Wodson Park

Ware F.C.
Wodson Park,
Wadesmill Road,
Ware,
Hertfordshire
SG12 0UQ

(A) Ware

It was yet another draw for Leverstock Green as they continue to try to find the points to keep themselves in the Southern League. The 1-1 result at Ware was their third straight draw and their 12th in 27 league games.

Both sides had plenty of chances during the game. Jamie Breen hit a shot just over the angle for Leverstock in the 4th minute, while at the other end a minute later Jon Clements hit a shot across goal and wide. A Leverstock mistake in the 15th minute saw the ball given away to Joe Dearman, who ran through on goal but fortunately shot wide. A minute later it was Leverstock who took the lead. Breen made an excellent run down the left wing, beating three players before sending over a cross. Ademide Baruwa laid the ball back to Guiseppe Delgaudio, who struck a shot from the edge of the box which went in off the post for the opening goal.

There were chances for Leverstock to increase their lead. In the 22nd minute a shot from Breen was kept out by the keeper’s legs, while a minute later Baruwa put in a powerful challenge in the box to win the ball before hitting a sweet strike that curled just over the bar. Instead it was Ware that equalised in the 24th minute. Samuel Mayuma was allowed too much room to run at goal and hit a shot which Ryan North parried away, but George Ironton followed up and netted the rebound to level the scores.

The game was still level at the break, and early in the second half Leverstock had another couple of good chances. In the 48th minute Luke Beckwith broke away down the left. His shot was saved by keeper Fred Burbidge, and the rebound fell for Delgaudio, but Burbidge kept out his effort too. A minute later there was another chance for Delgaudio, who got on the end of a great cross from Kyle Connolly, but his header landed on top of the net.

It was then the turn of North to keep Leverstock in the game with a series of great saves, firstly in the 50th minute to deny Stefanos Georgiou from point blank range. North saved again from Dearman in the 53rd minute, and denied Georgiou again two minute later, saving with his legs.

Beckwith went very close with a superb long-range strike in the 62nd minute that flew just over the bar, and North produced his best save of the game in the 75th minute to turn away a fierce strike from Ironton. Neither side was able to break the deadlock over the remaining minutes, and both sides are still looking for their first wins of 2025.

Ware (1) 1 (Ironton 24)
1. Fred Burbidge, 2. Stefanos Georgiou (12. Johnny Allotey 63 mins), 3. Joe Dearman, 4. Chukuma Okotcha, 5. Jay Rolfe, 6. Mackye Townsend-West, 7. George Ironton (16. Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo), 8. Max Granville, 9. Jon Clements, 10. Samuel Mayuma, 11. Gabriel Chapps (15. Thomas Kay 9 mins). Subs not used: 14. David Sota, 19. Lewis Thomas.
Leverstock Green (1) 1 (Delgaudio 16)
1. Ryan North, 2. Lucas Georgiou (12. Lewis Collins 72 mins), 3. Jamie Breen (18. Marcus Warren 79 mins), 4. Dan Weeks, 5. Oliwier Fusiek, 6. Ryan Carruthers (14. Nat Connolly 63 mins), 7. Kyle Connolly, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Guiseppe Delgaudio (15. Keanu Fleming 72 mins), 10. Luke Beckwith, 11. Ademide Baruwa (17. Rawn Seale 52 mins).

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(A) Hoddesdon Town

Leverstock Green suffered spot kick agony as they went out of the Premier Division Cup at the first round stage in a penalty shoot-out. The Green side were very hard done by to lose in such a way after fully playing their part in an exciting cup tie that was fast, frantic and full-blooded throughout.

Hoddesdon had the game’s first near-miss in the 8th minute when Connor Scully broke through after a deflection and hit a shot that brought a great save out of Liam Jahn. However, it was Leverstock who had more of the chances later in the half. In the 24th minute a pass from Curtis Donaldson put Jonathan Lacey in on goal to hit a shot from a narrow angle that was just over the bar. On 30 minutes Leverstock broke quickly from a poor Hoddesdon corner. Lewis Bowers raced into the opposition half and set up Donaldson, whose shot was saved, and Shane Wood’s effort from the rebound was cleared off the line by defender Reece Hackney. Two minutes later Wood had another effort cleared off the line in a goalmouth scramble following a corner.

The game was goalless at half time, but the second half continued the frantic pace of the first half and the goals soon came. With just over a minute played Lewis Smith was put through on goal, but his shot was turned round the post by keeper Harry Smart. Leverstock played a short corner routine, and Donaldson delivered a cross which was perfectly floated for Lewis Bowers to thunder into the six-yard box and head the opening goal.

The lead lasted for ten minutes. A rare piece of slack Leverstock defending saw Wood lose the ball in the box and then overstretch to put in a tackle, resulting in a penalty to Hoddesdon. Charlie Edwards made no mistake from the spot to level the score at 1-1.

However, the Green side continued to push forward. On 59 minutes Donaldson hit a shot from the edge of the box into the side netting. Two minutes later Bowers headed a kick from Jahn onto Lacey, who was tripped in the box resulting in another penalty. Bowers smashed home the spot kick to put Leverstock back in front at 2-1.

This time the lead lasted less than a minute, though, as the Green defence struggled to clear a cross, and in the resulting scramble Brett O’Connor netted from close range to level at 2-2.

On 66 minutes Leverstock were reduced to ten men when Ross Adams was adjudged to have stamped on a Hoddesdon defender in a tussle and was shown a straight red card. However, the ten men remained competitive for the rest of the game. On 79 minutes Leverstock had a great chance on the break with two against two, but Donaldson’s pass was just too far ahead of Bowers, allowing Smart to get there first to clear. Seconds later Donaldson hit a stinger of a shot which Smart did very well to turn over the bar. Hoddesdon had the better of the last few minutes and might have won it in the last minute when a cross from Fraser John found Leigh Rose in front of goal, but he headed straight at Jahn.

With the score 2-2 at the final whistle, the game went into a penalty shoot-out, which was decided by one unfortunate moment as 17 year old Oliseh Okwudi put Leverstock’s second kick over the bar. Neither keeper got close to saving any of the other nine, with Jason Brown scoring the final kick to win it 5-4 for Hoddesdon.

Despite the final outcome, the performance was a continuation of the Leverstock side’s excellent form over the last couple of games, and they should be in confident mood for Saturday’s visit to neighbours Berkhamsted for a league match.

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