Leverstock Green came away with a point from a hard-fought Southern League Division One Central match at Flackwell Heath on Saturday. As has been the case in all of Leverstock’s league games since the opening 0-0 draw, they scored the game’s first goal, but having been pegged back in the second half they held on to claim a deserved point.

Fergus Moore added more experience to his back line with the signing of the much-travelled Tommy Boxer during the week, and the big central defender gave an assured performance on his debut.

The home side came close to opening the scoring in the 11th minute on a counter-attack. Eli Grant was found in space on the far side of the penalty area, and pulled it back for Jamie Ayres, whose shot was goalbound until Nat Connolly got his boot to it to deflect it wide. Leverstock had a chance in the 20th minute when Iker Noguera Leon found himself through on keeper Jack Brooker, but didn’t make proper contact with his shot and Brooker gathered.

Two minutes later it was Joe McCarthy who was through on Brooker, and again the keeper blocked the shot, but the rebound came out to Leon, who drilled a shot from the edge of the box that went in off the post for his sixth goal of the season, putting Leverstock into a 1-0 lead.

Flackwell went close in the 25th minute when a long-range shot from Matty Ayres flew just over the bar, and again on 38 minutes when a shot from Lewis Patrick looped up from a deflection and landed on top of the bar. However, Leverstock took their narrow lead into the break.

Four minutes into the second half a cross from Juan Pablo Velasco found McCarthy coming in, but his header went over the bar, and Velasco went close himself with a chip just over the bar in the 53rd minute.

Flackwell made a double substitution in the 57th minute, and had another good chance three minutes later. A slick passing move put Matty Ayres through on goal, but Harry Way produced a great save to keep his shot out. However, in the 65th minute the scores were levelled. A free kick found its way to the far post where substitute Harlem Hale was in space to shoot past Way from close range.

Neither side had much of a clear cut chance for the remainder of the game, much of which was played in heavy rain, and Flackwell were reduced to ten men in the 83rd minute when Ayoub Igozouln was shown a straight red card for retaliation against Velasco.

Flackwell Heath (0) 1 (Hale 65)
1. Jack Brooker, 2. Ryan Avery, 3. Lewis Patrick, 4. Harry Mepham (12. Ayoub Igozouln 65 mins), 5. Callum Mapley, 6. Lewis Pegg, 7. Jamie Ayres, 8. Matty Ayres (16. Josh Light 85 mins), 9. Jabir Laraba (15. Harlem Hale 57 mins), 10. Ben Stallard (17. Charlie Bacon 57 mins), 11.Eli Grant (14. Connor Young 78 mins)
Leverstock Green (1) 1 (Leon 22)
1. Harry Way, 2. Callum Neal, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Josh Dooley, 6. Nat Connolly (14. Oliver Glimas 72 mins), 7. Joe McCarthy (15. John Gyabaah 62 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Jeffrey Sekyere, 10. Juan Pablo Velasco, 11. Iker Noguera Leon (19. Joel Onu 71 mins), 20. Tommy Boxer (16. Aldo Petagine 78 mins). Sub not used: 12. Justin Dass.

Leverstock Green made a bright start in their visit to playoff-chasing Flackwell Heath on Saturday, but an early red card made the game much tougher and eventually the home side came through to beat Leverstock’s ten men.

There were a few key players missing from the Leverstock side, including Jeffrey Sekyere, who had been recalled by Wealdstone, but deadline day signings Tomasz Siemienczuk and Aaron Burton were both in the starting lineup.

It was Burton, signed on work experience from Watford, who got Leverstock off to a great start with a goal on his debut in the 4th minute. After Dan Pett’s free kick into the box was not cleared, Burton hit a shot from the edge of the box which took a deflection and looped over the keeper into the net.

However, four minutes later Leverstock’s ranks were reduced. Wiktor Makowski took advantage of a short goal kick to go through on goal. Ademide Baruwa’s challenge from behind brought Makowski down just outside the box, and although there were possibly two covering defenders, Baruwa was shown a red card.

Leverstock could have had a penalty shortly afterwards when Siemienczuk appeared to be fouled in the box, but the referee gave a free kick the other way. Leverstock defended well to maintain their lead until the 30th minute, when Jack Shakespeare hit a fierce shot from outside the box which gave Ryan North no chance and levelled the scores.

Flackwell could have gone in front three minutes before the break when Edward Lee was through on goal, but his shot hit the post and the rebound went straight into North’s hands.

The scores were level going into the second half, but two early goals put the home side in the driving seat. In the 50th minute a cross to the far post found Lewis Patrick all alone to shoot Flackwell into the lead, and three minutes later Patrick found the net again, cutting in from the bye-line to hit a shot from a narrow angle which looped over North.

Leverstock had another penalty appeal for a clear handball turned down later in the half, but they were unable to create any chances to get back into the game, while some last-ditch interventions at the other end prevented Flackwell from adding to their score.

Leverstock now face Northwood at home in a crucial game on Tuesday night, with the three clubs competing for the one place of safety now separated by three points after today’s results.

Flackwell Heath (1) 3 (Shakespeare 30, Patrick 50, 53)
1. Carl Dennison, 2. Ryan Avery, 3. Lewis Patrick, 4. Callum Mapley, 5. Louis Bouwers, 6. Mark Nisbet (14. Louis Walsh 56 mins), 7. Jamie Ayres (16. Philip Pryor 84 mins), 8. Lewis Pegg (15. Ben Stallard 69 mins), 9. Wiktor Makowski (17. Dylan Kearney 76 mins), 10. Jack Shakespeare, 11. Edward Lee (12. Michael Harding 56 mins).
Leverstock Green (1) 1 (Burton 4)
1. Ryan North, 2. Nat Connolly, 3. Ademide Baruwa, 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Aaron Burton, 6. Ryan Carruthers (14. Antonio Edubatey 76 mins), 7. Ethan Mooney (16. Callum Neal 67 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Tomasz Siemienczuk (17. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica 71 mins), 10. Marcus Warren (12. Lewis Collins 58 mins), 11. Rawn Seale (15. Keanu Fleming 84 mins).