Leverstock Green got the new year off to the best possible start as they produced a superb display to beat London Colney, who were ten points clear at the top of the league at the start of play, in a seven-goal thriller at Pancake Lane.

Scott Dash’s side had to overcome adversity to get the result, as they were without centre-backs Shane Wood and Jack Watts, who were both suspended, young keeper Mark Berg played with a hamstring injury, and two players had to leave the game through illness at half time. Lewis Bowers switched from centre-forward to centre-back and gave a man-of-the-match performance.

The game got off an excellent start for the Green side. In the third minute a superb through pass from Jonathan Lacey allowed Curtis Donaldson to outpace the last defender and take the ball past keeper Tom Cowans before slotting into the empty net for the opening goal.

The visitors came close to levelling in the 10th minute as Tom Silford got to a cross ahead of Berg but headed wide. Their eventual equaliser came in the 30th minute as a result of Leverstock giving the ball away in midfield. Jon Clements played it through to Archie McClelland, and although Berg got a boot onto McClelland’s shot, he could not prevent it going into the net.

Four minutes later McClelland was in again as a pass allowed him to get between two defenders. George Biggadike came in with a sliding tackle from behind and appeared to get the ball, but the referee blew for a penalty. Colney skipper Greg Shaw netted the spot kick to put his side 2-1 ahead.

The visitors’ attacking play was beginning to show why they were top of the league, and they might have been expected to go on and win the game from there. However, four minutes later Zak Howells delivered an excellent cross into the box from deep, and Tremayne Charles thundered into the six-yard box to volley home from close range and level the scores at 2-2.

Two minutes into first half stoppage time, London Colney won a free kick in a dangerous position near the goal line. The initial cross was headed away, but when Gregg Douglas crossed the ball in again, Clements was unmarked to head his side into a 3-2 lead despite protests that he was offside.

Going behind just before the break could have been a damaging psychological blow for the Green side, but within a minute they had won a corner at the other end. The ball was not cleared, and as a shot from Lewis Davis was blocked on the line, Danilson Vicente came in to net the rebound and send the sides into half-time level at 3-3.

There were two enforced changes at half-time as both Tremayne Charles and Ben Darby had started the game suffering from illness and neither were able to continue. Louis Smith and Luke Marsh came on in their place. Despite their problems, it was Leverstock who made much the better start to the second half, helped by Colney losing defender Ricky Brennan to injury within two minutes of the restart.

In the 49th minute a corner from Donaldson went right across the face of goal and was headed wide by Davis at the far post. Seconds later Lacey played a one-two with Vicente before hitting a shot that was saved by Cowans. Another corner in the 54th minute saw Leverstock take a deserved lead. Donaldson’s corner was met by a header from Bowers which was blocked on the line, but Vicente followed up again to net the loose ball for a 4-3 lead.

Leverstock continued to enjoy more of the possession, but the visitors still threatened on the break. On the hour Berg produced a spectacular save to tip a looping header from Mark Riddick onto the bar. Six minutes later Shaw shot just wide from a good chance on the edge of the box. There was almost a fifth Leverstock goal nine minutes from time when Lacey crossed for Donaldson to turn and shoot, but Cowans pulled off a good save. Ashley Morrissey squandered another good chance for Colney six minutes from time when he put the ball over the bar from six yards out.

Berg produced more heroics during stoppage time, firstly coming off his line to block Clements, who was clean through. In the sixth minute of stoppage time, Leverstock conceded a free kick in a dangerous position to the left of the penalty area. As the cross came over, a header looked goalbound, but Berg somehow managed to clear the ball off the line, and seconds later the final whistle blew to confirm a memorable win for the Leverstock side.

Leverstock remain in ninth position after the win, and have three wins and a draw from their last five league games. They will look to continue their good form in Saturday’s game away to Stotfold.

Leverstock Green’s up-and-down form continued as they followed up a 5-1 defeat and a 4-1 win with a 6-1 home defeat on Saturday to Tring Athletic. It was a close game for an hour, but once Tring’s potent and pacy forward line took control it was only a matter of how many they would get.

Tring should have taken the lead in the 5th minute as Dan Steadman came in unchallenged at a corner but flicked the ball over the bar. Four minutes later Leverstock had their first attack when a pass from Casey Linsell put Tremayne Charles away down the right, but his eventual cross was overhit.

