Leverstock Green's run of inconsistency continued as they followed up Thursday night's comeback win with a defeat to bottom side London Lions, who registered only their second league win of the season. It was a disappointing result and performance from Dene Gardner's side, although Leverstock still have a sixteen point advantage over the Lions.

The game, played at Hemel Hempstead Town's Vauxhall Road ground, was very scrappy over the opening half-hour, with a strong wind not helping matters. Shakir Agada spooned a shot way over the bar from Dan Lake's cross in the 7th minute, and Liam Hind was also off-target with a long-range shot in the 14th minute, while the home side's first effort on goal was a low shot from James Gershfield which went wide in the 20th minute.

Things livened up over the last fifteen minutes of the half. On 31 minutes a shot from Chad Pinching was blocked into the path of Agada, whose shot was saved by Lions keeper Dan Lee, as was the follow-up from Lee Gardner. Three minutes later Kieron Jimmy had to save a shot from Harry Hatchwell, and saved with his feet as James Selchak came in for the rebound. Three minutes before the break Pinching had a shot parried by Lee, who also kept out Agada's header from the rebound.

Agada was replaced by Imad Abbasi early in the second half, but the Green performance was still frustrating as they continued to overhit and misdirect passes, and were unable to build up any consistent pressure on the Lions goal. An excellent lob from Dan Lake on 58 minutes brought a good save out of Lee, who tipped it over the bar, and Pinching put Hind in behind the defence five minutes later, but his shot went across goal and wide.

Lions were holding their own, and on 66 minutes it got even better for them when they were awarded a penalty for a trip on a forward who was bearing down on goal. Gershfield sent Jimmy the wrong way from the spot to put his side into a 1-0 lead.

Seven minutes later, Leverstock were denied three times in a goalmouth scramble following a corner, but as the ball went out of the box, Hind pulled it back to Elliot Braithwaite, who cracked a fierce shot from 20 yards through a crowd of players to put Leverstock back on level terms at 1-1.

However, parity lasted less than two minutes. As a cross came into the Green box, the defence stood still waiting for an offside flag that never came, and Hatchwell could hardly believe his luck as he had all the time and space in the world to direct a first-time shot past Jimmy and restore his side's lead at 2-1.

It should have been 2-2 on 87 minutes when Liam O'Keefe floated in a free kick from the halfway line to find Braithwaite with a free header six yards out, but somehow he put the ball wide. That proved to be the last and only chance for a Green side that simply didn't ask enough questions of the Lions defence all afternoon.

The home side deserved their win, which took them off bottom spot, and Leverstock must now rediscover their form on Tuesday night when they visit the new occupants of bottom place, Hatfield Town.