Leverstock Green continued their winning start to their league season, as they turned in a superb display to come away from Aylesbury Vale Dynamos with a deserved 4-1 win to make it two wins from two games. It’s very early days, but Fergus Moore’s side sit at the top of the league after this result which featured a masterclass from veteran forward Scott McGleish and four classic poachers’ finishes from two young strikers.

Ollie Lawford came into the side for his first competitive action of the season, and was soon getting on the end of chances. In the 15th minute McGleish flicked on a goal kick into Lawford’s path, but his shot from a narrow angle was just over the bar. Four minutes later a pass from Kian Wilkes put Lawford in again, but this time his shot was wide. A great move in the 24th minute ended with McGleish playing a pass in behind the defence for Isiah Noel-Williams, who again couldn’t get an effort on target, his shot going inches over the bar.

The shots continued to come, with Ethan Mooney shooting a yard wide from the edge of the box on 30 minutes, McGleish hitting a shot wide a minute later, and again on 39 minutes from a free kick. However, in the 43rd minute Mooney made a superb break down the left wing, outpacing the chasing defenders before delivering a cross into the six yard box where Lawford was there to shoot home the opening goal and send Leverstock into the break with a 1-0 lead after a half in which they had been well on top.

Leverstock continued to dominate in the second half, and added a second goal on 52 minutes. Kian Wilkes delivered a low cross from near the bye-line, and Lawford met it with a glancing sidefoot to score his second of the match.

McGleish left the action on 68 minutes after a fantastic shift, and was replaced by Mikkel James, who wasted no time in getting involved. Within two minutes of coming on, James slid in to meet a cross from Noel-Williams but just failed to make contact. However, the ball ran through to Mooney, who crossed it back in and this time James was there with a glancing header to put Leverstock into a 3-0 lead.

The home side had produced little to trouble Leverstock keeper Juliusz Pazio on his debut, but on 82 minutes they pulled a goal back. Chris Shennan pulled the back back from the bye-line for Callum Shortt to finish from close range. However, Leverstock restored their three-goal lead three minutes later. Paplamin Jawara cleared the ball from his own box to find Noel-Williams, who set off on a run from the halfway line before threading a pass through for James to slot home his second of the match, completing a final scoreline of 4-1.

Aylesbury Vale Dynamos (0) 1 (Shortt 82)
Team: 1. Dan McAteer, 2. Luke Nugent, 3. Dan Wilson, 4. Paolo Bagatti, 5. Terry Griffths, 6. Tom McElroy (15. Archie Clarke 55 mins), 7. Ollie Lemon (12. Charlie Ogle 61 mins), 8. Alfi Touceda, 9. Jake Baldwin (16. Chris Shennan 74 mins), 10. Will Foley, 11. Callum Shortt. Subs not used: 14. Marcus Rivers, 17. Dan Ball.

Leverstock Green (1) 4 (Lawford 43, 52, James 70, 85)
1. Juliusz Pazio, 2. Adrian Pitfield, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Brima Johnson, 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Ethan Mooney, 8. Kian Wilkes (15. Paplamin Jawara 72 mins), 9. Scott McGleish (12. Mikkel James 68 mins), 10. Ollie Lawford (14. Rawn Seale 72 mins), 11. Isiah Noel-Williams. Subs not used: 17. Harry Bonner, 18. Alfie Bonfield.

 

Leverstock Green opened their league season with a defeat as they went down 3-1 at Aylesbury Vale Dynamos on Tuesday night. It was mostly an evenly-contested game, but the home side proved more clinical in their finishing.

Sidney Gueye had the game’s first chance in the 5th minute for Leverstock, but his shot from the edge of the box went just wide. Matt Fallon was forced into a save in the 11th minute, and two minutes later produced a double save as Leverstock struggled to clear a corner.

Luke Peerless got on the end of a free kick in the 15th minute, but his header was comfortably saved by home keeper Archie Davis, and Davis gathered again in the 29th minute when Micky Shuttlewood dived in to meet a free kick with a header. Seconds later the ball was at the other end, and a shot from Lamar Mason-Williams took a deflection off a defender which took it just out of Fallon’s reach and into the corner of the net to give Aylesbury a 1-0 lead.

The second half proved a similar story, as Leverstock had another chance in the 47th minute with Guiseppe Delgaudio getting on the end of a free kick, but again it was saved by Davis. Three minutes later the home side doubled their lead, and it was unfortunate for Jamie Ovington, as his attempted clearance cannoned off of Daniel Lambeth, who then won the race for the rebound and was clean through to slot home the second goal.

In the 59th minute Davis pulled off his best save of the night to tip over a close-range shot from Shuttlewood that looked certain to put Leverstock back in the game.

A third goal for Aylesbury six minutes from time sealed the match, as Leverstock were caught short at the back after a mistake, leaving Alfie Gaspar all alone to slot home from the edge of the box.

There was a brief glimmer of hope in the 87th minute when Leverstock pulled a goal back. Shuttlewood won a challenge with Davis in the box, and as the ball came down, he hooked it over the keeper into the net. Aylesbury were reduced to ten men in stoppage time when Dave Brown was shown a straight red card for a two-footed tackle on Elgeniy Daalberg, but there was no time left for Leverstock to take advantage.

Aylesbury Vale Dynamos (1) 3 (Mason-Williams 29, Lambeth 50, Gaspar 84)
Team: 1. Archie Davis, 2. Joshua Adjei, 3. Jake Baldwin, 4. Dave Brown, 6. Ben Gill, 7. Lamar Mason-Williams, 8. Alfi Touceda, 9. Daniel Lambeth (12. Kevin Owusu 90 mins), 10. Darnell Ramsey (14. Alfie Gaspar 61 mins), 11. Charlie Jackson (16. Schradhac Divova 87 mins), 18. Alex McGowen.
Subs not used: 15. Dan Wilson, 17. Edward Gyamfi.

Leverstock Green (0) 1 (Shuttlewood 87)
Team: 1. Matt Fallon, 2. Brima Johnson, 3. Dan Weeks, 4. Jamie Ovington, 5. Mickey Shuttlewood, 6. Jack Stevens (12. Frank Jowle 39 mins), 7. James Hall, 8. Luke Peerless, 9. Sidney Gueye (17. Elgeniy Daalberg 60 mins), 10. John Smith, 11. Guiseppe Delgaudio (15. Adiel Mannion 51 mins).
Subs not used: 14. Kian Wilkes, 16. Gary Wallace.