Fortune wasn't on Leverstock Green's side this afternoon, as they came away from Oxhey Jets with nothing despite dominating periods of the game, having more of the ball and by far the greater number of chances in what was on the whole a good performance.

Leverstock 's first good chance came in the 16th minute as Prince Alozie won the ball off a Jets defender, played a one-two with Billy Smith to go clean through on the keeper, but then put his shot into the side netting. Jets keeper Will Baker then denied the Green a minute later as he tipped over Lee Gardner's well-struck shot from the edge of the box.

Damien Cruickshank had to be replaced in the 22nd minute after picking up a knock early in the game, but Leverstock continued to look the better side. A minute later Billy Smith got in behind the Oxhey defence but lobbed the ball over the bar. On 26 minutes Elliot Braithwaite's ball forward was flicked on by Liam Hind to Billy Smith, who found space for a shot on the edge of the box, but it was saved by Baker. Another good ball from Braithwaite on 32 minutes allowed Smith to beat the offside trap again, but as Baker came off his line Smith blasted his shot over the bar.

Having survived five near-misses, it was the home side who took the lead against the run of play in the 35th minute. Mark Richards was unmarked as he came in at the near post to meet a corner with a glancing header that found the opposite corner of the net.

In a lengthy period of stoppage time at the end of the first half, Leverstock again went close when Braithwaite headed just wide from Hind's free kick, but even further into stoppage time their defending from a corner was again found wanting as Simeon Armstrong came in at the far post to bundle home a header at the second time of asking and send his side into the break with an unlikely 2-0 lead.

Eight minutes into the second half, it looked as though the tide might start to turn as Leverstock capitalised on a mistake. Baker came out of his area to clear the ball, but only scuffed it as far as Dene Gardner, who took a touch before looking up and calmly rolling the ball into the empty net from distance before Baker could get back.

However, luck continued to desert the Green. On 61 minutes Hind struck a fierce shot from 30 yards which had Baker well beaten but cannoned back off the bar. Unbelievably two minutes later Hind did exactly the same as another long-range shot came back off the bar. This time the rebound dropped for Billy Smith, who tried to take the ball round Baker, only for the keeper to bring him down with an outstretched leg. The referee awarded the penalty, but Baker redeemed himself by saving Lee Gardner's spot kick.

Had the penalty gone in, it is likely that Leverstock would have gone on to win the game, but it proved to be a turning point. Six minutes later Ashley Fongho broke forward from his own half, and was only stopped by a foul challenge from Lee Gardner just outside the box. It was one of Leverstock's few pieces of good fortune that Gardner didn't receive a second yellow card for the foul, but they were still punished as Lewis Putman curled the free kick over the wall and past Kieran Jimmy for a 3-1 lead.

The combination of the penalty miss and the goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of the Green side, who created little for the rest of the game. They still had a couple of chances in stoppage time, as substitute Callum Wright's pass put Hind clean through, only for Baker to turn his shot round the post, and Wright himself hooked the ball over the bar from the resulting corner.

It was a disappointing result from a game which promised so much at one point, but credit to Oxhey for showing resilience and taking their chances when they came. The Green side must pick themselves up for a busy run of fixtures which starts on Thursday night with a home game against Cockfosters, kick-off 7.30 pm.