Leverstock Green suffered their worst defeat under Dene Gardner in a game which was lost during a disastrous opening 15 minutes in which three goals were conceded. A late hat-trick from Callum Wright provided some consolation, but it was a bizarre afternoon where virtually everything that St Margaretsbury hit went into the net.

The home side opened the scoring in the 8th minute when a long throw was hurled into the box. The Green defence couldn't clear the ball and it dropped for Ed Taylor to shoot home into the corner of the net.

The second goal on 12 minutes came from a short kick-out by keeper Garry Malone which was intercepted and headed forward to put Mark Summers clean through. Malone came off his line but Summers got to the ball first and lobbed it over Malone. Barely a minute had elapsed before the ball was in the net again. Gavin Smith had the chance to clear the ball, but instead tried to shepherd it back to Malone. Joss Lillis closed him down, and when Malone tried to kick it clear, it rebounded off Lillis back into the net.

The Green side were shellshocked, but eventually settled down to have a good period midway through the half, and should have pulled a goal back on 27 minutes. Prince Alozie won the ball off Lillis and knocked it forward to put Callum Wright through. Wright lobbed the keeper, but it dropped just wide of the goal.

However, any hopes of a comeback were destroyed before half time through two outrageous strikes. Matt Mitchell hit an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the net from 20 yards on 35 minutes, and five minutes later Ricky Light was ten yards further out when he sent the ball flying over Malone for a 5-0 scoreline at the break.

Things didn't get any better in the second half. On 53 minutes the Green defence stood waiting for an offside flag as the ball found its way through to Light, but no flag was raised and Light had plenty of time to shoot home his second and St Margaretsbury's 6th. There were chances for both Liam Hind and Wright just after the hour mark, but neither found the target, unlike Mark Summers who beat two defenders before whipping in a shot from a narrow angle which went in off the post for St Margaretsbury's 7th goal on 66 minutes.

Leverstock kept plugging away and eventually got some reward in the 79th minute when Wright pulled a goal back with a well-taken goal, chipping the keeper from inside the box. Four minutes later Wright was on hand again to head home from close range after a free kick had been headed back across the face of goal. Leverstock attacked again from the kick-off, with Dan Lake running at the home defence, and after a couple of rebounds Wright stabbed the ball home from close range again to complete a remarkable hat-trick inside five minutes and pull the score back to 7-3.

The unlikeliest of comebacks did not materialise, however, and St Margaretsbury added an 8th goal in the 86th minute which completed a hat-trick for Light and was also the 100th league goal conceded by Leverstock this season.

The Green have a last chance of cup success this season when they entertain Division One leaders Sun Postal Sports on Tuesday night in the quarter-finals of the St Mary's Cup, kick-off 7.30 pm.