Match Report
Saturday 6th March 2010 Molten Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division
Langford (0) 0
Leverstock Green (1) 3 Sears 42, 89, Pritchard 84
at Forde Park

Leverstock Green seem to have recovered from their February wobble as they registered a second win in four days. It wasn't anywhere near as good a performance as against Haringey, and it was against the team with the second worst defensive record in the division, but two late goals added gloss to the scoreline.

Steve Heath named an unchanged starting line-up from Tuesday, although there was little evidence of the flowing football displayed on Tuesday in what was mostly a scrappy game of few chances. The first chances for Green came in the 18th minute. Lee Bircham's corner found Dale Sears with a free header, but it was cleared off the line. Lee Johnson fed the ball back to Bircham to cross again, and this time it was Matt Wardle with the free header, but keeper Kevin Lane did well to tip it over the bar.

Two minutes later a ball over the top put Simon Conway clear, but Lane came out of his goal and the two collided on the edge of the penalty area. At first it looked as though the referee would award a penalty, but while Conway was being treated, the referee consulted his linesman, who was much further away from the incident, and ruled that it was a 50-50 challenge, restarting the game with a drop ball.

Leverstock made the breakthrough three minutes before half time. Mark Welling swung over a free kick from the left touchline which found its way to Sears on the far side of the box. Sears juggled the ball over a defender before blasting the ball past Lane from a narrow angle for an impressive finish.

Langford went close to levelling in stoppage time as a corner was swung into the heart of the Green box. Luke Nicholl hooked a shot towards the top corner, but Adam Reid got up to head it off the line and preserve his side's lead into the break.

There was an early chance for Langford in the second half as they broke away in the 51st minute. Lee Harmon played the ball out to Andy Gordon, who got close to the bye-line and whipped the ball across the face of goal, but nobody got on the end of it.

With Leverstock creating little, there was a double substitution in the 68th minute which brought Lewis Pritchard and Daniel Griggs into the game. Still there was little danger to the Langford goal, and Bekim Culaj had to put in a saving tackle on 74 minutes when Harmon threatened to go clean through.

Finally in the 84th minute Green began to threaten again. Pritchard broke away down the left and squared into the box for Wardle, who was thwarted by a defender, but the ball went back to Pritchard, who then shot into the side netting. Seconds later, though, a great pass from Richard Harvey threaded Pritchard through on goal, and he calmly steered the ball past Lane from the edge of the box for a 2-0 lead.

Two minutes from time Green's third substitute Sean Biswell brought a good save out of Lane with a shot from distance. A minute later, though, Griggs put in a great cross which Wardle met with a looping header over Lane. It was probably going in, but Sears followed in to make sure, heading home his second of the game to complete a 3-0 win for Leverstock.

Next up for the Green is a tough home match on Tuesday night against Dunstable Town.

Match Images (click on picture to see full-size)
Video Clips
The two headed chances in the 18th minute of the game.
Langford: 1. Kevin Lane, 2. Luke Nicholl, 3. Paul Donnelly, 4. Adam Pitcairn, 5. Angus Stewart, 6. Paul Donald, 7. Andy Gordon, 8. Lee Pateman (12. Paul Wright 32 mins), 9. Lee Harmon, 10. Kane Dougherty, 11. Ross Scotney. Subs not used: 14. Ethan Draper, 15. Nathan Buckland, 16. Scott Waters.
Leverstock Green: 1. Carl Tasker, 2. Lee Bircham, 3. Bill Morgan, 4. Dale Sears, 5. Lee Johnson, 6. Adam Reid (15. Daniel Griggs 68 mins), 7. Bekim Culaj, 8. Mark Welling (12. Sean Biswell 81 mins), 9. Matt Wardle, 10. Richard Harvey, 11. Simon Conway (14. Lewis Pritchard 68 mins).