Lords Builders Merchants Stadium

Leverstock Green F.C.

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

(H) Aylesbury United

Leverstock Green’s epic FA cup run goes on, as they face a replay on Wednesday night at Chesham United’s ground after a late equaliser from Aylesbury United salvaged a 1-1 draw for the Ducks in Saturday’s Preliminary Round tie at Pancake Lane. The tie pitted brother against brother as Leverstock’s Shane Wood and Aylesbury’s Jack Wood captained their respective sides.

There was another new goalkeeper in the Leverstock side as 16 year old Caolan Doyle-Creamer came in for his debut. The Southern League side had the better of the early play, although it was Leverstock who created the better chances. In the 4th minute Jonathan Lacey played a one-two with David Lawrence before hitting a shot which was turned wide by Ducks keeper Jack Sillitoe. In the 15th minute Lewis Davis played a ball forward to Lawrence, whose shot was deflected wide. On 37 minutes Lacey set up Lawrence for a shot which went wide.

A minute later there was a chance at the other end as Alex Collard flicked on a long throw to find Dejon Noel-Williams in front of goal, but his effort was comfortably gathered by Doyle-Creamer. Seconds later Noel-Williams hit a shot into the side netting. A minute before the break Sonny French hit the side netting for Aylesbury again from a cross by Jake Bewley.

The second half was similarly evenly-contested. In the 52nd minute Lewis Davis went close for Leverstock with a shot from a free kick which went about a foot over the bar. However, a minute later Leverstock were ahead. Luca DeMare did well to close down a defender and forced a mistake, winning the ball and running clean through to slot past Sillitoe. A defender slid in to try to clear it, but only succeeded in helping the ball into the net.

On 55 minutes Doyle-Creamer produced his best save of the match to tip over a free kick from Ollie Hogg. Three minutes later Hogg shot into the side netting from a pass by French. On 70 minutes the Ducks had their nearest miss so far as a shot from French struck the underside of the bar and bounced down, but on the right side of the line from the Leverstock perspective. Another effort from French shortly afterwards went wide.

Towards the end of the game there was a sense that Leverstock were sitting back too much, but they were within four minutes of a notable cup upset before Aylesbury salvaged the game. It was a well-taken goal from substitute and former Green player Reece Cameron, shooting across Doyle-Creamer and into the corner of the net.

The replay means that Tuesday night’s scheduled league visit to St Margaretsbury is postponed.

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(H) Barton Rovers U18

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(H) Edgware Town

Leverstock Green finally reached the Preliminary Round of the Emirates FA Cup at the third time of asking as they overcame Edgware Town 5-3 in a thrilling Extra Preliminary Round replay on Tuesday night, the tie replayed after last week’s replay was abandoned in stoppage time. Leverstock finally found their scoring boots, but it wasn’t until late in the game that their passage into the next round looked assured.

The Green side could have taken the lead in the 7th minute when Jonathan Lacey was put through on goal, but hit his eventual shot across goal and wide. A second chance was missed in the 18th minute when a Chris Marsh free kick was headed up in the air, and came down for David Lawrence a couple of yards out, but he headed over the bar. Lacey was denied twice by saves from Edgware keeper Taylor Montgomery in the 21st and 23rd minutes, but Leverstock’s pressure was about to finally pay off.

In the 24th minute Lacey had another run at goal and took the ball round Montgomery, but was forced wide. Lacey still managed to put the ball across goal, where Ross Adams was waiting for a close-range tap-in to put his side 1-0 up. It got even better a minute later when, after some neat build-up play around the box, Adams set up Luca DeMare to fire home a quickfire second Leverstock goal.

Although Leverstock have signed three goalkeepers over the last week, none of them were eligible to play in this game, so Luke Preedy had to stand in between the sticks again. Preedy pulled off a good save to tip over a shot from Dan Pett in the 27th minute, however five minutes later Pett hit another shot which Preedy got both hands to but couldn’t keep out to put Edgware back in the game at 2-1. Five minutes before the break Leverstock carelessly gave away possession on the edge of their own box, and Omololu Omabolu fired a shot past Preedy to put the tie back to square one at 2-2.

Leverstock were lucky to survive a goalmouth scramble in the opening minute of the second half in which the ball was cleared off the line, but they broke away quickly from the danger with Lacey moving the ball forward, and Sam Nair set up Lawrence to hit a great strike from 20 yards into the bottom corner to put the Green back in front at 3-2.

Once again, though, they couldn’t hold on to the lead as their defence was split open by a couple of passes to leave Pett through to shoot home the equaliser for 3-3. In the 59th minute Omabolu looked to be clean through, but he was denied by a great tackle from DeMare.

Two minutes later Leverstock were back in front again as some more neat build-up play resulted in Nair shooting home the goal that made it 4-3. The lead was threatened again in the 64th minute but Preedy did well to save at the feet of Omabolu.

Edgware were fortunate not to be reduced to ten men in the 72nd minute when veteran defender Fergus Moore appeared to kick out at Green substitute Mason Tunbridge, but the referee only showed a yellow card, after which Moore was immediately substituted. In the 78th minute Leverstock finally gave themselves some more breathing room. Marsh floated in a free kick, and substitute Alex McCarthy got a glancing header on the ball to divert it past Montgomery for a 5-3 lead.

The tension continued into another long period of stoppage time, but Leverstock held out to secure a home tie against Southern League side Aylesbury United in the Preliminary Round, to be played on Saturday. Green skipper Shane Wood is expected to return from injury to face his brother Jack in the Ducks side.

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(H) Colney Heath U18

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(H) Edgware Town

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(H) Buckingham Athletic U18

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(H) Northwood

Leverstock Green played their final pre-season friendly on Saturday afternoon against Northwood at Pancake Lane, and it proved to be a very tough afternoon against an excellent Southern League side under the new management of former Berkhamsted Town boss Simon Lane.

It was an unfamiliar Leverstock line-up that started the game, including six trialists. They were under pressure from the start, although it took 18 minutes for Northwood to take the lead through Pat Adamson. Two minutes later it became 2-0 from the penalty spot. A deflected shot on 26 minutes and an outrageous chip from distance three minutes later, both from Jamie Doolan, made it 4-0 and the 5th was scored in the 39th minute.

Five of the established players came on at half time, but they could do nothing to change the course of the game as Northwood continued to be dominant. The sixth goal came in the 57th minute, and the seventh goal in the 78th minute started a glut of four goals in little over five minutes to complete the double figure score.

With two important cup games coming up this week, it was hardly the ideal preparation, but Scott Dash and Mark Royal will be hoping their squad can put this afternoon behind them as they travel to Tring Athletic on Tuesday night in the first round of the Herts Charity Shield.

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