Early goals scupper plans as Green lose to Edgware

It was an evenly-contested game, but eighth-placed hosts Edgware made the most of their chances while the Green side didn’t.

There was almost a great start to the game for Leverstock as Jack Waldren curled in a cross to the far post for Matt Bateman, whose header hit the post with just 30 seconds on the clock.

Green dominated the early stages of the game but it was Edgware who took the lead from their first real attack in the ninth minute, when a Dan Pett shot beat Levy keeper Matt Evans and went in off the underside of the bar.

A stray pass on the halfway line led to Edgware’s second goal in the 21st minute when Steven Benevides intercepted and broke forward before laying off to set-up Ryan Carruthers for a shot past Evans.

Things got worse for the visitors in the 34th minute as a missed challenge on the halfway line allowed Rio Beech to thread the ball through to Omololu Onabolu, whose shot seemed to take a deflection as Evans was wrong-footed as it went into the net for a 3-0 Edgware lead.

Leverstock needed a goal back quickly, and they got it three minutes later through a mistake at the other end. A poorly-taken Edgware free-kick led to a Leverstock break and a foul on Bateman on the left edge of the Edgware box. Curtis Donaldson curled in the resulting free-kick and Ross Adams headed home to reduce the arrears to 3-1.

The second-half was all Leverstock as Edgware were content to sit back on their lead, but the Green side were not able to create enough chances to get back into the game, and in the end the home side held out comfortably for the win.

The defeat see Green remain in fourth place in the league standings.

Leverstock now face two games in five days against the same side – Colney Heath – firstly, at home last night (Tuesday) , and then away this Saturday.