The Leverstock Green players were left heartbroken at the end of a St Mary's Cup final in which they gave everything and turned in an excellent performance, but ended up on the wrong end of a 3-2 scoreline in a see-saw match.

Leverstock had more chances in the game, the first of them in the 5th minute when a shot from Dene Gardner was turned round the post by keeper Will Baker. In the 12th minute Liam Hind hit a free kick from outside the box which was blocked by the wall, but Hind's second effort from the rebound brought another save out of Baker.

It was against the run of play when Oxhey took the lead in the 15th minute. Ace striker Lewis Putman got through on goal but was brought down just outside the box by Gavin Smith. Putman was not to be denied though, as he drilled the free kick low past the wall and in off the post to open the scoring.

Leverstock had a free kick of their own just outside the box on 35 minutes, and when everyone was expecting Hind to blast it, instead he knocked it sideways for Dan Lake to run on to, but again Baker would not be beaten as he saved Lake's shot with his legs. Three minutes later, however, Damion Cruickshank delivered a superb cross from the right touchline, and Hind came in with a bullet header which gave Baker no chance and levelled the score at 1-1.

The Green finished the first half the stronger side and continued that way into the second half. Three minutes into the half Gardner made a jinking solo run into the box before hitting a shot which Baker again saved with his legs. However, a minute later Callum Wright made an excellent run down the left and got to the bye-line, and his ball across the face of goal was turned into his own net by Jets defender Chris Killer to put Leverstock 2-1 up.

There were more chances for The Green. On 64 minutes a great cross from Luke Warner-Eley found the head of Gareth Long but the challenge of a defender forced the header wide. Seconds later Wright delivered another superb cross to the far post for Hind, who could only head into the side netting.

Leverstock were certainly looking the stronger side at this time, but as has been the case in recent weeks, their defending from a corner proved their achilles heel and let Oxhey back into the game. It was Jets substitute Adam Lowton who applied the finishing touch to level the scores at 2-2 in the 74th minute after Putman had won the header at the far post.

The game could have gone either way at this point, but it proved to be the Jets talismanic forward who made the decisive strike, drilling home another shot into the corner of the net in the 85th minute to put his side 3-2 up.

Leverstock came agonisingly close to levelling again two minutes later , as a corner dropped for Hind on the far side of the box. Hind connected with the fiercest of volleys which had Baker beaten, but Killer somehow kept the ball out with a goalline clearance, although some in the ground felt that the ball had actually crossed the line first.

The Green continued to push forward during stoppage time, but couldn't find another equaliser, and their season of transition ended without a trophy. Dene Gardner and his management team have done a tremendous job though, coming into the club when they had just six points from 20 games, steering them well clear of the relegation zone and giving the club's supporters plenty of grounds for optimism next season.

Congratulations should go to Oxhey, who were expected to have a difficult season themselves after losing most of their squad during the summer, but rookie manager Wayne Gladdy turned them around to become one of the league's form sides during the second half of the season.