SSML Challenge Trophy - 2023/24

[Rhodes]

28 minutes ago, Rhodes said:

SSML Challenge Trophy Final
Leverstock Green 4 London Lions 1 (at Harpenden Town) 
London Lions - Leverstock Green F.C. (levgreenfc.co.uk)

A groundhopper was in attendance at Pancake Lane for the SSML Challenge Trophy Final on Saturday 11 May:

Leverstock Green 4-1 London Lions
Spartan South Midlands League Gladwish Challenge Trophy Final
Rothamsted Park, Harpenden
Att: About 175 I reckon (2 dogs)
As noted, the first competitive (turns out I’d been to a friendly at Potters Bar before that, I suppose it’s good to have an app to record these things but it’s spoiled things a bit here) match I saw this season was at Leverstock Green on a bleak day at the end of July, when they’d lost to Tring in the Herts Charity Shield; my boots leaked and the bus back to St Albans didn’t turn up for two hours, which may explain why my plan to try to take in more of the Spartan League grounds this season didn’t come to fruition.
After a bus journey that took in most of Hatfield and its surrounds - if you’re ever in the area and need to buy a Bugatti I can now tell you exactly where to go - and a pleasant stroll around town taking in all of the information boards that Harpenden has to offer, I made my way through a car park where even the designated walking routes seemed perilous and up to the ground. Harpenden had a 3G pitch installed last summer and seem to have taken the opportunity to redesign the rest of the ground in a colour scheme best described as None More Black; this may have seemed like a good idea at the time but didn’t really work on a day when the temperature was nudging the mid-20s. With the only cover being a small stand and a terrace positioned well inside one half, and with me burning at even a hint of sunshine these days, I watched most of the match in the shade of the trees amongst the numerous small goals on the other side of the pitch.
Leverstock Green have already made themselves ineligible for this competition next year by getting themselves promoted and they’d looked marginally the better side for most of the first half, hitting the post early on and then blazing the follow-up over. I was stood behind some Lions supporters when they were awarded a free kick near the corner of the area. “This is going in, Austin, top bins” one of them announced; it actually deflected in off a defender, but close enough I suppose. “Just before half time as well” the guy in front announced, but there were still five minutes remaining and there was time for Green to equalise from a penalty after a defender performed an ill-advised full-length dive to block a shot and gave away a penalty for handball; ball-to-hand, I suppose, but if you’re going to do an uncontrolled dive in front of a hopeful shot then my sympathies are limited.
Lions had a corner kicked off the line early in the second half, but that was as good as it got for them. Green gradually turned the screw, the ball flashing across goal a couple of times before a fine cross was headed in by Callum Neal to put them in front, and each sub seemed to improve the quality of the team. Their leading scorer, Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica, was one who came on; I missed the circumstances by which he ended up clean through on goal but he finished emphatically, and then played in Luke Beckwith for the fourth. I was stood near their bench for part of the second half and they all seemed to be having a lovely time even before they took the lead, Scott McGleish (apparently still making sub appearances at the age of 50, OIHSP fans) alternately barking instructions and joshing with non-playing squad members and anyone else nearby.
It seems a bit of a shame when a team gets thumped in a cup final, but the result wasn’t unfair on the balance of play. Leverstock Green still have another final to come, for the St Mary’s Cup which appears to be some sort of championship of West Hertfordshire (a niche I wasn’t previously aware of but am now annoyed that I won’t be able to scratch) but as Hemel Hempstead have decided to dig up their pitch at seemingly short notice the venue is still to be arranged.
We were on the opposite side of the pitch from you, VNP. The hooped top in the right hand corner of the covered stand in your photo is my nephew and then it's my brother & his father-in-law and me to his right. Luckily I was there early enough to grab a shady spot.
I thought Maccabi London Lions were the better side in the first half and deserved their lead, mainly due to the intelligent runs and passing of their 10 and 11. The problem was that their huge number 9 (who should have been the fulcrum they played off) didn't have either the positional sense or energy to do anything other than lollop around in deep midfield complaining to all his teammates after the first twenty minutes. Think the penalty was a ridiculous call too, it might have been the turning point of the game but Leverstock were such a different side in the second half that I imagine they would have won out anyway.
I loved the Lions kit which looked like a bespoke Adidas design to me and didn't realise that McGleish was involved with Green. I think Harpenden are now hosting the St Mary's Cup Final on Friday night too, judging by a calendar I saw on the Clubhouse wall.

The Business End - Matchgoing May 10th to 16th - One Touch Football

[Rhodes]

21 hours ago, Rhodes said:

SSML Challenge Trophy Final
Leverstock Green 4 London Lions 1 (at Harpenden Town) 
London Lions - Leverstock Green F.C. (levgreenfc.co.uk)

Action from Pancake Lane and Leverstock Green lifting the SSML Challenge Trophy at Rothamsted Park:

Edited May 18 by Rhodes