Leverstock Green FC bounced back from their defeat to Dunstable Town last week with a 3-1 win away to Shefford Town and Campton in sweltering conditions on Saturday. It was a game that Leverstock generally dominated, and the margin of victory could have been much bigger were it not for an impressive performance from former Leverstock keeper Alfie Bonfield in the Shefford goal.

The first of many chances came in the second minute when a long kick from Austin Byfield found Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica running through on goal. Stefanoaica’s lob cleared Bonfield but landed just the wrong side of the post. In the 7th minute Chris Blunden had a good chance as he turned on the edge of the six yard box and shot, but Bonfield saved. Two minutes later Stefanoaica went on a run down the right before cutting in and heading for goal, but his shot was tipped over the bar by a superb save from Bonfield. Stefanoaica was in again in the 19th minute and took the ball past Bonfield, but was unable to squeeze a shot through the defenders on the line.

The home side’s first chance came in the 38th minute when Dan Hammer got in ahead of a Leverstock Green FC defender to meet a cross with a close-range header, but Byfield did well to turn it away. At the other end a minute later a pass from Dan Pett put Blunden in with a shooting chance. Blunden’s shot was kept out by another superb stop from Bonfield, and Stefanoaica’s effort from the rebound was cleared off the line by Hammer.

With Leverstock’s forwards having no luck in finding the net, it was down to a midfielder to open the scoring. A pass from Blunden put Pett in with a chance, and he hit a beautiful strike from the edge of the box with the outside of his boot that finally saw Bonfield beaten and put Leverstock into a 1-0 lead in the 42nd minute.

The lead could have been doubled in first half stoppage time as a pass from Blunden put Stefanoaica clean through yet again, but again Bonfield produced a save to turn his shot wide, and keep the half time score down to 1-0.

In the 53rd minute another long kick from Byfield put Stefanoaica through on goal again, but this time his lob over Bonfield dropped just over the bar. With so many chances being squandered it left Leverstock Green FC vulnerable to a surprise goal by the home side, and so it proved in the 56th minute as two recently-introduced substitutes combined. Kurtis Alleyne’s pass put Callum Mullins in to shoot past Byfield for the equaliser.

The scores were only level for a couple of minutes, though. In the 59th minute a pass from Blunden put Stefanoaica through yet again, and this time he slotted past Bonfield to put Leverstock back in front at 2-1.

There was a chance for a third goal in the 65th minute as a pass from Stefanoaica set up Dan Weeks with a chance which he struck very well, but again Bonfield was there to turn it round the post. Bonfield pulled off another great save in the 73rd minute to tip a shot from Pett onto the bar, however seconds later Lewis Collins swung over a cross and Stefanoaica came in to head home the third goal from close range.

That proved to be enough for another three points which takes Leverstock Green FC up to sixth place in the Premier Division table.

Shefford Town & Campton FC (0) 1 (Mullins 56)
1. Alfie Bonfield, 2. Ryan Lewis, 3. Chris Uchenna, 6. Dan Hammer, 7. Luke Baranowski, 8. Sam Day, 9. Dimagio Robinson, 10. Devonte Simms, 11. Scott Metcalfe, 14. Louie Dillon, 16. Carmichael Uchenna. Subs (all used): 5. Tariq Foster, 12. Luke Carter, 15. Callum Mullins, 17. Josh Griggs, 20. Kurtis Alleyne.
Leverstock Green FC (1) 3 (Pett 42, Stefanoaica 59, 73)
1. Austin Byfield, 2. Ethan Mooney (17. Mikey Havill-Tierney 83 mins), 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Danny May, 6. Callum Neal (16. Brad Robinson 76 mins), 7. Ryan Carruthers (12. Ademide Baruwa 79 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Chris Blunden (14. Lewis Collins 68 mins), 10. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica (15. Oscar Evans 90+1 mins), 11. Nat Connolly.

