Leverstock Green only had to avoid defeat against 12th place Crawley Green to secure their first top half finish for five years, but it was not to be as they spurned countless chances in an extraordinary match which was anything but a tame end-of-season affair between two mid-table sides.

It was an open game from the outset, with the visitors having their first chance in the second minute of the game, Tom Barnet having a shot saved by Liam Jahn in a goalmouth scramble following a corner. A minute later at the other end Leverstock went close when Casey Linsell delivered a cross from the left touchline and Danilson Vicente got to it ahead of keeper Charlie Yates, but headed wide.

That was Vicente’s first missed chance of the day, but certainly not his last. In the 8th minute a pass from Karl Davidson put Vicente through on goal, but he shot over the bar. Three minutes later Crawley took the lead from another scramble following a corner, with Mark Smith putting the ball away.

In the 17th minute Curtis Donaldson found Jonathan Lacey, who threaded a pass through to Zak Howells, but he shot into the side netting. Two minutes later at the other end Jahn did well to parry away a shot from Ashton Grant. Two minutes on from that Leverstock had a free kick in a dangerous position, but it was poorly taken and Crawley broke away. Sean Coughlan’s pace took him clear of the Leverstock defence but Jahn pulled off a great save with his legs. Seconds later at the other end, a pass from Davidson put Vicente through again, but his attempted lob over Yates wasn’t quite high enough and the keeper pulled it out of the air.

On 26 minutes Lacey and Donaldson combined to put Vicente through on goal yet again, but Yates turned his shot wide. In the 34th minute Crawley hit the post at one end, and seconds later at the other end Vicente was through again and took the ball round Yates, but hit his shot across goal and wide. On 36 minutes Vicente finally put the ball in the net as he headed home a cross, but was flagged for offside. A minute later a free kick from Donaldson was headed across goal by Karl Thomas, but Jake Williamson shot over the bar from six yards out. Still the chances came at both ends, with Jahn saving a shot from Charlie Clayton on 39 minutes, and Coughlan missing a sitter for the visitors from Grant’s free kick on 43 minutes. In the last minute of the half Davidson went on a solo run into the box but his shot was turned round the post by Yates.

The second half saw no let up in the number of chances, although the vast majority were for Leverstock this time. In the opening minute of the half a pass from David Serinolli put Vicente through again. This time he knocked the ball past Yates, but was then brought down by the keeper as he tried to run past. The referee awarded the penalty, and Leverstock finally put a goal on the board as Donaldson slotted home the penalty to level the scores at 1-1 in the 47th minute.

There should have been another goal a minute later as Davidson got on the end of a cross from Lacey, but shot over the bar. On 55 minutes a pass from Lacey gave Vicente another chance but his shot was blocked wide. Three minutes later a pass from Linsell gave Lacey a run at goal himself, but even Leverstock’s top scorer was denied by a save from Yates. Another chance went begging on 63 minutes as Williamson headed over from Lacey’s corner. Five minutes later Davidson got on the end of a corner from Donaldson, but his header was cleared off the line by Josh Murray.

Having missed so many chances, it was almost inevitable that Leverstock would pay the price, and in the 83rd minute Crawley Green scored a breakaway goal with Clayton being put through the middle to slot the ball past Jahn. Even then Leverstock had a chance to save the game in stoppage time as a pass from Lacey put Lewis Davis in to hit a shot-cum-cross which found Vicente at the far post, but his header went over the bar.

The result means that Leverstock finished two points below their opponents in 12th place, even though having a goal difference advantage of 22 over them. They still have the opportunity to get something out of what has been a good season overall when they host Tring Athletic in the semi-finals of the St Mary’s Cup on Tuesday night, kick-off 7.30 pm.

Leverstock Green added three more points to their already impressive total with a comfortable 4-0 win over already-relegated FC Broxbourne Borough at Pancake Lane on Saturday. The youthful Broxbourne side put up a good display, but Scott Dash’s side did a professional job and scored some well-worked goals along the way.

The first moment of danger was a corner from Curtis Donaldson in the 10th minute which went right across the face of goal but didn’t get the crucial touch. Two minutes later Liam Jahn pulled off a good save to keep out a shot from Broxbourne’s Alie Bangura.

A few half-chances were created before Leverstock took the lead in the 34th minute. Brima Johnson floated in a free kick from the halfway line which was flicked on by Donaldson before Ross Adams laid it back to Danilson Vicente, who showed great footwork to sidestep a defender before hitting a tremendous shot into the top corner.

