before laying off to Stefanoaica, who controlled the ball and drilled it into the bottom corner to level the scores and notch his second goal in two games.

It got better for Leverstock. In the 74th minute McGregor was adjudged to have fouled McCarthy as the two challenged for the ball, and the referee awarded the second penalty of the game. Sekyere sent McGregor the wrong way to put Leverstock into a 2-1 lead. It was a short-lived lead though, as two minutes later the referee was pointing to the spot again when a tackle from Dan Pett brought down a Hitchin player just inside the box. Rhiney stepped up again and was successful again to level the scores at 2-2.

In the 82nd minute Stefanoaica was replaced by Iker Noguera Leon, and the Spanish striker got his first touch of the ball two minutes later when a pass from Uchenna put him in behind the last defender, and Leon ran on to slot the ball past McGregor superbly to put Leverstock back in front at 3-2.

Once again the Leverstock faithful had to endure five minutes of stoppage time with a slender lead, and there was a nervous moment when a corner was given away and everyone including McGregor came up for it, but the danger was cleared and Leverstock held on for a fully-deserved win against a Hitchin side that didn’t really create a single clear-cut chance in open play or force a serious save out of Ashton Broome-Alexander. Leverstock’s unbeaten run extends to five games, and the three points takes them further clear of the relegation zone and moves them up a place in the Division One Central table.

Leverstock Green (0) 3 (Stefanoaica 59, Sekyere 74 pen, Leon 84)
1 Ashton Broome-Alexander, 2. Kombe Kawimbe, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Pett, 20. Olusegun Adedipe (14. Dan Casey 64 mins), 6.Carmicheal Uchenna (15. Callum Donnelly 88 mins), 7. Joe McCarthy, 8. orge Mitchell-Gears, 9. Jeffrey Sekyere, 10. Marcus Warren (12. Ryan Carruthers 71 mins), 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica (16. Iker Noguera Leon 82 mins). Sub not used: 18. Jack Allen.
Hitchin Town (1) 2 (Rhiney 30 pen, 76 pen)
1. Tyler McGregor, 2. Kye Tearle, 3. Callum Kane, 4. Brett Longden (12. Toby Syme 82 mins), 5. Charlie Briggs, 6. Ciaren Jones, 7. Liam Brooks (16. Diogo Freitas-Gouveia 83 mins), 8. Josh Coldicott-Stevens (15. Kavan Cotter 73 mins), 9. Taylor Rhiney, 10. Lewis Franklin, 11. Callum Nicolson. Subs not used: 14. Blue Joy, 17. Fernando Bell-Toxtle.

Leverstock Green opened up a three-point gap between themselves and the relegation zone with a crucial 2-1 win over Welwyn Garden City in Tuesday night’s Southern League Division One Central fixture. It was another nervous finish for the Leverstock faithful as the visitors pulled a goal back late in the game, but this time there was to be no last-gasp equaliser.

Leverstock could have opened the scoring in the 12th minute when a pass from Jeffrey Sekyere put Joe McCarthy through on goal, but Welwyn keeper Lamar Johnson came off his line to save with his legs. They only had to wait another minute for their goal, though. George Mitchell-Gears’ crossfield pass found Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica with space to run at goal, and Stefanoaica drilled a shot home from the edge of the box into the corner of the net for his first goal of the season.

Welwyn though they had equalised five minutes later with a header from a corner, but the referee disallowed it for a foul on Leverstock keeper Ashton Broome-Alexander. In the 22nd minute Broome-Alexander saved well from a Remel Larwood shot, and in the 33rd minute Broome-Alexander batted the ball away after a long throw had been flicked on across goal. A minute later Leverstock doubled their lead. Carmicheal Uchenna went on a run into the Welwyn half and played a one-two with Stefanoaica before hitting a shot from the edge of the box towards the bottom corner of the net. It wasn’t the hardest shot but Johnson couldn’t get to it and the ball went in off the post as Uchenna scored his first goal for the club.

