Leverstock Green extended their unbeaten league start to 13 games and went top of the league with a comfortable 4-1 win at struggling Haringey Borough. The game was somewhat scrappy and certainly no classic, but Green took their chances and continue to grow in confidence each week.

 

In contrast to last week, when it took over an hour to break down Holmer Green, Leverstock took the lead in only the third minute. From a free kick by the left touchline, Mark Welling laid off to Paul Leslie, whose cross found Steve Boad on the edge of the six-yard box to head home the opener.

 

The lead could have been wiped out within a minute. Mark Davidson, back in goal having completed his suspension, and Louis West dithered over who should deal with a ball on the edge of the penalty area. Haringey striker David Flemming nipped in ahead of Davidson and pushed the ball past him, then went down over Davidson’s outstretched arm. The referee blew up, but his decision was to book Flemming for diving rather than award the penalty. Haringey had an obvious threat up front in the shape of giant striker Calvin Petrie, and in the 10^th minute Danny Gibson’s free kick found Petrie at the far post, and he had little difficulty rising highest to head home and equaliser for the home side.

 

That goal was not undeserved on the balance of play, and they threatened again in the 16^th minute when Flemming hit a shot across the face of goal and just wide. However, two minutes later Green put together a superb counter-attack. Dale Sears’ crossfield ball into the penalty area was left by Allan Arthur for Welling, who controlled the ball and fired home neatly in the corner of the net to put Green back in front at 2-1.

 

Sears cleared a shot from Rashid Kamara off the line on 21 minutes, and a minute later Davidson tipped a header from Petrie over the bar as Haringey continued to look useful up front. At the other end on 24 minutes James Armstrong brought down a cross from Sears but couldn’t quite get his shot in, and on 33 minutes Armstrong slid in at the far post but just failed to turn in Arthur’s shot across the face of goal. In the 36^th minute a long throw from Welling into the box was not cleared, and eventually Arthur hooked the ball in from six yards out to put Green into a 3-1 lead which they took to the break.

 

The second half saw both sides play better, but there were fewer chances. Haringey might have pulled a goal back on 56 minutes when Petrie’s flick on but left Kamara with only Davidson to beat, but he shot wide. Leverstock added a fourth goal in the 63^rd minute when another long throw from Welling caused chaos in the Haringey box, and Boad bundled the ball and the goalkeeper over the line to ensure the points.

 

Team: Davidson, Burr, Leslie, West, Johnson, Boad (Caseman), Sears, Welling (Hallissey), Armstrong (Upton), Arthur, Sangster.