19/8/06: FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round
Stanway Rovers 0 Leverstock Green 1
Leverstock Green progressed in the FA Cup with a magnificent battling display to defeat a strong Stanway Rovers side. Stanway are top of the Ridgeons League after opening with two wins, but they couldn’t find a way past the resolute Leverstock defence, and Josh Price’s stunning free kick was enough for Green to set up a home tie with Beaconsfield SYCOB in two weeks time.
There had been no clear-cut chances in an evenly-matched game before Green won a free kick thirty yards from goal for a foul on Mark Welling in the 26th minute. Josh Price stepped up to take it, and hit a superb shot over the wall that dipped just under the bar, giving the keeper no chance and putting Green ahead.
The lead was almost doubled a minute later from an excellent move. John Pedder played the ball out wide to Darren Caseman, who ran on and sent over a cross which found the head of James Armstrong, but he couldn’t quite enough on the header to divert the ball inside the post. Towards the end of the half Stanway were seeing a lot more of the ball, but their threat was mostly snuffed out by the Green defence. Five minutes before half time another teasing cross from Caseman set up a chance for Adam Collins, but his shot was blocked in front of goal.
Six minutes into the second half Stanway won a free kick in a dangerous position, but Ray Turner’s shot had its sting taken out by the wall, and James Dewick was able to gather it comfortably. For most of the half Green came under a lot of pressure, but Dewick and his defence were on top form throughout. Green had a chance to increase their lead on 68 minutes when Caseman headed the ball over the advancing Stanway defence to put Armstrong clean through, but Armstrong’s shot went just wide.
Two minutes from time Green were reduced to ten men when Collins was sent off. He had received a yellow card for a silly tackle a few minutes earlier, and picked up the second yellow for time wasting at a free kick. By now Green were penned in their own half, and didn’t help their cause by giving away a succession of free kicks in dangerous positions around the box, however Dewick produced several acrobatic tip-overs to keep the ball out.
The odds seemed to be stacked against Leverstock as the referee added on ten minutes of stoppage time, with man-of-the-match Price having to leave the game injured towards the end of it, but somehow they hung on for a notable victory and a much-needed cash prize.
Team: Dewick, Leslie, Burr, Price (Moriarty), Johnson, Boad, Caseman, Welling, Collins, Pedder, Armstrong (Hallissey).
There was also a good result for the reserves, who opened their league season with a 2-1 home win over Berkhamsted Town. Damien Kehoe and Jimmy Milton scored the goals.
The first team’s opening league match is this coming Tuesday night when they travel to London Colney. Next Saturday the first team are away at Ruislip Manor, while the reserves are at home to Sun Postal Sports, both league matches.