Leverstock Green completed a clean sweep of their pre-season games with a 5-1 win over Broadfields United, who last season finished 4th in SSML Division One and won the Challenge Trophy. All of the Leverstock goals were scored in an impressive first half display.

Alex Witham followed up his hat-trick at Risborough on Tuesday with two more goals, the first of which opened the scoring in the 9th minute. Witham ran with the ball before unleashing a shot from just outside the penalty area into the top corner of the net. Leverstock’s second goal came in the 23rd minute as Tom Silford crossed from the left and Jonny Miller headed home.

It should have been 3-0 in the 28th minute when a misplaced pass in defence left Chris Blunden through on goal, but the visiting keeper pulled off a great save to turn Blunden’s shot round the post. Witham went close again in the 36th minute with a shot that took a deflection and was tipped onto the post by the keeper.

Two minutes later Jonathan Lacey had a run at goal before hitting a shot that was saved by the keeper, but Blunden followed up to net the third Leverstock goal. In the 41st minute a deflected cross dropped for Blunden on the edge of the penalty, and he curled a low shot into the bottom corner of the net for his second and Leverstock’s fourth goal. A minute before the break Witham scored his second, slotting past the keeper from a narrow angle.

An off-the-ball incident between Silford and a Broadfields player on the half-time whistle led to both players being absent from the second half. Broadfields hit the bar with a shot on 51 minutes and pulled a goal back ten minutes later. Leverstock made several changes during the second half, but couldn’t add any further goals, with the best effort being a long-range shot from Lacey which was saved on 65 minutes.

Join manager Peter Waller described the second half as “lacklustre” after an excellent first half, but said that there were many positives to take from the game.

Starting XI: Arvydus Kacinkevicius, Jonny Miller, Brima Johnson, Elliott Dobbs, Jude Bell, Seldyn Grant, Mark Smith, Alex Witham, Chris Blunden, Jonathan Lacey, Tom Silford. Subs used included: Sam Nair, Reynaldo Carbon, Luke Nugent and DJ Brown.

Next Saturday Leverstock begin their SSML Premier Division campaign with a visit to London Colney.

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Leverstock Green registered their third win from three pre-season games as they came from behind to beat Southern League side Aylesbury F.C. 2-1 in Tuesday night’s game at Pancake Lane.

Jonathan Lacey had the Green side’s first effort of the night with a shot that went just wide in the 5th minute. Chris Blunden went even closer from a free kick just outside the box in the 18th minute. However, it was the visitors, managed by former Leighton Town boss Scott Reynolds, who took the lead two minutes later from a free kick to the right of the penalty area, Ware’s cross being headed home by Aaron King.

Luke Preedy had Leverstock’s third effort of the night with a shot that was well saved by Aylesbury keeper Nick Bennion, while the visitors went close again in the 34th minute as Matt Hall went on a solo run from the halfway line before his shot was cleared off the line by Green defender Elliott Dobbs. In the last minute of the half Leverstock had their best effort so far as Tom Silford played a one-two with Lacey to go clean through on Bennion, but the keeper came off his line to pull off a good save.

In the opening minute of the second half Blunden was found by a cross to the far post, but hit his shot over the bar. Three minutes later Leverstock keeper Sam Szymck pulled off a great save to tip a shot from Bruno Brito over the bar. In the 52nd minute the Green scored a deserved equaliser with a well-worked move. Alex Marsh, Shane Wood, Jonathan Lacey and Chris Blunden were all involved in the build-up before Lacey laid the ball off for Luke Preedy to slot home for 1-1.

The visitors could have gone back in front two minutes later when Szymck was caught off his line by a lob, but Wood cleared off the line. A minute later Wood was at the other end with a header that went just over the bar. Over the last 30 minutes of the game Leverstock made five changes but still kept up the level of performance. In the 76th minute they took the lead with something of a bolt from the blue as Jordan Goode hit a superb strike from 25 yards into the top corner of the net for what proved to be the winner.

It was an impressive display all-round for Mark Royal and Pete Waller’s side against a good side from a higher level. They have two further pre-season games to play; away to Risborough Rangers next Tuesday night, and at home to Broadfields United the following Saturday, before the Spartan South Midlands League season begins on Saturday 4th August.

Team: Sam Szymck, Alex Marsh (Luke Nugent 72 mins), Brima Johnson, Shane Wood (Max Jessop 62 mins), Elliott Dobbs (Seldyn Grant 78 mins), Johnny Miller, Jordan Goode, Luke Preedy, Chris Blunden (Nick Jackson 72 mins), Jonathan Lacey (Tom Coulter 72 mins), Tom Silford.

Goalscorers: Luke Preedy, Jonathan Lacey, Chris Blunden (pen), Nick Jackson.

Goalscorers: Jonathan Lacey, Chris Blunden, Jude Bell.