Leverstock Green went six points clear at the top of the SSML Premier Division as they notched their seventh win from seven league games against St Margaretsbury at Pancake Lane on Tuesday night. The scoreline was harsh on the visitors, who staged a spirited comeback in the second half, but two late goals on the break ensured another three points for Steve Heath's side.

This was a highly entertaining game with plenty of chances and near misses at both ends. In the 7th minute Jon Davies headed against the bar from a Lee Bircham corner. On 18 minutes Bircham won the ball with a sliding tackle in midfield, and Paul Insley put Lewis Pritchard through on goal, but Pritchard's eventual shot was deflected wide. A minute later St Margaretsbury had their nearest miss when Anthony Anstead's run set up Ollie Sharman for a shot from the edge of the box which went just over the bar.

The flurry of chances continued, with Davies playing a great crossfield ball to Bekim Culaj, who squared across goal for Pritchard, but he spooned his shot over the bar. Davies had a crack at goal with a long range effort on 22 minutes which keeper Matt Deamer did well to turn round the post. Probably the best chance of the half came on 39 minutes when Pritchard put the ball across the face of goal and Insley came in at the far post to finish, only to pull his shot across goal and wide.

The game somehow got to the break goalless, and it looked as though it might be one of those nights when Pritchard hit a shot on 49 minutes which hit the inside of the left post and somehow flew across goal and went wide of the other post. However, three minutes later Pritchard made a great run into the right side of the penalty area and squared across the box for Culaj to sidefoot home a low shot into the corner of the net to finally open the scoring.

It got even better for the Green on 58 minutes. Insley had the ball down by the corner flag, but turned quickly and nutmegged defender Tom Scriven before pulling the ball back for Culaj to slot home a second goal and seemingly put Leverstock in control.

However, after three substitutions St Margaretsbury made a strong comeback, and on 70 minutes they pulled a goal back with an audacious lob by Anstead from the edge of the box. The ball flew over the outstretched arm of Carl Tasker and dipped just under the bar.

Leverstock could have added a third on 77 minutes when a shot from Pritchard deflected into the path of Insley, who looked certain to score, but Louis Wylie somehow got across to clear the ball off the line. A minute later at the other end Tasker pulled off a superb save to tip over a shot from Anstead, and Wylie shot across goal and wide from a great chance seconds later.

The Green goal came under siege over the closing minutes, but the visitors paid the price when they were caught on the break three minutes from time. The ball was cleared to Pritchard, who held the ball up on the halfway line before feeding in Ben Butler, and Butler laid off to the overlapping Adam Hallissey, who rounded Deamer to score just three minutes after coming off the bench.

That was enough to finally clinch the win, but a fourth goal was added in the last minute when Culaj set up Glenn Thompson to score his first senior goal from close range. Next up for Leverstock is a tough trip to AFC Dunstable on Saturday.