Herts Senior Cup Second Round Leverstock Green 1 Stevenage Boro 4 A STRONG Stevenage Boro side easily saw off the challenge of Leverstock Green in the Herts Senior Cup on Tuesday night. While the competition is at the bottom of Boro s priority list this

Herts Senior Cup Second Round

Leverstock Green 1 Stevenage Boro 4

A STRONG Stevenage Boro side easily saw off the challenge of Leverstock Green in the Herts Senior Cup on Tuesday night.

While the competition is at the bottom of Boro's priority list this season, manager Graham Westley used the opportunity to give some of his stars some playing time and would have been impressed by their response against a plucky Leverstock Green.

Green started the better side however and could have been in front inside three minutes when Daniel Griggs had an excellent chance but Ashley Bayes was equal to his effort.

Lewis Pritchard then tested Bayes with a header that needed to be tipped over the bar from this point on Stevenage took control.

Lee Johnson was penalised for handball on the edge of the penalty area and Joel Byrom stepped up to cleverly curl a low free kick around the wall and put his side 1-0 in front.

Boro had to wait until six minutes into the second half to double the lead when Johnson headed into his own net from a Stacy Long cross.

Stevenage were given a slight scare in the 53rd minute when Eddie Odhimabo brought down Gary Connolly inside the penalty area and Lee Bitcham reduced the arrears from the spot.

But Long dashed any hope Green had of making a comeback with a crisp 20-yard strike that flew past goalkeeper Carl Tasker.

Byrom had another chance to show his free kick prowess five minutes later, this time curling the ball over the wall, but it came back off the angle of post and bar.

Mitchell Cole did get a fourth when he demonstrated his return to form by firing home.

Leverstock Green: Tasker, Bircham, West, Morgan, Johnson, Connolly (Rose 78), Cracknell, Harvey (Sears 78), Pritchard (Conway 78), Griggs, Wardle. Subs not used: Culaj, Hooker.

Boro: Bayes, Odhiambo, Albrighton, Murphy, Long, Boylan, Byrom, Maamria, Birri, Cole, Vincenti. Subs not used: Cornhill, Rayner, Greene Broome, Powell.