Leverstock Green put up a tremendous effort against SSML Premier Division title favourites Hanwell Town, but were beaten by two second half goals having led at half time. It was a vast improvement from Leverstock's last encounter with Hanwell under the previous managerial regime, where they were beaten 10-0.

The Green side made a good start to the game, and took the lead in the 8th minute. Liam O'Keefe floated in a free kick from the halfway line, and Liam Hind took advantage of hesitancy in the Hanwell defence to get his head on the ball and divert it just inside the post to notch a goal against one of his former clubs.

There could have been a second goal on 15 minutes when Lee Gardner flicked on a goal kick to Billy Smith, who connected with a clean volley which flew over the bar. At the other end the Leverstock defence was doing a very solid job to restrict the visitors to few chances. Mark Shadbolt headed a free kick off the line on 17 minutes, and goalkeeper Garry Malone came off his line to punch away confidently on several occasions.

Leverstock took their 1-0 lead into the break, but defending the slope in the second half they found themselves being penned back into their own half for long periods. They continued to defend doggedly, with Callum Wright hooking the ball off the line to deny Hanwell an equaliser on 56 minutes after Malone had saved a header from Rob Laney. However, a minute later Hanwell won a corner, and Laney came in to head home from close range and level the scores at 1-1.

Five minutes later, prolific scorer Bill Healey got in behind the Green defence for the first time all afternoon and ran on to shoot low into the corner of the net for a 2-1 lead.

The Green side refused to crumble, and continued to defend as they had done all through the match. However, they found it difficult to keep the ball out of their own half, and consequently were able to create little. There could have been a third goal for Hanwell on 73 minutes when Healey was clean through, but Malone stood his ground and deflected the shot wide with his boot.

Hanwell were reduced to ten men on 83 minutes when Ian Bywater was sent off for a second yellow card. Leverstock threw everything forward over the closing minutes but couldn't find an equaliser, and they too were reduced to ten men in stoppage time when Hind was red carded for bad language.

Leverstock have another home match next Saturday, when the visitors will be Stotfold.