Leverstock Green returned to winning ways as they triumphed 4-3 in the rain at Hatfield Town's Gosling Stadium. The pitch passed a morning inspection despite the forecast being - correctly - for continuing rain all afternoon, and both sides tried their best to play football despite the dreadful conditions.

Steve Benitez and Danny Manzi had a full squad to select from this week. There was the welcome return from injury of Sam Lyon at the back, and a solid 45 minutes from Spanish midfielder Adrian Colorado as he continues his return to full fitness. Ken Orenuga made his first league start for the first team, and Harvey Zaha - brother of Crystal Palace and England striker Wilfried - made his first league appearance from the bench.

The wet and muddy conditions certainly made things difficult for defenders early on, as players were slipping and sliding all over the place, leading to a flurry of chances. In the second minute Hatfield keeper Max Molenge received a back pass and kicked the ball straight to Tobi Akin, but Akin's shot went across goal and wide. Three minutes later Hatfield's Gerald Alle was through on goal but Tom Coulton made a great save.

In the 8th minute Colorado's pass gave Orenuga a run at goal, but he shot over the bar. Coulton saved a diving header from Huseyin Yildiz in the 10th minute, and at the other end a minute later Molenge did well to turn a shot from Mark Burfoot round the post. Burfoot had another chance in the 20th minute when Akin's pass put him through, but he also shot over the bar.

Leverstock's best move of the half came two minutes before the break. Colorado fed Burfoot, who in turn played Orenuga through on goal. Rather than shoot past the oncoming Molenge, Orenuga laid it square to Akin, who was then brought down inches outside the box. The free kick was awarded, but no further action was taken against the defender despite being the last man. Mark Shadbolt dummied to take the kick before Akin stepped up and coolly slotted a low shot past the wall and into the corner of the net to send the Green into the break with a 1-0 lead.

The pitch got wetter and wetter during the second half, and it also started raining goals. Five minutes into the half Burfoot flicked on a long ball to Akin, who knocked it sideways for Curt Dizon to neatly finish past Molenge for a 2-0 Leverstock lead.

The third goal arrived in the 58th minute. After good work from Orenuga on the right side of the penalty area, Akin won the ball and darted past two defenders before firing past Molenge for his second of the match.

Three substitutions were made on the hour mark, with Hatfield making a double change and Leverstock bringing on Zaha in place of Akin. Within five minutes two of those substitutes were on the scoresheet. On 63 minutes a long pass from Hatfield's Daryl Smith put Cletus Isiri through on goal, and he ran on to shoot past Coulton to reduce the arrears to 3-1. However, within two minutes the three-goal cushion was restored. The Hatfield defence was in disarray waiting for an offside flag that never came, leaving Zaha the freedom of the opposition half to shoot past Molenge and open his account for the Green.

Leverstock looked good value for their 4-1 lead, but Hatfield pulled another goal back with 15 minutes remaining. Isiri hit an shot from more than 30 yards which must have taken a bad bounce as it left Coulton wrongfooted and went in off the post.

Both sides were reduced to ten men in the 83rd minute. Zaha and Hatfield skipper Micky Nathan went down together in a challenge, and there was a contretemps best described as handbags as the two got up. However, the referee saw it differently and sent off both players. The game had been played in a good spirit throughout and certainly didn't merit two red cards.

In the third minute of stoppage time Hatfield were awarded a penalty as the referee adjudged Marvin Tabi to have tripped an attacker, and also showed Tabi a yellow card. Daryl Smith netted the penalty, but it was academic as the full time whistle was blown before the game was even allowed to restart.

The eventual margin of victory didn't really do justice to the Leverstock performance, but the three points moves them back into the top half of the table with a healthy 26 points. Next Saturday the Green face a difficult visit to in-form St Margaretsbury, with a return visit to the same venue three days later for a Herts Senior Cup tie.