There should have been a third goal in first half stoppage time. McCarthy was through again, Johnson saved again and the rebound fell for Stefanoaica, but he didn’t get his shot away quickly enough and the chance went away.

The second half saw Leverstock defending the slope and coming under heavy pressure from the visitors, but they were not able to create much in the way of clear-cut chances. Leverstock occasionally threatened on the break, and came closest to scoring in the 59th minute when Stefanoaica went on another run, kept the ball after a challenge and squared it across goal, but it was just behind the incoming McCarthy.

Leverstock were still holding onto their two-goal lead towards the end of the game, but in the 86th minute a free kick was given away in a dangerous position. The ball was delivered into the box and Evaristo Mendes applied the finishing touch to pull a goal back. Leverstock supporters then had to face the prospect of five minutes of stoppage time during which Welwyn continued to pump the ball forward, but this time the Green side were able to see the game out and claim the three points from an excellent and very hard-working performance.

Leverstock Green (2) 2 (Stefanoaica 13, Uchenna 34)
1. Ashton Broome-Alexander, 2. Kombe Kawimbe, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Pett, 5. Olusegun Adedipe, 6. Carmicheal Uchenna (12. Dan Casey 87 mins), 7. Joe Mccarthy (16. Jamal Yates 79 mins), 8. George Mitchell-Gears (15. Aldo Petagine 79 mins), 9. Jeffrey Sekyere, 10. Marcus Warren, 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica (18. Jack Allen 64 mins). Sub not used: 14. George Eldridge.
Welwyn Garden City (0) 1 (Mendes 86)
1. Lamar Johnson, 2. Adam Pollock, 3. Layne Eadie, 4. Jack Green, 5. Aiden Read (15. Evaristo Mendes H/T), 6. Panny Boxer, 7. Remel Larwood (12. Ethan Rookard 59 mins), 8. Isaac Pedro, 9. Steve Cawley, 10. Eddie Corbit, 14. Lewis Taaffe. Sub not used: 17. Donny Green.

It was another heartbreaker for Leverstock Green as once again they were denied a full three points by an equaliser deep into stoppage time. Leverstock had defended superbly throughout and certainly deserved the win, but a goal out of nothing in the sixth minute of stoppage time meant they only came away with a point.

There were two new signings in the Leverstock lineup, with Carmicheal Uchenna, signed from AFC Dunstable starting at left back, while Kombe Kawimbe, signed on a youth loan from neighbours Hemel Hempstead Town came on as a second half substitute.

It was a game of few chances, especially in the first half. There had been little action of note before the incident that led to Leverstock taking the lead in the 40th minute. A through pass from Iker Noguera Leon put Joe McCarthy in behind the last defender. McCarthy’s shot was partially stopped by keeper Liam Gooch, but as he chased the ball trickling towards goal, he was brought down. The referee awarded the penalty, and although Jeffrey Sekyere’s spot kick was saved by Gooch, Sekyere got to the rebound first to put Leverstock a goal up.

There could have been a second goal in stoppage time as a through ball found Sekyere, who nodded the ball past Gooch, but it was heading away from goal and McCarthy couldn’t quite get to it.

In the second half Leverstock were playing against the slope, plus the wind and increasingly heavy rain, but they still reduced Stotfold to few chances. Leverstock keeper Ashton Broome-Alexander produced good saves to keep out a cross that missed everybody in the 53rd minute, and in the 65th minute when Stotfold broke away and Ashley Kersey was through on goal.

At times Leverstock had difficulty getting the ball out of their own half, but still had some promising moments. In the 64th minute a pass from Sekyere gave Iker Noguera Leon a run at goal, but a great tackle from a defender forced a corner. From the resulting corner Dan Casey’s header brought a save out of Gooch.

As the match went deep into stoppage time Leverstock still held their lead and looked to have taken everything that Stotfold had thrown at them, but in the sixth minute of added time a hopeful ball was pumped into the box from the halfway line and Kersey got on the end of it with a looping header that left Broome-Alexander stranded and found the net, leaving Leverstock to once again rue their absence of luck.

