Leverstock Green began the new year in excellent style with a 3-1 win at Ampthill Town, featuring a hat-trick from Callum Wright. A torrid couple of months has seen Leverstock slip uncomfortably close to the relegation zone, but this was a crucial three points against one of the sides below them, and with injured players starting to return the signs are good that the Green will start to put a run of form together.

A morning of heavy rain had washed out every other game in today's SSML Premier Division schedule, but the pitch at Ampthill Park held up very well and made for an entertaining game. Ampthill made the better start to the game, but it was Leverstock who started creating chances first. In the 14th minute Liam O'Keefe's pass allowed Billy Smith to put over a cross which Callum Wright headed over the bar. Five minutes later Nathan Jellow tried to get on the end of a Chad Pinching cross but was thwarted by home keeper Jordan McKechnie.

The breakthrough came in the 24th minute when Billy Smith got away down the right and cut into the box, looking as though he may score himself but instead chipping the ball into the six-yard box for Wright to head home the opener.

Ampthill could have levelled two minutes later when Stuart Gillies had a free header from a corner, but put it over the bar. For the rest of the half, though, Leverstock were well on top and should have extended their lead. On 30 minutes a slip by a defender allowed Jellow to run onto a long kick from Kieran Jimmy and go clean through, only to hit his shot straight at McKechnie. On 35 minutes James Sears slipped inbetween two defenders on the edge of the box but pulled his shot wide. Two minutes later Wright was inches over the bar with an excellent dipping shot.

Leverstock took their 1-0 lead into the break and almost doubled it in the opening minute of the second half when the ball spun away from a challenge between Smith and McKechnie and was headed off the line by a defender. Danny Butler had the chance of an equaliser on 53 minutes but Jimmy saved his shot.

The second Leverstock goal in the 57th minute began from a poorly-taken Ampthill free kick. The ball was cleared to Pinching, who used his pace to break away before laying off a well-weighted pass to Wright, who cut past a defender before drilling a shot into the bottom corner of the net.

Dene Gardner came off the bench on 64 minutes and immediately started causing problems for the Ampthill defence, setting up a shooting chance for Jellow which hit the post. However, it wasn't long before Leverstock got a deserved third goal, as Wright exchanged passes with Pinching before shooting home to complete his hat-trick in the 66th minute.

The only blot on the Leverstock performance was a goal conceded in the 76th minute. Butler was allowed too much space to go on a run down the right before squaring for Louie Dillon to steer a shot past Jimmy and reduce the arrears to 3-1.

However, there was to be no comeback from Ampthill, and both Gardner and Jellow had shots saved by McKechnie in the closing minutes as Leverstock held on comfortably for the win. An all-round excellent performance from the team, but Liam O'Keefe's contribution at the back also deserves a mention, controlling the back four and also distributing the ball forward very well. The win didn't alter Leverstock's league position, but it moved them two points close to Stotfold, who they travel to face next Saturday.