Leverstock Green manager Paul Hunt was left with a severely depleted squad after a sickness bug ripped through his playing staff this week, but the side he put out at Holmer Green did the club proud with an excellent performance that deserved at least a point. Only a sloppy five minute spell in the second half during which two goals were conceded let them down.

Among the ten players missing were key first team regulars such as Liam Jahn, Joe Horwood, Ryan Laville, Ollie Buckley and Curtis Donaldson. Stefan Chiriac, Tyler Osborne and Alfie Boswell all stepped up from the reserves and did a good job.

The home side looked distinctly suspect from crosses into the box as Leverstock created chances early on. In the 5th minute a corner from Ashley Addison found Alex McCarthy at the far post, and his downward header bounced up off the ground and hit the post. On 13 minutes another Addison corner was met with a glancing header from Jack Copson that drifted just wide. In the 20th minute McCarthy floated in a free kick from the halfway line and Lewis Cruwys got up ahead of the keeper, but his header went just wide.

A corner from Holmer hit the top of the bar on 23 minutes, although Green keeper Jamie Hillier had it covered, and a minute later Hillier palmed away a cross from Andy Shed. However, in the 25th minute Gary Lines floated a ball into the box for Dean Allen, who brought it down before turning and shooting Holmer into a 1-0 lead.

Leverstock kept going, and in the 29th minute they went close again when Boswell laid the ball back from the byeline to Dan Griggs, who shot into the side netting. Two minutes later they were level when Addison swung over another great corner and Copson came in with a bullet header that gave the keeper no chance.

Two minutes before the break Holmer went close again when a shot from Allen hit the post, but at the break Leverstock were good value for the 1-1 scoreline after a half played in wet and windy conditions.

Allen was denied again on 54 minutes by a great tackle from Dan Fielding when he was clean through, and seconds later there was a break on at the other end as Boswell raced clear before squaring for Addison, whose shot brought a great save out of the Holmer keeper.

Having done so well in keeping up the intensity of their performance so far, a slight drop off allowed Holmer to take control of the game. On the hour mark a ball should have been cleared from near the corner flag, but Holmer were able to win the ball back and square it into the box, where Allen couldn't get a shot away, but it ran very nicely for Curtis Stone, who blasted home from six yards to put his side back in front.

Four minutes later there was an unfortunate moment for Hillier, as Allen hit a shot which he seemed to have covered, but the ball slipped through his hands into the net to put Holmer into a 3-1 lead.

Leverstock settled down again after that, and six minutes from time it looked like a comeback might be on when Cruwys hit a fantastic strike from outside the box into the corner of the net to pull it back to 3-2.

However, they couldn't find another goal, and in the last minute Hillier pulled off a great save to tip a shot from Allen over the bar and deny Holmer a fourth goal.

The defeat shouldn't be too damaging for Leverstock as all the sides below them in the table lost again, and they will hope to have most of their missing players back for Tuesday night's crucial game at home to Bedford.