On 15 minutes Kieran Turner hit a shot which went just over the bar via a deflection, and 24 minutes Lee Stobbs missed a good chance for Tring, shooting over the bar after Liam Jahn couldn’t gather a corner. Leverstock had a free kick in a good position on 27 minutes, but Charles’ effort went along the ground and was gathered by Tring keeper Jack Hopwood.

Jahn produced a save from Turner on 31 minutes, and had to produce another one seconds later after a poor throw out went straight to Stobbs. However, a minute later George Brinkman crossed to the far post and Chris Stapleton came in to head Tring into the lead.

Leverstock should have levelled in the 40th minute when a cross from Linsell went across the face of goal to Shane Wood, who put the ball back across goal, but nobody could get the finishing touch. In the last minute of the half Wood slid in at the far post but couldn’t quite connect with a cross from Linsell.

Leverstock had the slope in their favour in the second half and would have started with high hopes, but within 35 seconds of the restart they were two goals down as Turner had the time and space in the box to pick his spot and slot the ball into the corner of the net.

However, a fine move put them back in the game six minutes later. A pass from Ben Darby put Charles away on the right, and his low cross was slotted home at the far post by Ross Adams to reduce the arrears to 2-1. Jonathan Lacey came off the bench three minutes later, and almost made an impact within seconds of coming on as Danilson Vicente chipped a pass through to him, but his shot went just over the angle.

The game was in the balance at this point, but on 61 minutes Chris Vardy put Tring back in control as he latched onto a loose ball inside the box and thumped home a shot to put them 3-1 ahead. A rasping shot from Turner brought another save out of Jahn on 68 minutes, but there was nothing the Green keeper could do about Tring’s 4th goal on 73 minutes as former Leverstock player Stobbs nonchalantly curled a superb shot from the edge of the box into the top corner of the net.

A solo run and shot from Linsell forced a save out of Hopwood on 75 minutes, however the game was only going one way now. In the 83rd minute Turner was brought down by Kendall Allen on a run into the box, and netted the penalty himself to make it 5-1, and barely a minute later Turner got up at the far post for a header which went in off the post to complete his hat-trick and an emphatic 6-1 win.

Next up for Leverstock is a home tie against Stevenage in the second round of the Herts Senior Cup on Tuesday night.

Leverstock Green were unlucky to come away from their game against title contenders Hertford Town with nothing, having competed with them all the way through a tight match of few chances on Saturday.

It was the first game for Scott Dash’s new management team appointees Mark Royal and Peter Waller, and there were three new players in the squad, all signed from Peter Waller’s former club Colney Heath. Tremayne Charles started the match and scored on his debut, while Lewis Davis appeared from the bench and Reynaldo Carbon was an unused substitute.

It was ultimately an unfortunate mistake in the opening minute that cost Leverstock the match. The ball was passed to Kendall Allen in his own half, but Allen slipped when receiving the ball and never had proper control before being robbed by Tommy Wade, who ran through to shoot past Liam Jahn with barely 20 seconds on the clock.

However, Leverstock started to play their way back into the game, and they were level in the 16th minute. Tremayne Charles picked up the ball and headed for goal. Charles was fouled early in his run, but the referee played a good advantage and Charles sped past several defenders before shooting home from the edge of the box for a great equaliser.

Charles had another chance four minutes later from a free kick in a good position, but shot over the bar. On the half-hour there was an almighty scramble in the penalty area as Hertford struggled to clear a Leverstock corner, but nobody could put the ball away. Leverstock would have been good value for going in at half time level, but in first half stoppage time Ross Adams was adjudged to have fouled Brett O’Connor in a run along the bye-line, and Hertford had a penalty. Ed Taylor’s spot kick was not the most well-struck, and Jahn got a strong hand to it, but the ball still somehow trickled over the line just inside the post.

Chances had been in short supply in the first half, and they were almost non-existent during a second half in which the two teams cancelled each other out. The only effort which extended Hertford keeper Jayden Purdue was a shot from Jonathan Lacey, while Adam Murad shot into the side netting for Hertford.

In the first minute of stoppage time Leverstock sub Louis Smith was brought down by a challenge from Taylor, who had already been booked. Taylor was about to be shown a second yellow, but a push on the referee ensured that the card changed to a straight red. However, the free kick was wasted and Hertford’s ten men held out through the rest of stoppage time for the win.

Next up for Leverstock is a home match against Stotfold on Tuesday night.