Leverstock Green pulled off a surprise result on Tuesday night, holding title favourites Biggleswade F.C. to a 1-1 draw at Pancake Lane. It was a fully-deserved point for Matt Harding’s side, who turned in a fantastic defensive display, disciplined, dogged and determined throughout. Two of the star performers for Leverstock were Harry Barrett and Kane O’Neil, who had both played for the under-18s against Boreham Wood the previous night. The central defensive positions were filled by two players on loan from AFC Dunstable, Terry Griffiths and Luke Abrahams.

After a quiet opening to the match, the visitors had their first chance in the 11th minute when a goalmouth scramble ensued after a shot was blocked. Ryan Schmid made a save, but the key block was by Griffiths, who cleared a shot from Justin Leavers off the line. On 23 minutes a quickly-taken free kick allowed Tom Cookman to get in a cross for Lee Northfield, but again Leverstock defended well and didn’t allow him to get a shot away. A minute later Northfield had another chance from a cross by Lawrie Marsh, but his shot went just wide.

Leverstock won their first corner in the 29th minute, and Mark Smith’s great cross wasn’t gathered by the keeper, but as the ball went across the face of goal an effort from Griffiths was blocked. Three minutes later, Leverstock found themselves in front through something of a gift of a goal. Visiting keeper Sam Wyer went to gather a ball that should have been a comfortable take, but somehow dropped it. Wesley Iroegbu picked up the loose ball and calmly slotted it into the net for a 1-0 lead.

However, the lead only lasted 8 minutes, and for the second time in four days Leverstock suffered from the instant impact of a substitute. Michael Simpson came off the bench to replace Conor Inskip, and within seconds had delivered the cross which found Cookman to head home emphatically for the equaliser.

In the second half Biggleswade had the slope in their favour and launched a constant stream of attacks at the Leverstock goal, but ended up frustrated by the determination of the Green defence to not concede. Ten minutes into the half the visitors had a great chance when Cookman forced himself clean through, but Schmid threw himself at Cookman’s shot and deflected it over the bar with his legs for a brilliant save from point blank range. Four minutes later Schmid denied Cookman again with a block at the near post. On 64 minutes it was Barrett who was throwing himself at a shot from Marsh to block it away.

Leverstock didn’t get out of their own half a great deal, but on 67 minutes a free kick from Smith caused another nervous moment for Wyer as he dropped the ball again, but this time the danger was cleared. Soon after Schmid made another save with his legs to deny Marsh, and on 73 minutes Leavers was unlucky when his shot hit the post.

As the game wore on Biggleswade were getting increasingly anxious and looking less and less likely to break down the Green defence. Three minutes from time a shot from Northfield was deflected just wide, but the resulting corner was headed over the bar. Six minutes of stoppage time were played, but Leverstock kept their concentration until the end and held out for an excellent point which will no doubt also be welcomed by the other sides fighting for the Premier Division title.

The two sides meet again in the return fixture on Saturday week, but before that Leverstock host F.C.’s neighbours Biggleswade United this coming Saturday.

Leverstock Green had hoped that the visit of bottom club Stotfold would enable them to add to their points tally, but it proved not to be as a goal 15 minutes from time was enough for the visitors to claim the three points. On the balance of play and number of chances created, Stotfold certainly deserved their win. Three players were red carded as tempers boiled over in the last few minutes.

Stotfold’s first chance came in the 5th minute when Charlie Cullen blocked a clearance from Green keeper Ryan Schmid, but he shot wide of the target. Leverstock’s first attempt on goal was in the 11th minute when Kane O’Neil went on a run and squared the ball for Luke Preedy, who shot over the bar.

The Green skipper Shane Wood continues to be plagued by injuries, and had to leave this game after just 19 minutes, to be replaced by Jamie Fulton. Leverstock’s main source of attacks were the long goal kicks of Schmid, but Stotfold keeper Tyla Dickinson dealt with them well under pressure from the onrushing Preedy.

There was little in the way of further chances until the last minute of the half. A pass from Kerran Lataille found Preedy all alone out wide, and Preedy headed for goal and got a shot away, but it was comfortably fielded by Dickinson. Three minutes into stoppage time Stotfold went close as a shot from Zachery Decker went just wide of the post.

The early stages of the second half belonged to Stotfold. On 48 minutes Kai McArthur shot just over the bar, and four minutes later Eben Mbona struck the bar with a free kick from distance. A minute later Schmid parried away an effort by Jermaine Francis and a rebound effort went over the bar. Leverstock’s best moment of the half came in the 63rd minute when a cross from Harry Barrett found O’Neil at the far post, but his header went over the bar.

The game was still goalless with 15 minutes to go when Stotfold made their final substitution, bringing on Ryan McEvoy, and just seconds after coming onto the pitch McEvoy got in behind the Green defence to shoot past Schmid and put his side into the lead.

Leverstock pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but were still unable to find the necessary quality to create a clear-cut chance. In the last minute of the 90 they were reduced to ten men. Mark Smith had already been booked for an earlier foul, and an incident at a free kick saw him get a second yellow and a red card. In the last of the scheduled five minutes of stoppage time Leverstock had another free kick, which was floated into the box, but Dickinson did well to claim the ball. However, there were some afters involving players of both sides, and two red cards were shown for violent conduct, firstly to Stotfold’s George Ezekiel, and then to Preedy, who had been booked a couple of minutes earlier, but his dismissal was a straight red.

After today’s disappointing result, the Green side now face a tough run of games, with two of the next three being against title favourites Biggleswade F.C. The first of those is at Pancake Lane this coming Tuesday night.

Leverstock Green fell to their fourth straight defeat as a team showing several changes was beaten 3-1 at home by London Colney in Tuesday night’s SSML Premier Division game at Pancake Lane.

The damage was largely done at the start of the match, as the visitors raced to a 2-0 lead inside 10 minutes. Ben Zaqiri scored both goals, capitalising on a mix-up at the back in the 4th minute to shoot home the first, and scoring the second in the 9th minute with an angled drive into the bottom corner.

The Leverstock side began to play their way into the match, but a third London Colney goal in the 29th minute left them with a mountain to climb as Joe Price scored with a shot from the edge of the box. Reece Cameron had the chance to pull a goal back in the 34th minute but shot over the bar.

Cameron had another chance early in the second half when the ball was squared to him in front of goal, but he couldn’t get his shot away in time and a follow-up effort from Alex Witham went wide. However, in the 56th minute a good run from Lewis Collins set up a chance for Cameron to shoot home from close range and give the Green side a glimmer of hope of a comeback.

It was not to be, though, as London Colney held on comfortably for the win, with Ryan Schmid pulling off a few good saves to ensure that they did not add to their score.