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Leverstock Green F.C.

Pancake Lane,
Leverstock Green,
Hemel Hempstead,
Herts.
HP2 4NQ

(H) Ardley United

Leverstock Green finally broke their scoring duck at the third attempt, and looked set to progress in the Emirates FA Cup, but visitors Ardley United pulled out a last-gasp equaliser to take this Extra Preliminary Round tie to a replay in Oxfordshire on Tuesday night.

For the third time in three games, Leverstock were forced to change their starting line-up after an injury during the warm up – this time it was Luke Peerless who had to drop out with Adiel Mannion taking his place.

A strong swirling wind made conditions difficult for both sides at the start of the game, with chances at a premium early on. In the 12th minute a fine crossfield ball from Oliie Cox found Frankie Jowle, who ran on to hit a shot that was saved by visiting keeper Jake Pritchard. Seven minutes later Pritchard had to deal with a Stephen Dodd cross that was heading for the top corner under wind assistance, plucking it out of the air.

The Hellenic League visitors had their first chance in the 25th minute as a mistake at the back let Twariq Yusuf clean through, but Carl Tasker saved the shot with his legs. Leverstock then had a spell of pressure, but Kane O’Neil’s cross intended for Mannion was cleared by a defender, and a shot from Cox went over the bar. Tasker had a couple of saves to make from Deon Gallacher, before Leverstock had a couple of chances late in the half from free kicks in dangerous positions. The first was curled just wide of the target by Jowle, and the second, taken by John Smith was awkwardly parried away by Pritchard, but no-one could put the ball away in the ensuing scramble.

Goalless at the break, the second half started with the visitors on top for the first five minutes, but the Green defence dealt with this spell of pressure. Leverstock had their best chance so far in the 56th minute when a through ball put Luis Brooker in on goal, but Pritchard was quickly off his line to come out and clear the danger. Two minutes later Brooker was brought down just outside the box to give Leverstock another free kick in a good position, but Smith’s effort was deflected wide.

On 62 minutes Ardley went close when Troy Bryan headed over from a corner, and three minutes later a free kick curled in by Jowle gave Dan Weeks a chance, but the Green skipper headed over the bar. Mannion brought another save out of Pritchard in the 81st minute as he turned in the box and shot but the keeper got down well to save at the post. A minute later Leverstock looked in some trouble as substitute Tobias London got clear of the Green defence before being brought down outside the box by Charlie Milton, who was perhaps lucky to only get a yellow card. However, the resulting free kick taken by Yusuf was deflected wide.

With little to choose between the sides, a replay looked likely, until a breakthrough in the 86th minute. John Smith ran at the Ardley defence, selling a dummy before striking a superb shot from the edge of the box into the bottom corner of the net. It was an impressive way for the Green to open their account for the season and left them with about five minutes to hang on for the win.

Sadly it wasn’t to be, as two Ardley subs combined for the equaliser. London delivered an excellent cross from the right touchline and Louis Joyce met it with a powerful header past Tasker, the ball hitting the net approximately one second into stoppage time.

The two sides will meet again at Ardley’s Nolan Oils Ground on Tuesday night, with an away tie at Highworth Town at stake for the winners.

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(H) Broadfields United

Leverstock Green are still waiting for their first league goal of the season, but at least they have a point on the board after a goalless draw against newly-promoted Broadfields United at Pancake Lane on Tuesday night.

The visitors had the game’s first effort on goal inside 30 seconds as Rex Kimona hit a decent shot just over the bar. Leverstock went even closer in the third minute as John Smith struck a shot from just outside the box which flew inches over the bar.

There were few other chances in an evenly-contested first half. On 33 minutes a mistake in the Green defence left Dene Gardner – one of a number of ex-Leverstock players in the Broadfields line-up – clean through, but he slipped his shot wide of Carl Tasker’s goal. Kimona had another effort on goal in the 41st minute which also went wide.

In the second half, Leverstock had a decent shout for a penalty on 62 minutes as Luke Peerless appeared to be barged over inside the box, but the referee was unmoved. Four minutes later the Green had a good chance when Frankie Jowle intercepted a loose pass across the Broadfield defence and had a clear shot at goal, but hit it straight at keeper Matt Faley.

Carl Tasker made his best save of the game in the 72nd minute, sticking out his right boot to keep out a low shot from Kimona. Two minutes later Broadfields had their own penalty shout for what looked like handball inside the box following a corner, but again nothing was given.

A minute later Leverstock won a free kick in a dangerous position, but Peerless hit his shot into the wall, likewise a second effort on the rebound. There was another free kick soon after which Jowle swung into the box, but Dan Weeks headed over the bar from a good position. Leverstock had another great chance for a late winner in the 87th minute as new signing Stephen Dodd connected with a low cross inside the six-yard box, but didn’t get enough of a touch on it to divert it into the net.