The first half had been something of an end-of-season affair, but Leverstock stepped up a gear in the second half. The second goal arrived in the 65th minute after a neat build-up. Donaldson played the ball out to Johnson on the right wing. Johnson’s pass into the box found Vicente, who had his back to goal, but laid the ball back to tee up Ross Adams for a shot into the top corner.

It was 3-0 in the 76th minute as Donaldson got to the bye-line and delivered a rabona cross to the far post for the incoming David Lawrence to head home.

It should have been four in the 81st minute when Louis Smith went on a run and crossed to the far post, but Vicente put the ball over the bar from close range. Two minutes later it was four, as Donaldson threaded a pass through to Jonathan Lacey, who sidestepped a defender before shooting home his 27th goal of the season. Lacey should have had another in the 86th minute when another Donaldson pass put him through, but his shot deflected off a defender.

The result will put the Green side in good stead for their St Mary’s Cup quarter-final at Oxhey Jets, which is finally being played this coming Thursday night, kick-off 7.30 pm.

Leverstock Green and Oxhey Jets shared the points in a 1-1 draw at Pancake Lane on Tuesday night. It was a typical end-of-season affair between two mid-table clubs, and didn’t really get going until the second half.

The first half saw few chances at either end. In the 5th minute Curtis Donaldson chipped a great 50-yard pass to find Jonathan Lacey on the edge of the box, but Lacey couldn’t quite get the ball under control to get a shot away. Five minutes later at the other end, Sim Armstrong rose highest at a corner but his header was high and wide. In the 15th minute Danilson Vicente put over an excellent cross to the far post, but Shane Wood didn’t quite make proper contact with his header. Oxhey came closest to scoring in the 32nd minute when a long-range shot from Scott Pugsley hit the outside of the post.

Seven minutes into the second half a pass from Vicente put Lacey in on goal, but his shot was saved by keeper Rob Partington. Oxhey had another near miss on 56 minutes when a free kick floated into the box resulted in a goalmouth scramble in which Liam Jahn pulled off a point-blank save from Armstrong. However, from the resulting corner Armstrong came in with a powerful header to put the visitors into a 57th minute lead.

Pugsley hit the post for a second time with a shot in the 71st minute, and it had been Oxhey who had looked most likely to score for most of the half. However, Leverstock finally started playing some football, and a shot from Donaldson brought a save out of Partington not long before Leverstock created an equaliser in the 76th minute.Donaldson delivered a great cross from near the left touchline and Lacey got up to meet it with the faintest of flick headers that diverted the ball into the corner of the net.

From then on it was Leverstock who looked most likely to win the game, and they had two very good chances to do so. In the 86th minute a pass from Lacey found its way through to Vicente, who was clean through with only Partington to beat, but the keeper pulled off a great save. A minute later another dangerous cross from the left touchline found Lewis Davis six yards out but his header went over the bar.

In the end the draw was a fair result from a game in which the performance of the referee raised more talking points than much of the football on display., with neither side being happy at some of his key decisions. The points moves Leverstock back up into 11th place ahead of Crawley Green, and they have four games left to defend their top-half placing, starting with a home game against already-relegated FC Broxbourne Borough on Saturday.

Leverstock Green ended a run of six games without a win with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Biggleswade United in Saturday’s SSML Premier Division game at a warm and sunny Pancake Lane.

After a quiet opening to the game, Leverstock took the lead in the 14th minute. Jonathan Lacey blocked a clearance by the visitors and it fell into the path of Curtis Donaldson, who ran on to the edge of the penalty area and hit a superb shot into the top corner of the net for his 26th goal of the season.

Liam Jahn denied Biggleswade an equaliser three minutes later when he turned away a free kick from Gareth Hunt, however, the equaliser came in the 19th minute from a free kick further out by the right touchline. As the ball was floated in towards the far post, it was allowed to drop, and Simen Moller came in unchallenged to hit a low first time shot past Jahn to level the scores.

Four minutes later Moller looked to be through on goal, but Jahn came out of his area to chest the ball away, and an effort on the rebound landed wide of the goal. At the other end on 28 minutes a great pass from Lewis Bowers gave Lacey a run at goal, but his shot was tipped over by visiting keeper Robbie Ponting.

