Leverstock Green get back to winning ways with victory over Cockfosters

Leverstock Green ended their run of defeats with a much-needed 3-0 win at Cockfosters in Saturday’s SSML Premier Division game.

The three points moves Leverstock up three places up the table to 15th as they leapfrog Cockfosters, Stotfold and Hoddesdon Town.

Levy could have taken the lead in the ninth minute when a defensive mix-up left Louis Bircham clean through on goal. Bircham lobbed the keeper, but the ball came back off the post.

There was another near miss on 14 minutes when Billy Smith played the ball down the line to Bircham, who cut back and squared for Callum Wright to hit a sidefooted shot that went just wide.

Mark Woolley’s effort from 25 yards was narrowly wide in the 22nd minute, but a minute later Leverstock finally scored a deserved goal.

Billy Smith played the ball to new signing Carl McCluskey, who chipped the ball over the keeper to the far post to Bircham, who showed the composure to head home into the empty net despite the efforts a defender to clear it off the line.

Leverstock had the ball in the net for a second time in the 39th minute when Wright got on the end of a Smith free-kick with a header that looped up over the keeper into the net, but it was disallowed for an offside flag that was not against Wright.

The home side had a spell of pressure towards the end of the half, with Kieran Jimmy having to save a close-range shot from Junior Adeoye, and a header from a corner by Jay Rolfe.

Leverstock continued to look the better side in the second half. On 54 minutes Damien Cruickshank made a run into the box, but his cross was turned away by the keeper before McCluskey could get on the end of it. Six minutes later a shot from Smith was turned round the post by the keeper.

Elias Moses came off the bench to replace Smith on 72 minutes, and six minutes later a pass from Bircham put Moses clean through on goal.

Moses could have squared for Wright, but instead went for it himself and slotted the ball under the keeper for an excellent finish to put Leverstock 2-0 ahead.

The points were sealed in the 83rd minute when Wright played a lovely one-two with McCluskey on the edge of the box before slipping the ball past the keeper for a third Leverstock goal.

The Green side will hope to keep up this form in two further away games this week, away to London Colney on Tuesday night and Hertford Town next Saturday.

Cockfosters: 1. Luke Pierce, 2. Brodie Cousins, 3. James Lawrance (16. Harry Gruchy-Caswell 85 mins), 4. John Cush, 5. Tom Massey, 6. Piero Bagarone (15. Aaron Crockett 81 mins), 12. Jeremy Lynch (14. Panny Boxer 59 mins), 8. Ben Spaul, 9. Jay Rolfe, 10. Junior Adeoye, 11. James Blackshaw. Sub not used: 17. James Cattlin.

Leverstock Green: 1. Kieran Jimmy, 2. Damien Cruickshank, 3. Gavin Smith, 4. Liam O’Keefe, 5. Callum Wright, 6. Danny Arnett, 7. Billy Smith (14. Elias Moses 72 mins), 8. Mark Woolley, 9. Carl McCluskey (16. Nathan Jallow 89 mins), 10. Louis Bircham (12. Timi Salako 80 mins), 11. Tommy Walsh. Subs not used: 15. James Sears, 17. David Paredes.

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