Leverstock Green turned in a much-improved performance from Saturday, but missed chances cost them dearly as they ended up on the losing side again in Tuesday night's home game to Oxhey Jets. Green manager Dene Gardner gave a debut first team start to 17-year old Luke Preedy, who has already featured in both the reserve and under-18 sides this season, one of three players 18 or under in the starting line-up.

The Green side started the match well, with Mark Woolley having a shot turned round the post inside 40 seconds, and from the resulting corner Woolley got a glancing header, but not enough to divert it into the net.

However, in the 5th minute a shot from Eoin Casey caused a problem for Green keeper David Bailey, who couldn't hold onto the ball. As it spun away from him, Bailey chased after the ball with Casey, who went down, and the referee adjudged that Bailey had pushed him over and awarded a penalty. Casey took the kick himself and put Oxhey 1-0 up with their first successful spot kick in seven attempts this season.

Four minutes later things were levelled up as the referee spotted a Jets defender jumping for the ball with his arm up inside his own box, and awarded Leverstock a penalty for handball. Liam Hind was equally accurate from the spot to net the equaliser.

Leverstock should have gone in front in the 27th minute when a great pass from Preedy put Callum Wright clear of the defence, but Wright's shot was saved by visiting keeper Will Baker. Instead they fell behind again in the 31st minute when Oxhey were awarded a free kick outside the box. Luke Beardsworth curled the ball over the wall and into the net for a 2-1 lead.

Bailey made a couple of good saves towards the end of the half to keep Leverstock in the game, firstly in the 40th minute with his legs from Simeon Armstrong, and then denying Tim O'Mara on the stroke of half time after he had got the wrong side of a defender to shoot.

Leverstock should have been back on level terms six minutes into the second half when a cross from Hind found Dan Lake right in front of goal, but Lake's hurried shot was wide of the goal. Oxhey could have extended their lead in the 71st minute when Jamie Speer robbed Luke Warner-Eley and ran on to shoot just over the bar.

However, for the rest of the game it was all about Leverstock missing a string of chances. On 72 minutes Louis Bircham was put clean through, and could have finished himself, but instead laid off to Wright, who shot wide. A minute later Woolley's pass put Wright in again. Baker saved his shot, but the rebound came straight out to Hind, who didn't know much about it and couldn't get his effort on target.

On 75 minutes Leverstock had a free kick in a good position outside the box, but Liam O'Keefe's shot curled just over the bar. Five minutes later a cross from David Sobers found Hind inside the six-yard box with the goal at his mercy, but he somehow hooked it over the bar. On 86 minutes Warner-Eley tried his luck with a curling shot from the edge of the box which was heading for the top corner until Baker tipped it over.

Oxhey played out the last few minutes in the corners, preventing Leverstock from getting the ball forward, and they were unable to rescue the game in the end. However, the manner of the performance should give more confidence for the coming games, hopefully starting with Saturday's home game against London Colney.