Leverstock Green finally played their first match of 2016, but a much-changed side could not start the year with a win as a poor spell in the first half saw them fall to a home defeat to Stotfold.

Paul Hunt is now in sole charge of the first team, and has appointed Danny Oliver as his new coach. There has been something of a turnover of players since the last game, and there were a number of new names on the team sheet today.

One of the new signings, Ryan Laville, almost got his name onto the scoresheet inside the first minute as he hit a shot from the edge of the penalty area, but Stotfold keeper Adam Harpur got down low to save it. In the 8th minute Stefan Owen-Edwards, back for another spell at the club, hit a shot which Harpur turned round the post.

The opening 20 minutes of the game very much belonged to Leverstock, as the visitors scarcely got out of their own half, but it was Stotfold who took the lead in the 23rd minute. Michael Simpson's shot was a bolt from the blue as it flew into the top corner of the net.

Stotfold took charge of the game then, and added a second on 30 minutes through Ben L'Honore, who curled a free kick over the wall. Worse was to follow six minutes later when another free kick from L'Honore looped into the net from a narrow angle to leave Leverstock three goals down.

A minute before half time Leverstock were given a chance to get back into the game when a challenge on Laville inside the box sent him flying. The referee awarded the penalty and Laville sent Harpur the wrong way to pull the score back to 3-1. However, three minutes into stoppage time Stotfold restored their three-goal cushion when Ashley Fitton took advantage of the referee getting in the way of play to rifle home a fourth goal for Stotfold.

Two changes at half time saw Jordan I'Anson replaced in goal by new signing Jack Bridges, and another new signing Joey Phillips replace Jon Davies. Six minutes into the half Leverstock again reduced the deficit. Curtis Donaldson's free kick should have been comfortably gathered by Harpur, but let the ball slip from his hands and Laville netted the rebound for his second goal of the game.

Casey Linsell replaced the injured Jack Watts on 67 minutes, just after Watts had put in a great tackle to deny L'Honore a hat-trick. A minute later Leverstock pulled even closer to an unlikely comeback, as Dan Griggs was put in behind the Stotfold defence and ran to to beat Harpur at his near post with a well-taken goal to make the score 3-4.

Dan Bourne almost levelled the scores a couple of minutes later, but his shot from the edge of the box was beaten away by Harpur, and Linsell came even closer to an equaliser shortly afterwards as he hit the post from a narrow angle. For a while it looked like Leverstock could get something out of the game, until on 76 minutes L'Honore went clean through to net a fifth goal for Stotfold, completing his hat-trick.

Even then there could have been further goals, as a free kick from Laville was well saved by Harpur, and L'Honore could have had a fourth as he went through again and took the ball round Bridges, but the Green keeper somehow managed to recover and block the shot.

The result saw Leverstock slip a place in the table, and next Saturday they face a crucial home match against one of the sides below them, Oxhey Jets.