First Team Results

Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Table

14th March 2023

Alan Lee Reporting Premier Division

Aylesbury Vale Dynamos 2 Leverstock Green 4 Tuesday 7th March 2023

Leverstock Green won their second straight match with another impressive attacking display, although the result ended up being closer than it should have been after the Green side threatened to blow a three-goal lead. Leverstock’s forward line was on fire, with Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica following up his two goals at the weekend by bagging his first hat-trick for the club.

There was a debut for another new goalkeeper, with Zak Galatis drafted into the squad to replace the unwell Austin Byfield. Leverstock looked bright from the off, with Stefanoaica hitting a shot into the side netting in the 11th minute. Five minutes later Chris Blunden was set free down the left and sent over a cross which found Dan Pett, but his header was saved. Ethan Mooney went close twice before the Green took the lead in the 22nd minute. A throw-in was headed away to the edge of the box, where Blunden met it with a thunderous volley that flew through a crowd of players into the net.

Alvin Kyeremeh went close to adding a second in the 28th minute, but his header from a corner was cleared off the line. At the other end the home side had a couple of chances in quick succession, firstly when a low cross from Curtis Brown was palmed away by Galatis with Abu Khan coming in at the far post, and secondly when Jake Baldwin was through on goal but shot into the side netting. That miss proved to be crucial as Leverstock added a second in the 34th minute. A crossfield pass from Blunden found Mooney, who slipped a pass inside to Pett. Pett squared to Blunden, whose shot was blocked on the line, but Stefanoaica put away the rebound for a 2-0 lead.

It should have been three in first half stoppage time when a pass from Blunden put Stefanoaica through on goal, but his eventual shot was comfortably gathered by keeper Charlie Jones. Leverstock continued to impress in the second half and added a third goal in the 65th minute. Kurainashe Musanhi pushed forward and found Blunden, who pulled the ball back into the six-yard box. Jones should have gathered the ball but hesitated, and Stefanoaica pounced instantly to shoot home.

However, what looked like a comfortable three-goal lead evaporated over the next four minutes. In the 66th minute Aylesbury pulled a goal back when a cross from Max Rosner was headed into his own net by a Leverstock defender. Suddenly there was panic in the Green defence, and in the 69th minute Baldwin burst through to shoot home a second Aylesbury goal which put his side firmly back in the game.

The scores could have been levelled in the 71st minute as Baldwin had another shooting chance but put it across goal and wide. Leverstock eventually recovered their composure, though, and in the 80th minute they reestablished a two-goal cushion. Rio Beach chipped a superb pass into the run of Stefanoaica, and he met it with a rasping first-time volley that flew past Jones for a 4-2 lead.

The home side still refused to roll over, and Leverstock needed a save from Galatis in the 90th minute when Baldwin was through on goal to maintain their two-goal lead. In the end Leverstock came through for a big three points which keeps them in contention for a top six finish.

Stefanoaica’s hat-trick got him the MOM nomination, but there were several other outstanding performances including Blunden, and Danny May who gave another great display at the back. The 4-2 win emulated the performance of the Under-18 side who won by the same score at the same venue five days earlier.

Leverstock Green (2) 4 (Blunden 22, Stefanoaica 34, 65,

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Alan Lee Reporting Premier Division

Biggleswade United 1 Leverstock Green 3

Saturday 11th March 2023

Leverstock Green made it three straight league wins as they came away from Saturday’s visit to Biggleswade United with all three points. An excellent first half display set the foundation for a 3-1 win in which both of the Green’s top scorers found the net again.

Leverstock took control of the match from the start and went ahead in the 10th minute. Skipper Dan Weeks clipped a pass down the left touchline to Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica, who continued his run into the box before laying off for Chris Blunden to bundle the ball over the line for his 17th goal of the season.

Weeks also instigated the second goal in the 25th minute, winning the ball from a defender with a tough tackle that the home side were expecting to see penalised, but the referee waved play on. Blunden picked up the loose ball and headed towards goal before slipping a superb pass through to Dan Pett, who slotted the ball under the keeper for a 2-0 lead.

Further goals could have been added as Leverstock dominated the first half. Bobby Armstrong headed over the bar from a Pett corner on 33 minutes, and a minute later a cross dropped for Kurainashe Musanhi at the far post, but he didn’t catch his shot cleanly, and the keeper saved. In first half stoppage time Weeks played a great ball to put Stefanoaica through on goal, but his shot was saved. Further into stoppage time Armstrong slid in at the far post to meet a free kick from Rio Beach, but his effort hit the post.

Leverstock held a thoroughly deserved 2-0 lead at the break, but the second half was a different story as the home side fought back strongly, now with the slope and the wind in their favour. Biggleswade’s top scorer Taylor Rhiney shot just over the bar in the 49th minute and got even closer in the 65th minute with a shot that hit the bar.

The Green defence were holding out well despite being under the cosh for long periods of the half, but in the 78th minute they were finally breached as a cross came in from the right and substitute Mo Zilboud slid in to stab the ball home from close range.

As with Tuesday’s game at Aylesbury the game was now suddenly back in the balance, but also as with that game a late goal helped to calm the nerves and seal the points for Leverstock, and again it was Stefanoaica who scored it, running onto a through header from Ethan Mooney and going on to slot the ball past the keeper to make the score 3-1 in the 87th minute.

Again, there were several outstanding performances, particularly from Blunden and Weeks, but the MOM award went to Danny May for a calm and assured display at the back.

Leverstock Green (2) 3 (Blunden 10, Pett 25, Stefanoaica 87)

1. Austin Byfield, 2. Danny May, 3. Kurainashe Musanhi, 4. Dan Weeks, 18. Bobby Armstrong, 6. Ryan Carruthers (16. Ibrahim Nagheeb 67 mins), 7. Ethan Mooney (14. Elgeniy Daalberg 90+4 mins), 8. Dan Pett, 9. Chris Blunden (15. Richard Ennin 79 mins), 10. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica (17. John Shamalo 88 mins), 11. Rio Beach (12. Luke Beckwith 90+2 mins).

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