Illness-hit Levy are edged out in battle of the Greens

Among the absent players were key first team regulars such as Liam Jahn, Joe Horwood, Ryan Laville, Ollie Buckley and Curtis Donaldson. Stefan Chiriac, Tyler Osborne and Alfie Boswell all stepped up from the reserves and did a good job.

In the fifth minute a corner from Ashley Addison found Alex McCarthy at the far post, and his downward header bounced up off the ground and hit the post.

On 13 minutes another Addison corner was met with a glancing header from Jack Copson that drifted just wide, and seven minutes later McCarthy floated in a free-kick but Lewis Cruwys headed wide.

A corner from Holmer hit the top of the bar on 23 minutes, although Green keeper Jamie Hillier had it covered.

However, in the 25th minute Gary Lines floated a ball into the box for Dean Allen, who brought it down before turning and shooting Holmer into a 1-0 lead.

Levy kept going, and in the 29th minute they went close again when Boswell laid the ball back from the byeline to Dan Griggs, who shot into the side netting.

Two minutes later they were level as Addison swung in a corner and Copson came in with a bullet header that gave the keeper no chance.

Two minutes before the break Holmer went close again when a shot from Allen hit the post, but Leverstock were good value for the 1-1 scoreline at the interval.

Allen was denied again on 54 minutes by a great tackle from Dan Fielding when he was clean through, and seconds later there was a break on at the other end as Boswell raced clear before squaring for Addison, whose shot brought a fine save out of the Holmer keeper.

On the hour mark a ball should have been cleared from near the corner flag, but Holmer won the ball back and eventually Curtis Stone blasted home from six yards to put his side back in front.

Four minutes later there was an unfortunate moment for Hillier, as Allen hit a shot which slipped through his hands into the net to put Holmer into a 3-1 lead.

Leverstock struck back when Cruwys hit a fantastic strike from outside the box into the corner of the net to pull it back to 3-2.

However, they couldn’t find another goal, and in the last minute Hillier pulled off a great save to tip a shot from Allen over the bar and deny Holmer a fourth goal.