The scores were level at half time, and Biggleswade almost went in front in the opening minute of the second half, but a floated shot from Charlie Joy went just over the bar. Leverstock regained the lead in the 53rd minute when Donaldson was put away by a ball down the right and got to the bye-line, where he pulled it back for Danilson Vicente to slot home his first goal for two months.

Vicente had another attempt on 59 minutes with a volley from distance, but it was saved by Ponting, and seconds later Vicente and Lacey combined to set up a shot for Reynaldo Carbon which was deflected wide.

The remainder of the game saw few chances at either end. The visitors played the ball around well, but the Leverstock defence held firm until the end, and there was to be no repeat of Tuesday night’s late collapse. Nine minutes from time there was a first team debut for under-18 midfielder David Serinolli, making three players on the pitch along with Lacey and Luke Nugent who have stepped up from the under-18s this season.

Leverstock have five league games remaining, the first of them at home to Oxhey Jets on Tuesday night.

With 86 minutes played, Leverstock Green looked to be returning to winning ways as they comfortably led 3-0 against a ten man Stotfold side. Little more than six minutes later they were left with just one point as Stotfold pulled off an unlikely comeback. Stotfold’s point was not undeserved, as they had played well and missed a host of chances, but the manner in which the Leverstock side threw away their three-goal lead was very disappointing.

Stotfold could have taken the lead in the opening minute when an ill-advised throw-in put the Green defence under pressure, but Jake Long shot into the side netting from a good chance. At the other end in the 5th minute the visitors’ keeper Matt Fallon pulled off a good save to turn a header from Jonathan Lacey round the post after a great cross from Luke Preedy. From the resulting corner Brima Johnson, Danilson Vicente and Lacey all had efforts in a goalmouth scramble but none of them could put the ball away.

Stotfold had another great chance in the 9th minute when a pass through the middle put Daniel Bond clean through. Mark Berg stayed in his area, giving Bond the chance to send a lob over him, but the ball bounced just wide.

Leverstock took the lead in the 21st minute. A ball forward from Preedy just eluded Lacey, but defensive hesitation allowed Curtis Donaldson to pounce on the loose ball and burst clear. Donaldson could have taken it on himself, but instead chose to square for Lacey to slot home the opening goal.

There was another chance for Stotfold on 30 minutes when they won the ball near the corner flag, but the near-post header from the resulting cross was wide. Five minutes later they had a good shout for a penalty when Kendall Allen clearly handled in the box from a corner, but the referee didn’t see it.

Two minutes before the break a pass from Lewis Davis put Lacey through on goal, but he was brought down on the edge of the penalty area by a push from defender Karl Dean. After consulting his linesman, the referee awarded a free kick just outside the box, but showed a straight red to Dean for denying the goalscoring opportunity. It proved as good as a penalty though, as Donaldson blasted the free kick through the wall to send Leverstock into the break with a 2-0 lead.

Another Stotfold chance went begging on 52 minutes when Tom Oram had a free header from a corner, but put it over the bar. Leverstock were forced into a change on 56 minutes when Preedy limped off injured, to be replaced by Ben Darby, returning from a long injury lay-off. The game looked to be over when Leverstock scored their third goal in the 65th minute, a pass from Ross Adams putting Donaldson through to send a lob over Fallon which just found the net despite the attempts of a defender to slid in and clear it.

Leverstock made two further changes at the back midway through the half, although with all three subs having been used, both Darby and Davis were struggling with cramp towards the end of the game. The 3-0 lead was still intact when Stotfold won a corner in the 87th minute. Drew Cardines curled in an inswinger that Berg realised too late was heading for the top corner, and despite backpedalling he was unable to prevent the ball creeping in just under the angle for an unusual goal which, at this stage, still looked like just a consolation.

However, the Stotfold side sensed the chance for a comeback and upped their game, while the Leverstock defence had switched off. In the 89th minute Bond hit a shot which went just over the bar. In the first minute of stoppage time the Green defence was suicidally playing the ball around in their own half and gave it away, and a couple of passes later George Bates was shooting home a second Stotfold goal. Little over a minute later they pushed forward with pace again against a shellshocked Green defence and Cardines slotted home the equaliser. There was barely time to restart the game before the referee blew the final whistle on an extraordinary ending.

The result ended a run of three straight defeats for the Leverstock side, although it will feel like another defeat. It was the fourth time in the space of six weeks that Leverstock have failed to beat a side reduced to ten men for a significant portion of the game. Next up is a home game against Biggleswade United on Saturday.