L'Honore hat-trick but Stotfold are held

Ben L'Honore scored his second hat-trick against Leverstock Green in a fortnight on Tuesday - but his Stotfold side were denied victory at the death.
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Two goals in the final moments saw the Eagles and Leverstock share a thrilling 3-3 draw in the SSML Premier.

On a blustery Tuesday night the sides met to complete the fixture that had twice been abandoned - once because of injury and once because of high winds.

On both occasions Stotfold were 2-0 up when the referee called a halt.

However there was a very different start to this game as Stotfold began sloppily and after just three minutes when Curtis Donaldson ran straight at the heart of the defence unapposed and slotted home.

It didn’t get any better for the Eagles as the work-rate and quality was just not there and they lost their shape again on 39 minutes. A ball over the top had Adam Harpur rushing 30 yards out of his goal to try and clear but Ashley Addison rounded him and scored into an empty net.

However Stotfold hit back straight away. A cross to the far post was met by the head of Ben L’Honore to make it 2-1 and throw the home side a lifeline.

In the second half Stotfold were now in the ascendancy with Drew Cardines running at the Leverstock defence at will with pace and trickery.

Despite the home side’s dominance the equaliser was proving difficult until the 70th minute when an exquisite clipped pass over the top fell right into the path of L’Honore to run on and slot home for his second.

Then in the 89th minute a free kick out wide was swung in by Drew Cardines for L’Honore to arrive at the far post and head home for his hat trick - his sixth goal In two games against Leverstock Green in the last two weeks.

The game went into added time and with just 30 seconds left on the clock a Leverstock forward was going nowhere with his back to goal, turned and was taken down on the edge of the box. A penalty was awarded and coolly dispatched by Ryan Laville before the final whistle blew.

Stotfold host London Tigers on Saturday before travelling to Kempston Rovers in the North Beds Charity Cup on Tuesday.

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