A late free kick from Chris Blunden salvaged a point for Leverstock Green from their trip to Shefford Town & Campton on Saturday, although how the Green side did not come away with all three points from a frantic finish to the game is a mystery. Both sides will feel they could have won this very open game with plenty of chances at both ends.

The first chance came with only 30 seconds on the clock. Hesitation inside the Green penalty area left Shefford’s Henry Snee with only Austin Byfield to beat, but the Leverstock keeper pulled off a great save. Leverstock’s first attack came in the 5th minute when Elgeniy Daalberg made a dazzling run down the right before crossing. Chris Blunden laid the ball back to George Mitchell-Gears, but his shot was deflected over the bar.

Four minutes later Ibrahim Nagheeb played a superb pass from his own half to put Mitchell-Gears in behind the last defender, but he delayed his shot a bit too long and was denied by keeper Reece Lewis. It was the home side that opened the scoring in the 13th minute, and there was an element of controversy about it as a Leverstock player looked to have been fouled on the halfway line as Shefford won the ball. A quick break forward saw Leverstock outnumbered at the back as Sam King was played in on the overlap to shoot past Byfield.

There were further chances for Leverstock. Lewis couldn’t hold onto a shot from Richard Ennin in the 22nd minute, but recovered to grab the ball before Blunden could get there. Six minutes later a poor kick out from Lewis went straight to Nagheeb just outside the box, but he shot over the bar. On 31 minutes a backheel from Blunden put Ennin through, but his shot went across goal and wide. The home side were still threatening, and Byfield had to pull off another great save from Sam Day on 34 minutes to keep his side in the game.

More chances came and went in the closing minutes of the half, the last of them falling to Daalberg from a Mitchell-Gears pass, but again the shot was across goal and wide.

Both sides had shots just off target in the opening minutes of the second half, and Shefford had another chance to double their lead on 50 minutes when Scott Metcalfe was through on goal, but Byfield got the faintest of touches to deflect his shot wide. On 69 minutes a throw from Adrian Pitfield got Blunden in behind the defence, but his shot from a narrow angle took a slight deflection off a defender which sent it wide.

Frustration was increasing in the Leverstock side as they still could not find the goal their excellent play had deserved, but five minutes from time they won a free kick in a central position 25 yards out. Blunden stepped up to take the kick and Lewis was left standing as the ball flew into the corner of the net for a long-overdue equaliser.

Leverstock now looked the most likely winners, but still their luck was out. On 87 minutes a shot from Ayomide Oke was pushed onto the post by Lewis. Blunden followed up for the rebound, but again it hit Lewis and the post. A goalmouth scramble ensued from the resulting corner but the ball would not go in. In the 90th minute Blunden got on the end of a cross from Oke with a glancing header that went inches wide. There were threats at both ends during five minutes of stoppage time, and the biggest surprise was that there were only two goals in this game.

The point leaves Leverstock holding on to 7th place with two league games to play.

Shefford Town & Campton (1) 1 (King 13)
1. Reece Lewis, 2. Kane O’Neill, 3. Chris Uchenna, 4. Mark Ansell-Carter (16. Joe Ryan 73 mins), 5. Charlie Milton, 6. Brad Lusty, 7. Mitch Foley, 8. Sam Day, 9. Henry Snee, 10. Sam King, 11. Scott Metcalfe (15. Ash Ingham 76 mins). Subs not used: 12. Dan Hammer, 14. Joe Gauge, 17. Luke Carter.
Leverstock Green (0) 1 (Blunden 85)
1. Austin Byfield, 2. Rio Beach, 3. Kurainashe Musanhi, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Alvin Kyeremeh, 6. Ryan Carruthers (15. Adrian Pitfield 63 mins), 7. Elgeniy Daalberg (12. Raheem Khan 71 mins), 8. Ibrahim Nagheeb, 9. Chris Blunden, 10. George Mitchell-Gears (14. Ayomide Oke 78 mins), 11. Richard Ennin. Sub not used: 20. Fergus Moore, 16. Darren Bonfield.