Leverstock score 10 times in club-record FA Vase win

Unite were playing their first Vase clash and were unfortunate to come up against a Levy side that picked up from where they left off in the FA Cup at Harpenden (6-0) the previous Saturday. A week after recording their biggest victory in the FA Cup, they repeated the feat in the Vase.

The game was just over two minutes old when Reynaldo Carbon picked up a pass from Jonathan Lacey and continued his run past a couple of defenders into the box before slotting past visiting keeper Aaron Halai to make it 1-0.

Levy created several good chances over the next 30 minutes but kept being denied by Halai and at that stage it looked like it might be a frustrating afternoon, but a gift in the 34th minute turned the game in Levy’s favour. Halai rolled the ball to defender Saajan Sohajpal, who tried to beat Lacey on the edge of his own box, but Lacey won the ball and slotted past Halai for the long-awaited second goal.

Three minutes later Jonny Miller played Alex Witham in, and again his shot was saved, but the rebound was picked up by Carbon, who laid it back for Lacey to make it 3-0.

The floodgates opened and on 41 minutes Witham played a sideways pass to Lacey to shoot home and complete a nine-minute hat-trick.

There was still time for Lacey to play a pass over the top to put Carbon through to curl a neat shot past Halai for his second goal in the 43rd minute, sending Leverstock into half-time with a 5-0 lead.

The second period was just a matter of how many more goals the Green would score.

On 49 minutes Lacey had the ball in the net but it was disallowed for offside. However, the sixth goal arrived in the 51st minute when Lacey played a low ball into the box from the right for Witham to finish from close range.

Before the game re-started Levy made their first change, bringing on new signing Alex Yearwood to replace Casey Linsell. Yearwood, signed from Broadfields United, took just four minutes to make an impact, going on a dazzling run down the left before squaring for Lacey to shoot home his fourth of the game for a 7-0 Leverstock lead.

Carbon had a chance to complete his hat-trick a minute later as he ran onto a pass from Lacey, but shot wide.

On 61 minutes a free-kick from Witham found the head of Alex Condon, but Halai pulled off another top save.

A minute later Yearwood showed impressive footwork again as he beat a defender on the left of the area, before pulling the ball back for Witham to shoot home his second and Leverstock’s eighth goal.

With 20 minutes remaining Lacey and Brima Johnson were withdrawn and replaced by Jude Bell and Sam Nair.

A minute later Unite had their best chance when Cole Rawson was clean through but shot wide. However, there were still further goals to come for Levy. In the 81st minute a great pass from Witham set up Yearwood to shoot home a well-deserved goal on his debut, and in the 87th minute Nair exchanged passes with Carbon before firing home possibly the goal of the game from just outside the box to send the scoreline into double figures.

It was an impressive display from the Green, who kept their focus throughout and maintained a clean sheet.

In the next round they will host United Counties Division One side Raunds Town on Saturday, September 15.

That is one of at least four cup ties Levy will play in the next three weeks, but last night (Tuesday), as the Gazette was going to press, they were due to host Cockfosters in the league.

They then entertain Hadley in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup this Saturday.