On a very wet Tuesday night in Tring, Leverstock Green FC came away with a well-earned point. Although Leverstock had the game’s better chances and will feel they should have won the game, a point was a decent result against a Tring side that have been in good form recently and in conditions that were becoming near-farcical by the end.

After a dry few days, the rain started a couple of hours before kick-off, but the referee was happy to start the game after some areas were forked. Leverstock Green FC made a bright start to the game and could have taken an early lead. In the 7th minute a shot from Luke Beckwith was turned round the post by Tring keeper Josh Allen. From the resulting corner Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica got his head to the ball, but Allen produced another great save to tip it over the bar. The Leverstock pressure continued as Callum Neal hit a shot from the edge of the box that went just over the angle of post and bar. Neal was close again in the 17th minute with a shot from another corner that went just wide.

With Leverstock not having turned their early promise into goals, they were vulnerable to a goal against the run of play, and so it proved in the 21st minute. Godlove Oppong got on the end of a corner with an effort that seemed to bounce up and over the reach of Liam Gauthier, although there were protests that Gauthier was being impeded as he tried to reach for the ball.

Leverstock Green FC continued to put pressure on the Tring goal, but they were denied again by Allen in the 35th minute as he turned a shot from Guiseppe Delgaudio round the post. However, two minutes later Ryan Carruthers delivered a superb cross from distance into the box, and Delgaudio got on the end of it with a thunderous header to level the scores at 1-1 against his former club.

Gauthier produced a good save late in the half to turn a shot from Harry Shepherd round the post and send the teams into the break on level terms.

The rain did not relent, and indeed became ever heavier during the second half. With conditions becoming increasingly difficult underfoot, chances were few and far between at both ends, but Leverstock were still able to put together some impressive passages of play. In the 63rd minute Delgaudio went close again with a header from Neal’s cross that went just wide. At the other end Tring threatened occasionally, but their threat was well-handled by the Leverstock defence and the sure hands of Gauthier when he was called into action.

By the end of the game there were sticky patches all over the pitch and spray coming up every time the ball hit the ground. However, Leverstock Green FC almost won it in the 89th minute with a moment of quality from Carruthers, who hit a low shot from distance which was goalbound, but Allen just got a hand to it to turn it round the post. It would have been tough on either side to lose the game at the death, and the draw was a fair result in the end.

Tring Athletic (1) 1 (Oppong 21)
1. Josh Allen, 3. Adam Sawyer, 4. Greg Deer, 8. Jack Harvey, 10. Max Herclues, 13. George Carbery, 14. Elijah Hearn, 16. Dave O’Connor, 18. Godlove Oppong, 19. Harrison Mead, 20. Harry Shepherd. Subs used: 6. Noah Butler, 7. Frankie Hercules, 12. Benjamin Kakembo.
Leverstock Green (1) 1 (Delgaudio 37)
1. Liam Gauthier, 2. Callum Neal, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Paul Marks (15. Josh Dooley 49 mins), 6. Ryan Carruthers, 7. Luke Beckwith, 8. Dan Pett (14. Lewis Collins (82 mins), 9. Guiseppe Delgaudio (12. Ademide Baruwa 76 mins), 10. Nat Connolly (16. Ethan Mooney 72 mins), 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica. Sub not used: 17. Brad Robinson.