After what had been a game played in a good spirit, both sides ended up with ten men as the clock ticked into stoppage time. Firstly there was a sin-binning for Broadfields sub Charlie Barton as a throw-in was delayed, and then there was a straight red card for Jowle. This was a harsh decision as both Jowle and Damion Cruickshank went hard into what looked like a 50-50 challenge, but the referee’s verdict was that Jowle went in two-footed.

It was a fair result from a game in which there was little to choose between the two sides. Leverstock now turn their attention to the FA Cup and Saturday’s Extra Preliminary Round tie against Ardley United.

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(H) Crawley Green

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(H) Barton Rovers

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(H) Kensington & Ealing Borough

Leverstock Green continued their pre-season preparation with a game against Combined Counties League side Kensington & Ealing Borough on Saturday. It was a competitive game against good opposition and ended as a 1-1 draw.

Leverstock thought they had a penalty in the 7th minute when new signing Ollie Lawford was brought down by the visiting keeper on the edge of the box, but the officials judged it outside. From the resulting free kick Dan Weeks headed just over the bar. In the 26th minute a shot from Adiel Mannion hit the post, and two minutes later Kane O’Neil went on a run down the right and squared across goal, but Lawford couldn’t quite connect with it at the far post.

There were more chances in the last five minutes of the first half. A cross from Luke Peerless found Lawford at the far post, but his shot brought a great point-blank save out of the keeper, who also blocked a backheeled attempt on the rebound from Lawford. Two minutes later a cross from Weeks found Peerless at the back post, but again the keeper did well to block it.

It was the visitors who had the first chance of the second half, with a shot across the face of goal which the incoming forward just failed to connect with in the 49th minute. However, it was the Green who took the lead in the 55th minute with a tremendous strike from Jake Williamson into the top corner of the net from 20 yards out. Frankie Jowle almost made it 2-0 five minutes later with an audacious lob from distance but it went just over the bar.

The visitors went close again on 64 minutes with a shot that hit the bar, and the rebound being put across the face of goal and wide. On 72 minutes the Green defence was lacking as the visiting 10 was allowed to run too far with the ball and eventually hit a great shot from the edge of the box past Adi Connolly to level the scores at 1-1.

The visitors went closest to winning the game as they hit the woodwork for the second time on 78 minutes as a lob over Connolly hit the post, while in the final minute Leverstock went close again as a shot from Nabil Seodi went across goal and wide.

Starting XI: Adi Connolly, Kane O’Neil, Charlie Milton, Jack Stevens, Dan Weeks (capt), John Smith, Luke Peerless, Jamie Fulton, Adiel Mannion, Frankie Jowle, Ollie Lawford.
Subs used: Jake Williamson, Luis Brooker, Lucas Preston, Nabil Seodi, Lewis Rodrigoe, Zak Howells, Harry Barrett.

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(H) AFC Dunstable

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(H) Ampthill Town

Leverstock Green registered their second straight pre-season win as they beat Ampthill Town 3-1 in Saturday’s game at Pancake Lane.

The Green side took the lead in the third minute, as Adiel Mannion got to the bye-line and delivered a cross to the far post, where the incoming Kane O’Neil turned the ball home.

It was 2-0 in the 8th minute, as Charlie Milton’s pass from the back put Frankie Jowle clean through to slot home past the keeper.

Steve Hawes was denied a third goal in the 18th minute when his shot from the edge of the box brought a great save out of the keeper to turn it away. Ampthill got themselves back into the game with an excellent shot from the edge of the box in the 34th minute.

However, Leverstock re-established their two-goal lead in the 41st minute. Kane O’Neil went on a driving run from the halfway line into the Ampthill box, only to be denied by a tackle, but the loose ball was swept home by Luke Peerless.

The second half saw fewer chances for both sides, but keeper Matt Fallon made a good save in the last minute of the game to keep the two-goal lead intact. Overall it was an excellent performance against a good side and will give the squad further confidence with the league opener just two weeks away.

Starting XI: Carl Tasker, Kane O’Neil, Dan Weeks (capt), Jack Stevens, Charlie Milton, Steve Hawes, Frankie Jowle, Ollie Cox, Luke Peerless, Adiel Mannion, Luis Brooker.
Second half subs: Matt Fallon, Jamie Fulton, Jake Williamson, Zak Howells, John Smith, Kai Stonnell, James Hall.

Next up for the Green side is a trip to Old Bradwell United on Thursday evening, with a 7pm kick-off.

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