Leverstock Green Res. 2  Northwood Res. 6 

Wednesday 15th February 2012

Northwood Res.		Suburban League Cup Round 2 Leg 2 Chestnut Ave, Northwood
James Reading	1	Kick Off
Scott Raper	2	7.30 p.m.
Lee Grant	3	H/T
Liam Fowler	4	2-1
Reece Yorke	5	Scorers
John Christian	6	Northwood
Kyle Matthews	7	Hawkins 2, Bellotti, Walker, Constant, Stephenson
Craig White	8
Oliver Hawkins	9
Spencer Bellotti	10
Jonathan Constant	11
Kevin Ayodele	12
Harry Wright	14
Warren Gladdy (10, 59m)	15
Romaine Walker (7, 36m)	16
Myles Stephenson (9, 69m)	17

Having been without a competitive match for more than two weeks, first team manager Gary Meakin took his first team squad to play in this Suburban League Cup game and they notched a comfortable win in the end, though the home side made them battle for much of the contest.  The first-leg of this second round fixture ended 1-1 back at Chestnut Avenue and Leverstock accepted their difficult task with good grace, really raising their game to compete at a high tempo.

In the very first attack goalkeeper James Reading had to pull off a good save to keep out a testing long-range shot but the Woods were soon in control and took a swift two goal lead inside the opening ten minutes. After six minutes Oliver Hawkins found the space to head home a Jonathan Constant cross unmarked and then four minutes later Constant took advantage of a defensive slip-up to set up Spencer Bellotti who slid in the second.

Green could have folded at that stage but after 17 minutes they grabbed a lifeline when they were awarded a free-kick twenty yards out and Sam Flood blasted the ball home with Reading stationary. Four minutes later Leo Mullett made a quick break down the right and a deflected shot spun across the face of the goal and not far wide. After 27 minutes Hawkins headed in a Kyle Matthews cross but the goal was ruled out for an infringement by the tall striker and Matthews was substituted soon after feeling a slight hamstring strain.  There was only one effort on goal in the closing stages of the first half, with the lively Constant having an effort well saved by goalkeeper Dan Brown.

The second half started scrappily though with neither side getting a grip on the game and the Referee stopping play for free-kicks far too often but Leverstock were still hanging on well on the hour mark. Then, suddenly the home side began to flag and the Woods started to take advantage. After 63 minutes Romaine Walker threaded a great ball through to Constant but his shot was pushed wide by a good save from Brown. From the loose ball Craig White crashed his shot over the bar.
Two minutes later Hawkins knocked a cross down into the path of Walker and he fired home from close-range to restore the two-goal cushion. White then set-up Hawkins for a tap-in, his second of the match and it was game over so Myles Stephenson was brought on to replace Hawkins for the final twenty minutes.

Walker was beginning to run amok down the left and had one shot saved before dancing past two defenders and finding Stephenson whose effort lacked the power to beat Brown. After 76 minutes Reece Yorke headed a corner across the face of the goal and when Stephenson turned the ball back into the middle, Lee Grant fired his shot straight at the ‘keeper.

Just a minute later, Constant burst into the box and was tripped by Ross Miller who rather harshly picked up a second yellow card as well as conceding a penalty. White stepped forward to take the spot-kick only to see Brown dive to his left and save low down.  It is normally Constant who takes the penalties and he showed his teammate how things should be done within a minute as he cut in from the right drove into the area and crashed the ball home for the fifth goal. Unfortunately he was caught just as he was about to shoot and he limped out of the rest of the game with the Woods therefore also playing with ten men.

Leverstock rallied in the final stages with Mullett having a diving-header well saved by Reading before he did notch a consolation goal on 85 minutes with a fine far-post volley. From the kick-off Grant had a rare foray into the final third and rifled a right-foot shot that cam back of the crossbar with Scott Raper getting his head to the rebound but Brown saved. It was in the final seconds of the game that the Woods wrapped up a 6-2 victory as Brown was unable to hold a stinging shot from John Christian and Stephenson pounced to sweep in the loose ball.

Overall, the aggregate score of 7-3 takes the reserves into the Third Round of the Suburban League Cup where they quickly play hosts to AFC Wimbledon at Chestnut Avenue on Saturday.

Report: ALAN EVANS