Leverstock Green were unable to follow up their midweek win over Hertford with another result today. They were always competitive against a strong Ampthill Town side, but conceding two poor goals proved their downfall.

There were a few changes to the side from midweek, with former Chesham United player Brad Holt coming in for his first start since signing, and striker Brad Wadkins, on a two-month loan from Hendon, came into the side. Tobi Akin returned to the line-up having completed his suspension.

Ampthill were almost in front within 30 seconds. Lea Coulter exploited a hole in the Green defence to get in a shot which looked to be going in until David Bailey produced a great save to turn it round the post. However, Bailey was at fault in the 3rd minute as Ampthill defender Paul Ericsson floated in a cross from way over by the right touchline. Bailey left it, thinking it was going over the bar, but it dipped at the last second into the top corner of the net.

The Leverstock response was good, and they should have equalised within a minute. A threaded pass from James Dabbs put Curt Dizon through on the keeper, but his shot went across goal and just behind Akin, and the chance went away. Five minutes later Dabbs played another good ball to Dizon, who took on a defender before putting in a dangerous cross. Dabbs had continued his run and got on the end of it, but headed wide.

Ampthill were still threatening on a regular basis, keeping Bailey busy with a series of shots, and on 13 minutes a cross from Coulter was only just over the head of Kyle Durcan. On 23 minutes an Ampthill corner was cleared to the halfway line, where Akin took on two defenders and looked to have got a clear run on goal, but Robbie Goodman did well to recover and get in a saving tackle. There should have been more chances as the Green played some good football, but were caught offside too often.

Ampthill suffered two injuries in the first half, with both Paul Lyon and goalscorer Ericsson having to be replaced. They also had their manager Craig Bicknell sent to the stands for arguing with the referee, who had spotted that Coulter was wearing undershorts of the wrong colour and sent him off the pitch to change them, and would not let him return to the game until the ball had gone out of play.

Leverstock went into the break behind, but made a great start to the second half. Ampthill attacked from the kick-off, but lost the ball, and found themselves outnumbered at the back when Wadkins played a pass which put Adam Hallissey away down the left. Hallissey outran a defender and squared perfectly for Akin to slot home the equaliser with less than 20 seconds played since the restart.

Ampthill were forced into a third change just five minutes into the half as Stephan Kemoagna had to limp off the pitch, but they went back in front just after the hour mark with another poor goal from the Green perspective. Bailey didn't get enough distance on his punch from an Ampthill corner, and the ball was never properly cleared. Eventually it came to Hateley Mercer, and while everyone covered the near post, Mercer's cross went to the far post where Goodman came in unmarked to head home a simple goal.

The best chance of a Green equaliser came on 78 minutes when a shot from Hallissey was blocked into the path of Dizon, whose shot was parried by the keeper straight back to him, but he was unable to get any control on the rebound and put the ball wide. The Green side kept battling, but the Ampthill defence allowed them little in the way of chances.

Steve Benitez's side have a rare midweek off this week, and next Saturday they are at home again, this time to an Aylesbury United side that will feature several of last season's Leverstock regulars.