Leverstock Green notched up a third straight win on Saturday, making it nine points from three away games to start the new year. It was also only a second league clean sheet of the season for the Green side, and a hugely impressive result against a genuine promotion contender that had scored 27 goals in their previous six games.

It was a game of few chances, but that was largely down to the phenomenal work-rate of the Leverstock side, who were constantly pressing and tackling the Wembley players when they were in possession, and shutting down their passing options.

Leverstock skipper Kieran Jimmy only had to make one real save in the game, and that was a double save in the 7th minute. After a corner had ricocheted off a couple of Green defenders, the ball fell to Wayne Walters six yards out, but Jimmy parried his shot into the air, and then backpedalled to tip the rebound over the bar.

After being under the cosh for the first ten minutes, Leverstock began to play their way into the game and started to push forward. Chad Pinching had their best effort of the first half in the 22nd minute, darting into the box before hitting a shot just wide. Wembley only had a couple of chances, with Alex Witham shooting over the bar in the 26th minute, and Reon Thomas heading wide from Witham's free kick in the last minute of the half.

The second half continued in a similar vein, with Leverstock continuing to frustrate their opponents while often looking dangerous on the break. One of those breaks came in the 56th minute as Billy Smith chased a ball forward. It looked as though Smith had lost the ball, but as he continued to chase, the home keeper lunged at his feet and brought him down. The referee blew for a penalty - a rare occurrence for Leverstock this season - and Callum Wright stuck the spot kick just out of the keeper's reach to put his side into a 1-0 lead.

Wembley had occasional chances to equalise, but were unable to get any of them on target. Walters headed over the bar from Witham's free kick on 67 minutes, and two free kicks from dangerous positions late in the game were both hit over the bar. Leverstock held on through more than six minutes of stoppage time to claim their first three points against a top-half side this season, and it was a just reward for a superb team performance.

Another positive was the return to the squad of Louis Bircham after a short spell at Berkhamsted, and he will face his former club on Tuesday night as Leverstock make a second attempt to stage the Herts Senior Cup quarter-final at Pancake Lane.