Leverstock Green won their second straight match with another impressive attacking display, although the result ended up being closer than it should have been after the Green side threatened to blow a three-goal lead. Leverstock’s forward line was on fire, with Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica following up his two goals at the weekend by bagging his first hat-trick for the club.

There was a debut for another new goalkeeper, with Zak Galatis drafted into the squad to replace the unwell Austin Byfield. Leverstock looked bright from the off, with Stefanoaica hitting a shot into the side netting in the 11th minute. Five minutes later Chris Blunden was set free down the left and sent over a cross which found Dan Pett, but his header was saved. Ethan Mooney went close twice before the Green took the lead in the 22nd minute. A throw-in was headed away to the edge of the box, where Blunden met it with a thunderous volley that flew through a crowd of players into the net.

Alvin Kyeremeh went close to adding a second in the 28th minute, but his header from a corner was cleared off the line. At the other end the home side had a couple of chances in quick succession, firstly when a low cross from Curtis Brown was palmed away by Galatis with Abu Khan coming in at the far post, and secondly when Jake Baldwin was through on goal but shot into the side netting.

That miss proved to be crucial as Leverstock added a second in the 34th minute. A crossfield pass from Blunden found Mooney, who slipped a pass inside to Pett. Pett squared to Blunden, whose shot was blocked on the line but Stefanoaica put away the rebound for a 2-0 lead.

It should have been three in first half stoppage time when a pass from Blunden put Stefanoaica through on goal, but his eventual shot was comfortably gathered by keeper Charlie Jones.

Leverstock continued to impress in the second half and added a third goal in the 65th minute. Kurainashe Musanhi pushed forward and found Blunden, who pulled the ball back into the six-yard box. Jones should have gathered the ball but hesitated, and Stefanoaica pounced instantly to shoot home.

However, what looked like a comfortable three-goal lead evaporated over the next four minutes. In the 66th minute Aylesbury pulled a goal back when a cross from Max Rosner was headed into his own net by a Leverstock defender. Suddenly there was panic in the Green defence, and in the 69th minute Baldwin burst through to shoot home a second Aylesbury goal which put his side firmly back in the game.

The scores could have been levelled in the 71st minute as Baldwin had another shooting chance but put it across goal and wide. Leverstock eventually recovered their composure, though, and in the 80th minute they re-established a two-goal cushion. Rio Beach chipped a superb pass into the run of Stefanoaica, and he met it with a rasping first-time volley that flew past Jones for a 4-2 lead.

The home side still refused to roll over, and Leverstock needed a save from Galatis in the 90th minute when Baldwin was through on goal to maintain their two-goal lead. In the end Leverstock came through for a big three points which keeps them in contention for a top six finish.

Stefanoaica’s hat-trick got him the MOM nomination, but there were several other outstanding performances including Blunden, and Danny May who gave another great display at the back. The 4-2 win emulated the performance of the Under-18 side who won by the same score at the same venue five days earlier.

Aylesbury Vale Dynamos (0) 2 (og 66, Baldwin 69)
1.Charlie Jones, 2. Max Rosner, 3. Jack Empson (14. Jet Dyer H/T), 4. Antonio Ianelli, 5. Terry Griffiths, 6. Charlie Attwell (16. Harley Fonti 86 mins), 7. Curtis Brown, 8. Cameron Cook (15. Ryan Lynch H/T), 9. Jake Baldwin, 10. Charlie Jackson, 11. Abu Khan (12. Justin Griffith 86 mins).
Leverstock Green (2) 4 (Blunden 22, Stefanoaica 34, 65, 80)
1. Zak Galatis, 2. Danny May, 3. Kurainashe Musanhi (15. Adrian Pitfield 67 mins), 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Alvin Kyeremeh, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Ethan Mooney, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Chris Blunden, 10. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica (14. Ayomide Oke 88 mins), 11. Rio Beach. Subs not used: 12. Elgeniy Daalberg, 16. John Shamalo, 20. Fergus Moore.