14/10/06: Molten SSML Premier Division

Colney Heath 2 Leverstock Green 4

 

Two goals in the last three minutes completed a second hat-trick on successive Saturdays for James Armstrong, and secured another three points for Leverstock Green from a game that seemed to be going away from them, having squandered a two-goal lead. Green are now one of three clubs with 24 points in a tie at the top of the Premier Division table.

 

Leverstock opened the scoring in the 9^th minute with a goal that home keeper Gary Statham will want to quickly forget. Josh Price’s free kick from the halfway line found Allan Arthur on the far side of the penalty area. Arthur hit probably one of the weakest shots of his career, but Statham somehow managed to let it trickle under his body as he dived, and it crept over the line to give Green the lead.

 

Armstrong had his first chance on 14 minutes when Wayne Barber’s long ball went over the head of a defender to leave him through, but Matt Tillbrook scrambled back to block his eventual shot wide. Towards the end of the half Colney started to look more of a threat. On 35 minutes Martin Standen headed Mick Hemmingway’s cross against the post, and on the stroke of half time the same two players combined again as Standen stabbed the ball just wide.

 

The second half opened with controversy as Arthur was brought down by a defender on a run for goal. The foul looked inside the penalty area, but the award was a free kick just outside the box, from which Price shot wide. On 50 minutes Green put together a neat counter-attack as Arthur laid off to Armstrong, who played a superb crossfield ball to put Mark Welling in. Welling’s shot was weakly parried by Statham, and Arthur came in to put away the rebound, but a defender’s boot deflected his effort wide.

 

Green’s second goal finally arrived in the 57^th minute. A pass from Arthur allowed Armstrong to outpace the Colney defence. Statham came racing out of his area, but Armstrong skipped over him. Tillbrook forced him wide, but Armstrong still got a shot towards the empty net. Statham scrambled back and grabbed the ball, but it had already crossed the line and the goal was given.

 

Two minutes later Statham’s day got worse when he was penalised for handling a backpass on his goal-line. Green were awarded an indirect free kick on the edge of the six-yard box, but Armstrong’s shot was blocked by one of the crowd of bodies on the line. Armstrong could have put the game away on 61 minutes when he was clean through again, but his shot went wide.

 

Instead the home side were back in the game two minutes later. Lee Rickard was allowed to run down the right and get in a cross which found Jake Parrett unmarked in front of goal and he finished to pull the score back to 2-1. Leverstock were denied a penalty again on 67 minutes when Armstrong was clearly brought down on a run into the box, and five minutes later a deflected cross from Armstrong sailed inches over the bar. Colney took advantage and went on to level the scores from a corner on 74 minutes. Green keeper Mark Davidson came for the ball but was balked by one of his own defenders, and Rickard rose highest to head home the equaliser.

 

The momentum seemed to be with the home side, but the introduction of Darren Caseman and Steve Boad put life back into the Green side. Three minutes from time Colney gave the ball away from a throw-in that was incorrectly awarded to them deep in their own half. Boad lofted the ball into the penalty area, where a defender slipped to leave Armstrong all alone. Armstrong showed composure as he took the ball round Statham and slotted home to put Green back in front at 3-2.

 

A minute later Caseman squared to set up Armstrong with his easiest chance of the game, but he ballooned it over the bar from six yards out. However, a minute from time Caseman’s pass put Armstrong clean through again, and once again he sidestepped Statham before sidefooting the ball home to complete his hat-trick and clinch a 4-2 win. Armstrong has now scored 16 goals in 14 appearances this season, eleven of them in the last six games.

 

Team: Davidson, Burr, Leslie, Price, Plaskett, Barber (Caseman), Sears (Boad), Welling, Sangster, Arthur, Armstrong.