Leverstock Green moved back up to second place in the Premier Division table after an excellent win over an Oxhey Jets side that had moved up to fourth with a recent run of form. As with Saturday’s game at Aylesbury, Green held a half-time lead, but this time they held on comfortably and often looked like scoring further goals.

 

Another feature common with Saturday’s game was the dreadful conditions in which the first half was played - strong winds and torrential rain. Both sides coped well enough with the conditions, though, and it was Oxhey who had the first near miss on 17 minutes when Garry Beadle curled a free kick just over the angle of post and bar. Josh Price shot just over the bar for Green on 21 minutes, and hit a free kick just wide three minutes later. Green were twice denied a penalty from another Price free kick on 28 minutes. Allan Arthur appeared to be barged over by keeper Kevin Paul, and Dale Sears was brought down while going for the loose ball. The referee awarded nothing, though, and an eventual shot from James Armstrong was headed off the line.

 

Sears sustained a bad knee injury in the incident, and played no further part in the game. Green continued to press, though, and found the net five minutes before the break. Price floated in another free kick from near the halfway line which Paul could have taken comfortably had he taken a few steps forward, but as he stayed on his line, Allan Arthur got in first to bundle the ball home.Oxhey protested that the ball had gone in off Arthur’s hand, but the referee allowed the goal to stand.

 

Green continued to look the better side in the second half, and could have extended their lead on 50 minutes. Armstrong intercepted a short back pass from Chris Harding and knocked the ball past Paul, but he knocked it too far and couldn’t quite force the ball home from a narrow angle. On 62 minutes Armstrong chased a ball down to the corner flag and put over a cross which Ryan Upton flew in to meet, but couldn’t keep his effort under the bar. A ball over the top from Mark Welling put Armstrong through on goal on 74 minutes, but his chipped effort went just over the bar.

 

Oxhey had shown little threat during the second half, but might have saved the game in the final five minutes. Jamie Arthur tried to turn Lee Johnson inside the box, but Johnson’s boot deflected his shot wide. In the last minute Ian Holdom hit a tricky shot from distance along the wet turf which Derek Lewis did well to parry away. Paul Turner came in for the rebound but hit it into the side netting, and Green held on to the final whistle to claim a crucial three points.

 

Team: Lewis, West, Matthews, Price, Johnson, Pedder, Sears (Upton), Welling, Armstrong (Hallissey), Arthur, Bull.