26/8/06: Molten SSML Premier Division
Ruislip Manor 1 Leverstock Green 2
17-year old Adam Hallissey was the hero as Leverstock Green showed their fighting spirit again to produce another great comeback.. The youngster won a penalty and scored a late winner to overturn a half-time deficit and continue the Green’s unbeaten start to the season.
Green’s current goalkeeping crisis was solved by the loan signing of 18-year old Jonathon Pearce from Hemel Hempstead Town, and Josh Price returned from injury, but they were without the ill James Armstrong and unavailable Lee Johnson. Pearce was the busiest of the two keepers early on as Manor made the better start. In the 5th minute Mick Swaysland’s pass opened up a shooting chance for Ryan Upton, but his shot was blocked by a Green defender’s leg. James White headed over the bar in the 10th minute, and Pearce did well to tip over a long shot from Mark Smith in the 13th minute.
Green’s first chance came on 16 minutes. Allan Arthur won the ball in the Manor half and laid off to Adam Collins, whose ball into the box set up Sean Sangster, but his shot was straight at keeper Carl Tasker. However, Manor were still having the better of things, and they took the lead in the 24th minute when Upton took advantage of hesitation in the Green defence to head home a corner.
There could have been an equaliser five minutes later when John Pedder tried to catch out Tasker with a lob from long range, but it went just over the bar, and Price went close with two free kicks towards the end of the half, the first being turned round the post by Tasker, the second going inches over the bar.
The game changed with the introduction of Hallissey, top scorer for the youth team last season, in the 58th minute. Within a minute of coming on, Hallissey chased down a backpass to Tasker, and actually nipped in to win the ball and go round the keeper, but his attempt to square the ball for Arthur was cut out. On 64 minutes Hallissey showed his pace again as he raced across the penalty area to win the ball from defender James Kelsh, only for Kelsh to respond with a hack at the Green player. After consulting his linesman, the referee awarded the penalty, Green’s third in two games. Josh Price took the spot kick, but Tasker pulled off a brilliant save. Arthur was quickest to the rebound, though, and slotted the ball home to level the scores at 1-1.
Hallissey’s pace and willingness to run continued to cause problems for the Manor defence. On 78 minutes he went on another purposeful run into the Manor box and laid off for Arthur, who unfortunately slipped as he was about to shoot. The game was decided by a turn of events with five minutes remaining. Manor were threatening, but Pearce pulled off a great save to turn a shot round the post. The resulting corner was cleared by the Green defence out to Mark Welling, who played a ball over the top that sent Hallissey clear of the last defender, and Hallissey produced the perfect lob over the oncoming Tasker to score his first senior goal and put Green into a decisive 2-1 lead.
There was controversy in injury time when Arthur was floored by a dangerous late tackle. The referee produced a straight red card, although the recipient Anthony Page was not the player who made the tackle. The linesman informed the referee that he had the wrong man, but he unconvincingly claimed that the dismissal was for words said, and the decision stood.
Team: Pearce, Burr, Leslie, Price, Plaskett, Caseman (Sears), Sangster, Welling, Pedder (Hallissey), Arthur, Collins (Boad).
The reserves continued their winning start with a 5-0 home win over Sun Postal Sports.
The first team have an away trip to St Margaretsbury on Tuesday night for a league match, and are at home to Beaconsfield SYCOB in the preliminary round of the FA Cup next Saturday. The reserves are away to Mursley United next Saturday.