Leverstock Green continued their great start to 2015 as they registered successive league wins for the first time this season. An excellent first half performance laid the foundations for a 2-1 win at Stotfold which moves the Pancake Lane side a place up the table at the expense of their opponents.

It was an evenly-contested match throughout, with chances for both sides. In the 8th minute Stotfold went close when a long throw was flicked on to Aaron Browne, whose shot was saved by Kieran Jimmy. A minute later at the other end an excellent ball from Callum Wright put Nathan Jellow through on goal, but he shot over the bar.

Jellow had another chance in the 17th minute after a determined run from Tommy Walsh set him up, but his shot was saved by keeper Adam Harpur. The opening goal came in the 27th minute, and it resulted from a huge kick from Jimmy which landed on the edge of the Stotfold box. Harpur came out to collect it, but Billy Smith got there first and took the ball past Harpur before slotting into the empty net.

It should have been 2-0 within a couple of minutes as Jellow was clean through, but shot wide. Jimmy produced a great save on 40 minutes, tipping a shot from Browne over the bar, and Stotfold were unlucky on 44 minutes when Carl Albon hit the post after Leverstock had missed two chances to clear a free kick. In the last minute of the half Leverstock were denied what looked like a clear penalty when Chad Pinching was brought down in the box, but the referee gave nothing.

The second half saw the home side on top in terms of possession and chances. Sean Herr went close with a near post header from a corner on 69 minutes, and two minutes later Luke Adams hit an air shot when presented with a chance inside the six yard box.

Leverstock had some promising moments on the break, but didn't create any chances until the 83rd minute when Billy Smith took off from his own half and showed great skill to beat a couple of defenders before laying off to Pinching, who sidestepped a defender before firing home the goal which put his side 2-0 up.

That should have been enough to seal the points, but Stotfold produced a stirring late rally. In the 87th minute a corner was allowed to drop inside the six-yard box, and Herr stabbed the ball home to put his side back in the game at 2-1. They went very close to equalising in the second minute of stoppage time from an overhead kick from Ryan Ellis which had Jimmy beaten but drifted inches wide of the post.

In the end Leverstock held out for a well-earned win from a hard working performance. Another positive was the appearance from the bench of Mark Woolley after a long injury lay-off. Six points from two games should put the Green side in very good stead for Tuesday night's Herts Senior Cup quarter-final against neighbours Berkhamsted at Pancake Lane.