Leverstock Green gained a crucial three points with their first away league win of the season as an early goal was enough to see them through at Harefield United. Harefield were bottom of the league at start of play, but Leverstock were only three points above them, so today's result opens up a bit more of a gap to the drop zone.

Tim O'Sullivan and Paul Hunt were without the suspended Joe Horwood and Tommy Walsh, having lost top scorer Louis Bircham to London Colney during the week, but Chris Blunden passed a fitness test and there was a debut for new signing Sam Clark from Oxhey Jets and a return to the club for Casey Linsell.

The first chance of the game fell to the home side in the 4th minute. A cross from Craig Heskey was taken down by Perry Dicker, who turned and shot but Craig Garrett saved it with his feet.

However, it was Leverstock who took the early lead. After Linsell had been brought down just outside the left edge of the penalty area, Curtis Donaldson curled over a free kick which was diverted into the net, possibly by a Harefield player although the goal was given to Linsell.

Harefield had another chance on 22 minutes when the ball ran across the penalty area to Heskey, who had the goal at his mercy, but Jack Watts slid in to divert his shot wide of the post for a corner. Six minutes later Dicker was just over the bar with a curling effort. On 32 minutes Donaldson hit a good effort from distance which went just wide.

On 39 minutes Harefield were reduced to ten men when Sean Mangan was shown a straight red for raising his arm at Sam Clark. The two had tangled seconds earlier when challenging for a through ball, and the linesman spotted the off-the-ball incident that followed.

Leverstock held their lead into the break, and six minutes into the second half Donaldson went on a run before sending a through pass to Blunden, who shot over the bar. For much of the second half it was Harefield who were pushing forward, but thanks to the concentration and discipline of the back four, Garrett had little to do beyond routine handling, which was done faultlessly. The defence did particularly well to cope with numerous wind-assisted long throws into the Leverstock box.

Towards the end of the game Leverstock had some chances to extend their lead. On 81 minutes a pass from George Hobson put Donaldson through, but he shot over. Seconds later Dan Bourne was clean through but shot wide. Two mnutes from time Donaldson played Blunden through, but the keeper came off his line to save, and in stoppage time a hooked effort from Reece Cameron went wide.

It was no means a classic, with the windy conditions certainly not helping, but three points and a clean sheet will do nicely for the Leverstock side, who don't have another game until after Christmas. Holmer Green will be the visitors to Pancake Lane on Monday 28th December.