Leverstock Green (1) 1 (Sekyere 40)
1. Ashton Broome-Alexander, 2. Dan Casey, 3. Carmicheal Uchenna, 4. Dan Pett, 5. Callum Neal, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Joe McCarthy (16. Marcus Warren 88 mins), 8. Nat Connolly (14. Kombe Kawimbe 74 mins), 9. Jeffrey Sekyere (19. Jack Allen 90+4 mins), 10. George Mitchell-Gears, 11. Iker Noguera Leon (15. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica 76 mins). Sub not used: 12. Rio Beach.
Stotfold (0) 1 (Kersey 90+6)
1. Liam Gooch, 2. Enock Ekongo, 4. James Peters, 5. Daniel Sears, 6. Lewis Thomas, 7. Luca Cardines (10. Lucas Titchmarsh 72 mins), 8. Jake Bunyan (16. Aaron Diviney 86 mins), 9. Henry Snee, 11. Codi Spavins (15. Hamid Seisay 78 mins), 12.Sebastian Simpson, 19. Ashley Kersey. Subs not used: 3. Ola Okeowo, 14. Romero Smart-Tull.

Leverstock Green were unable to follow up Saturday’s win as visitors Biggleswade Town took away the three points on Tuesday night, although two late goals made the scoreline somewhat flattering for the visitors.

Biggleswade started the game strongly, with Harry Way being forced into an impressive double save in the 3rd minute. A goalline block from Steve Brown kept the scores level during a goalmouth scramble in the 15th minute. A minute later Leverstock could have opened the scoring. Marcus Warren found Freddie Newing on the overlap, and Newing’s cross found its way through to Mitchell Weiss at the far post, but his shot was straight at the keeper.

Leverstock seemed to have weathered the early storm, but the visitors then took the lead in the 32nd minute. A shot from the edge of the box was tipped onto the bar by Way, but as the rebound came down, Liam Andrews was quickest to the ball and headed home. Leverstock went close again two minutes later when Ryan Carruthers crossed from the right touchline and Jeffrey Sekyere slid in at the near post to meet it, but his effort was blocked wide by a defender.

As was the case in the first game between the sides, once Biggleswade got in front, they used all sorts of time-wasting tactics in an effort to kill the game at every opportunity. Leverstock made a strong start to the second half, with a shot from Lewis Rolfe bringing out a great save from the keeper in the 57th minute. Leverstock had a good spell of pressure at this point, but it was ended by one of numerous points during the half where the flow of the game was stopped by Biggleswade players going down demanding treatment, requiring the physio to come on.

In the 70th minute Weiss set up a good chance for Carruthers, but he shot over the bar from the edge of the box. Leverstock’s chances were further impacted in the 75th minute when Rolfe was shown a straight red card for a challenge that looked worthy of no more than a yellow card. There was another near miss in the 80th minute when a cross from Weiss went across the face of goal and just eluded Joe McCarthy.

Biggleswade had rarely looked like scoring during the second half, and Leverstock were still in the game as seven minutes of stoppage time were indicated, but in the second minute of stoppages, there was a goal out of the blue as Barsa Mirtahmasebi struck a shot from 20 yards that flew over Way to make it 2-0. Further into stoppage time the visitors were awarded a penalty. Way made a great save to turn the spot kick wide, however Leverstock then conceded a soft third goal as the ball went in at the near post direct from the resulting corner.

Leverstock Green (0) 0
1. Harry Way, 2. Callum Neal, 3. Freddie Newing (18. Jack Allen 88 mins), 4. Dan Pett, 5. Steve Brown, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Iker Noguera Leon (12. Joe McCarthy 66 mins),8. Lewis Rolfe, 9. Jeffrey Sekyere, 10. Marcus Warren (15. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica 66 mins), 11. Mitchell Weiss. Subs not used: 14. Aldo Petagine, 20. Scott McGleish.
Biggleswade Town (1) 3 (Andrews 32, Barsa Mirtahmasebi 90+2, Babaie-Gumbs 90+5)
1. Jack Berman, 5. Barsa Mirtahmasebi, 7. Daniel Newton, 8. Alfie Powell, 9. Cyrus Babaie-Gumbs, 11. Ebenezer Kufuor, 12. Adam Martin, 15. Joshua Steele, 16. Emmanuel Dahie (10. Basim Mirtahmasebi 74 mins), 19. Harrison Rookard (14. Niall Jones 86 mins), 20. Liam Andrews (17. Damani Hunter 90 mins). Sub not used: 13. George Kyle.

