Match Report
Saturday 28th February 2015 Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division
Leverstock Green (0) 1 D.Gardner 89
Berkhamsted (1) 3 Canham 21, Mannion 70, Morrissey 80
at Pancake Lane

Leverstock Green were beaten by their neighbours for the fourth time this season, but this was the best of the four performances from the Leverstock side, in what was mostly an even game until late on.

There was an early chance for Leverstock when Louis Bircham was brought down just outside the box in the 4th minute, but Callum Wright's free kick went over the bar. There was another free kick in a dangerous position in the 9th minute. Billy Smith got on the end of Jimmy Talbot's ball into the box, but his effort went across goal and wide.

Berkhamsted took the lead in the 21st minute with a poor goal from the Green perspective. Josh Chamberlain launched a long throw into the box towards Ed Canham, who didn't get the intended flick on, but the loose ball was not cleared and Canham was able to turn and fire the ball into the corner of the net.

Chamberlain shot over the bar from a free kick in the 34th minute, and two minutes later Ashley Morrissey was close with another long-range shot just over the bar. Even closer, though, was Billy Smith's effort at the other end in the 37th minute, a dipping volley from 35 yards that clipped the top of the bar on its way over.

Leverstock hit the woodwork for the second time five minutes into the second half when Talbot's free kick from just outside the box hit the post and went wide. Berko were denied a second goal twice in the 58th minute when Kieran Jimmy saved Frankie Jowle's shot, and Chamberlain's effort from the rebound was cleared off the line.

However, they eventually got a second goal from a lightning counter-attack in the 70th minute. Morrissey broke away and fed Adiel Mannion, whose shot beat Jimmy, but hit the far post before bouncing across goal and going in off the other post.

Smith could have pulled a goal back for Leverstock five minutes later when he was put through and took the ball past Carl Tasker, but could only put his shot into the side netting. Instead it became 3-0 when Morrissey hit a shot into the top corner in the 80th minute.

Leverstock finally got onto the scoresheet a minute from time when Dene Gardner was put through and lobbed Tasker while the Berko defence looked for an offside flag, but by then it was too late for any kind of comeback.

The Green will hope to end their run of defeats with a visit to Cockfosters next Saturday.

Leverstock Green: 1. Kieran Jimmy, 2. Dene Gardner, 3. Callum Wright, 4. Liam O'Keefe, 5. Gavin Smith, 6. Tommy Walsh (14. Mark Woolley 55 mins), 7. Billy Smith, 8. Elias Moses (12. Mark Woolley 55 mins), 9. Jimmy Talbot (15. Nathan Jallow 60 mins), 10. Louis Bircham, 11. Luke Warner-Eley. Subs not used: 16. David Paredes, 17. Danny Arnett.
Berkhamsted: 1. Carl Tasker, 2. Courtney Massay, 3. Alex Foster, 4. Jamie Gavin, 5. Ed Canham, 6. Max Farrelly (15. Alfie Osbourne 84 mins), 7. Frankie Jowle, 8. Adiel Mannion, 9. Ashley Morrissey, 10. Che To (16. Pierce Kelly 81 mins), 11. Josh Chamberlain (14. Steve Hawes 68 mins).