Tring Athletic 1 - 1 Leverstock Green

WET LOCAL DERBY ENDS IN LIVELY DRAW

After a number of postponements we finally got this local derby underway although the incessant rain before and during the game did its best to try and get this game called off yet again. Despite the deluge of water dumped on the pitch the surface was playable until late in the game when the conditions became difficult. However, the Referee was right to go ahead and the crowd would have had no complaints because it was a cracking game played at high speed and intensity.

This was our 79th encounter against Green who are having a superb season with just one defeat from the last six games and lying 3rd in the table. Our season has been a bit up and down but we have strung together some decent results lately which has seen us climb up to 7th in the table. So a competitive game was on the cards.

Josh Ameganyi was called into action in the 7th minute producing a great save from Luke Beckwith then Josh pushed away a header from the resulting corner with a follow up shot being blocked and then put wide. Both teams seemed uninhibited by the wet surface and were playing some terrific football.

Our guests were a danger from corners but it was us who opened the scoring in the 21st minute from our first corner taken by Max Hercules (note Bob Winter who was sitting next to me said we would score and he was right!). Godlove Oppong got his head to the corner with the ball seeming to bounce down and over the keeper. There were complaints from the visitors bench apparently because they felt the keeper had been impeded. Never the less the goal stood. Score 1-0.

Two minutes later we thought we had doubled our lead when Harry Shepherd scored from a lovely defence splitting pass from Max Hercules but the Linesman’s flag quickly put a stop to our celebrations. Soon afterwards George Carbery found the net but that was also ruled out this time for a high boot.

Former Athletic player Guiseppe Delgaudio struck a firm shot that Josh saved but he was to have the last laugh when he headed home a cross in the 37th minute to level the scores. Score 1-1.

Harry Shepherd produced a well hit shot that the Levy keeper Liam Gauthier did well to tip round the post. Soon afterwards it was Shep again who went close with a rasping effort that went just wide with Gauthier scrambling across his goal.

A terrific half of football ended with the scores all square. HT Score 1-1.

Three minutes after the re-start Harrison Mead cut in from the left wing and bent a terrific shot that just missed the target with the keeper relieved to see it go over. However, it was our visitors who started the second half well and enjoyed more possession but we were well organised and defended well and we restricted them to few clear chances.

We had our moments with Harrison Mead sending Ben Kakembo through down the inside right channel but his shot was superbly blocked by a defender. From the corner Jack Harvey sent a header just wide.

We made some substitutions and then enjoyed some good spells of possession without creating too much. Eli Hearn’s great run and pass set up Frankie Hercules whose shot ripped into the side netting. Harry Shepherd again shot just wide but we had to be grateful to Josh Ameganyi who tipped a superb long range shot from Ryan Carruthers round the post in the 89th minute.

A closely contested local derby which ended in a 1-1 draw which was probably a fair result. We have another local derby coming up on Saturday 30 March when we visit Aylesbury Vale Dynamos.

Team:

TA: Josh Allen Ameganyi, Eli Hearn, Adam Sawyer, G Carbery (Capt), Dave O’Connor, Jack Harvey (Noah Butler 68), Harrison Mead (Frankie Hercules 77) (Harry Jones 90+3), Harry Shepherd, Greg Deer, Godlove Oppong (Ben Kakembo 57), Max Hercules. Sub not used: Harrison Cornick.

Scorers:

TA: Godlove Oppong (21)

LG: Guiseppe Delgaudio (37)

Crowd: 87