 

After 16 league games without a win, stretching back to August, Leverstock Green finally recorded their third Southern League Division One Central win of the season for a much-needed three points.

With a lengthy injury list and with Tom Georgiou having been recalled by Watford for an U23 game, the Leverstock side was boosted today by the addition of two players signed on dual registration from Chesham United – striker Mitchell Weiss and defender Steve Brown. Freddie Newing stepped up from the reserves to play at left-back.

Visitors Beaconsfield got off to a strong start against the new-look Leverstock defence, with Zidan Akers getting through on goal in the 3rd minute, but Harry Way pulled off a good save. However, a minute later it was Leverstock that took the lead from their first attack of the game. Callum Neal’s pass over the top allowed Weiss to run onto it and produce a classy first time finish, slotting the ball under keeper Tommy Dymott.

The Leverstock side then looked to increase their lead. In the 6th minute Joe McCarthy hit a shot from the edge of the box that flew inches over the bar. Five minutes later Jeffrey Sekyere had a run at goal before laying off to McCarthy, but his shot was saved by Dymott. McCarthy was threatening in the box again in the 18th minute, but was brought down by a challenge from George Brough. The referee pointed straight to the penalty spot, and Sekyere netted the spot kick for his 17th goal of the season and a 2-0 Leverstock lead.

There was another good chance in the 35th minute as good work from Weiss put in Sekyere to pull the ball back for McCarthy, but his shot on the turn came back off the post and George Mitchell-Gears’ effort from the rebound was saved by Dymott. A minute later Weiss ran clear down the left and crossed for Sekyere, whose header was blocked wide by a defender.

The visitors were reduced to ten men in first half stoppage time when Ollie Turner received a straight red card for kicking out at Mitchell-Gears after a tussle between the two.

Holding onto a lead has been Leverstock’s main problem this season, but on this occasion they were able to maintain their lead and the clean sheet despite a good effort from the ten man Beaconsfield side in the second half. There was a crucial intervention from Brown in the 72nd minute to head the ball off the line with Harry Way stranded out of his goal. There could have been a third goal in the 82nd minute when Weiss crossed for Iker Noguera Leon, but his shot was straight at Dymott, and a minute later Weiss ran at goal himself but shot into the side netting.

The win will be a confidence-booster for the Leverstock side, with further home games to come this week against Biggleswade Town on Tuesday night and Stotfold next Saturday.

Leverstock Green (2) 2 (Weiss 4, Sekyere 19 pen)
1. Harry Way, 2. Callum Neal, 3. Freddie Newing (14. Aldo Petagine 90+2 mins), 4. Dan Pett, 5. Steve Brown, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Joe McCarthy (15. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica 74 mins), 8. George Mitchell-Gears (18. Jack Allen 87 mins), 9. Jeffrey Sekyere, 10. Marcus Warren (12. Iker Noguera Leon 64 mins), 11. Mitchell Weiss. Sub not used: 20. Scott McGleish.
Beaconsfield Town (0) 0
1. Tommy Dymott, 3. James Dobson, 4. Mark Nisbet, 6. Luke Neville (16. Samuel Wraith 63 mins), 7. Zidan Akers (17. Joshua Stranks 76 mins), 8. Zak Fraser-Grante (11. Jamie Davies H/T), 10. Joshua Marcon, 12. Matthew Harriott, 14. Ollie Turner, 15. George Brough (22. Harrison Galloway H/T), 19. Alex Peapell. Sub not used: 5. Louis Udeh.