Leverstock Green failed to ease their lingering relegation worries as they suffered a damaging defeat to one of the sides below them. It was the poorest Leverstock display for some time, as they rarely got going at all and Oxhey were deserving winners.

The Leverstock side had another new signing in Lewis Cruwys, a forward who was in the Green under-18 side six years ago. Cruwys was unfortunate in being involved in the opening Oxhey goal. An Oxhey corner was cleared as far as Cruwys, but he was facing his own goal and couldn't turn, and as he ran the ball back into his own box, Tim O'Mara, who was running alongside, went down. The referee awarded a very contentious penalty, and Martin Netzer took advantage to put Oxhey 1-0 up in the 4th minute.

Cruwys' first chance at the other end came in the 19th minute, when he headed wide from a corner. Leverstock created very little in the first half though, and Oxhey added a second goal three minutes before the break. O'Mara chased a ball down to the bye-line where Liam Jahn came out to meet him, but O'Mara took the ball past Jahn, and somehow managed to curl a shot from the narrowest of angles in at the far post. It could have been even worse for Leverstock as Warren Gladdy hit a great strike inches over the angle of post and bar a minute later.

After a disjointed and disappointing first half display, there was a marked improvement in the second half. Within two minutes Ollie Buckley got on the end of a cross with a header that was saved by the boot of keeper Harry Smart, and soon afterwards Leverstock should have had a penalty when Alex McCarthy was clearly brought down in the box, and even had to receive treatment after the challenge. On 57 minutes Smart denied Buckley again by turning his shot round the post, and Ryan Laville put over two crosses which found the heads of Buckley and Cruwys, but neither could get an effort on target.

A goal would have made all the difference, but instead it was Oxhey who struck the killer blow on 76 minutes with a goal that was somewhat self-inflicted from the Leverstock side. With a free kick inside the Oxhey half, Leverstock brought extra players up for a ball into the box, but McCarthy's kick didn't reach the penalty area and Oxhey broke quickly. Two well-placed passes put Netzer through to score his second and Oxhey's third.

That ended the Leverstock challenge, and Oxhey could well have added further goals but for some last-ditch blocks and saves.

Paul Hunt's side need to start picking up some points, and their next game is on Wednesday night away to Hadley.