Leverstock Green put in a great performance in sweltering conditions against league newcomers Eynesbury Rovers in Saturday’s SSML Premier Division fixture, but a controversial red card at a crucial time in the match put them at a significant disadvantage, and led to them coming away from the game with nothing. It was a high quality match with plenty of chances at both ends, but the performance of the referee ended up being more of a talking point after the game.

There were two new signings in the Leverstock side, with midfielder Sonny Newbury-Barr and forward Dylan Baker both arriving from AFC Dunstable.

The visitors, who have made a strong start to the season, created some early chances. In the 3rd minute Danny Draper headed over the bar from a corner, and a minute later Jordan Brown was clean through, but Matt Fallon pulled off a good save with his legs. In the 8th minute Dylan Baker had his first chance, but was denied by keeper Jamie Greygoose. Fallon pulled off another good save in the 12th minute to turn a shot from Craig Daniel round the post.

After a quiet period in the game during which there was a drinks break, it was Leverstock who opened the scoring in the 31st minute. Lucas Preston pushed forward and played the ball to Frankie Jowle, who hit a low shot from the edge of the box which went under the keeper’s hand in the bottom corner of the net.

Eynesbury hit back strongly, though, with Fallon having to tip a header over the bar a minute later, and both a header and shot flashed just over the bar soon afterwards.

The turning point of the game came in the 39th minute. Eynesbury forward Scott Sinclair was running at goal and got past Jack Stevens, but then went down outside the box. The general view seemed to be that Sinclair had tripped over his own feet and that there was no contact from Stevens. Moreover, Kane O’Neil was ahead of both of them and covering, so even if there was adjudged to be an offence it should have been a yellow card at most. However, to the disbelief of most in the ground, the referee showed Stevens a straight red card and Leverstock were down to ten men.

The ten men got to half time with their lead still intact, but with the visitors attacking down the slope in the second half it was always going to be a tough situation, and so it proved. After a couple of early chances, Eynesbury won a corner in the 50th minute, and it dropped nicely for Dave Baker, who bundled the ball home at the second attempt for the equaliser. Worse was to follow four minutes later when Sinclair put the visitors into a 2-1 lead, shooting home from close range after a cross to the far post had been put back across goal.

Leverstock responded by bringing on Stephen Dodd as a second striker, and on 63 minutes Dodd headed the ball through to Luke Peerless, who couldn’t quite get the ball under control enough to get a shot away.

Eynesbury’s numerical advantage disappeared on 72 minutes when they were also reduced to ten men, Dave Baker getting a straight red for what looked like an elbow in a challenge on Dodd.

Two minutes later Leverstock went close again when Greygoose saved a shot from Dodd, and held onto the ball at some cost to himself as Kai Stonnell followed in to try to net the rebound. On 79 minutes Eynesbury had the chance to seal the match when Charlie Milton brought down Jordan Brown and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. However, Jordan Jarrold’s spot kick was saved by Fallon, who recovered to also save a follow-up effort from Jarrold.

Two minutes later there should have been an equaliser when a cross from John Smith found Jowle unmarked at the far post, but his header was saved by Greygoose. With seven minutes remaining Leverstock were again at a numerical disadvantage when Milton was sin-binned. They came agonisingly close to an equaliser again in the 88th minute when Dodd slid in to meet a cross from O’Neil but it was deflected wide. In the 90th minute Fallon kept Leverstock in the game, tipping over a shot from Daniel.

Stoppage time produced more controversy when Milton was not allowed back on after his ten minutes in the sin-bin had expired, and Stonnell was also sin-binned leaving Leverstock with eight men on the field at the end. Despite a great effort, they were unable to save the game, and Eynesbury took the three points which put them top of the early league table.

 

Leverstock Green finally got their season up and running as they secured their first win of the season, claiming all three points from Saturday’s SSML Premier Division encounter with Potton United at Pancake Lane.

A new addition to the squad was Kyle Connolly, the former Hemel Hempstead Town player with over 200 appearances in National League South, signed on a dual registration with Kings Langley to recover his fitness as he returns from a serious injury last season. Tuesday night’s goalscorer Stephen Dodd was out with a head injury, but Luke Peerless returned from injury and John Smith passed a late fitness test.

After a quiet opening ten minutes Leverstock had their first chance in the 14th minute when Ollie Cox delivered a free kick into the box, but Dan Weeks headed over at the far post. A minute later a mistake in the Potton defence offered Cox the chance to shoot from distance, but it went just wide.

In the 18th minute the visitors had a chance when a mistake let Justin Leavers through. Leavers took the ball past Carl Tasker, but before he could have a shot at the empty net Jack Stevens got back to put in a crucial and well-timed challenge that won the ball. Stevens’ tackle proved even more crucial, as within a minute Leverstock were in front. Steve Hawes spotted that Potton keeper Sam Irish was well out of his goal, and launched a lob from the halfway line that flew over the stranded Irish and into the net for a spectacular opener.

The visitors created another chance on 35 minutes when a pass from Leavers put Nathan Mullings through, but his shot was comfortably saved by Tasker. Two minutes before the break Mullings was through again, but this time Tasker pulled off a great save to turn his shot round the post. Leverstock were forced into a change before half time, with Lucas Preston replacing the injured Luis Brooker.

Seven minutes into the second half Potton broke away quickly from a poorly-taken Leverstock free kick, and Leavers again put Mullings through, but Tasker prevailed again, this time coming out of his goal to tackle the forward with his feet. Three minutes later the Green had a shout for a penalty when Preston was through on goal and appeared to be caught from behind, but all the referee awarded was a corner.

Connolly came off the bench for his debut in the 61st minute, and in the 71st minute there was another debut for Tom Carter, recently signed from Amersham Town. Five minutes after coming on Carter went close to scoring as he took a free kick from 20 yards and curled it just over the bar. In the 79th minute Carter got on the end of a cross from Adiel Mannion, but couldn’t divert it on target.

Going into the last ten minutes the game was still in the balance with only one goal in it, but then the game turned decisively in Leverstock’s favour. Mannion went through one-on-one on Irish, and as he tried to take the ball round the keeper, an outstretched arm brought him down. This time the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Mannion did not get the chance to make up for his miss on Tuesday night as John Smith took responsibility and netted the spot kick for a 2-0 Leverstock lead in the 80th minute.

However, three minutes later Mannion had his name on the scoresheet. Carter delivered a corner to the far post where Stevens headed it down to Mannion, who blasted home a shot off the underside of the bar to put the Green into a commanding 3-0 lead.

A minute from time Potton made things potentially interesting as Ashley Ingham took advantage of a mistake caused by a bobble on the pitch to shoot home from a narrow angle and reduce the arrears to 3-1, but that proved to be only a consolation as Leverstock saw out the three minutes of stoppage time to clinch the three points.