Travelling Tanners

I am going to have pretty much no chance of following the action on Saturday or any Levred action until I return from a remote part of Brazil so lets get the update up nice and early.

Saturday we travel to Chipstead to hopefully improve on our 7th place standing.  We were only there a short while ago when we took on Epsom & Ewell so it should be familiar surroundings.

If not, here are the directions.  Kick off at 3pm.  Good luck fellas.

Corinthians 0 - 2 Tanners

Goals from Bradbrook and Thompson put fears of past bogey grounds to rest.

Leatherhead now climb to 7th...

Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas Levred fans... See you in 2013...

Epsom & Ewell 1 - 4 Tanners

Leatherhead see out a "low key" affair thanks to an early strike from Kev Terry to clam the nerves.  Vernon doubled our lead just inside the half get us into the dressing room in confident mood.

Maybe too confident as the hosts pulled one back but a goals from Holness and a Simmons' penalty (who had only been on the pitch for 10 minutes) made the score line look a lot more comfortable.

Leatherhead progress in Surrey Senior and can now look forward to hosting Sittingbourne who sit in 5th place...

Travelling Tanners

Surrey Senior Cup action tonight and a potential banana skin with a home side in fine form with The Salts enjoying four straight wins.

Leatherhead can hopefully build on a fine away win at the weekend and we're not doing badly with four wins in the last six.

Don't forget Epsom & Ewell play at Chipstead and directions can be found here. Kick off at 7.45.  Good luck fellas!

Three Bridges 1 - 3 Tanners

Leatherhead come back from a goal down to take all three points today.  Simmons getting the equaliser with some help from a hapless 'keeper.

Second half and a sub that raised some eyebrows.  Kev Terry, who had some clear chances and hit the post, for Blackman.  This paid dividends as he netted the third goal after Bradbrook had put us in front.

Three Bridges look like they are going to make heavy weather of this league while  Leatherhead edge up...

Travelling Tanners

After the disappointment of travelling to Faversham, Leatherhead have a further away trip to look foward to.  Three Bridges is up next and while I am a little far from the action I hear similar weather concerns may be in place with heavy rain today.

Although tomorrow may not be the best time to play them.  They seem to be on a run of winning every fourth game and that is where we would find ourselves tomorrow.

Kick off at 3pm.  Directions are as follows....

Leave the M23 at Junction 10 heading towards Crawley on the A2011 (Crawley Avenue). At the roundabout take the first left heading towards Three Bridges Train Station (Hazelwick Avenue). Pass Tesco on your left and head straight over the roundabout (second exit). As you approach the traffic lights remain in the right hand side lane. After turning right in to Haslett Avenue at these lights move immediately in to the right turn lane at the next set of lights. Turn right at these lights in to Three Bridges Road. Follow the road round to the left then turn left after one hundred yards in to Jubilee Walk (directly opposite the Plough Pub). Follow the road to the end and turn right (still Jubilee Walk) and head straight on where Three Bridges Jubilee Field Stadium is at the far end.

Game off

Spare a thought for the players and fans who made the trip only for the game to be called off minutes before kick off.  THAT is not a short journey.

Better luck next time for Saturday...  Three Bridges... who did play tonight by the way...

Travelling Tanners

On the road tonight and a frosty one at that.  Faversham tonight who sit a point and a place above us having scored 10 more goals.

Leatherhead go into the game without two influential strikers it seems.  Greg appears to be on loan again while Tommy sits out his suspension with a swollen foot.  Kev Terry can join Bradbrook upfront so lets hope that fires up as I cannot see a plan B.

May be worth checking before you leave in case of a frozen pitch... but directions can be found here.  Kick off at 7.45.  Good luck fellas!

Tanners 0 - 1 Maidstone

Maidstone got a cold reception but made soon made themselves at home as Leatherhead succumbed to a powerful first half strike.  Despite having plenty of attempts Maidstone had enough in defence to keep us from getting the equaliser.

The first eyebrow was raised when the team sheet went up.  Elliott was to play at right back.  Being a Southampton fan I got the same sinking feeling when Wayne Bridge was swapped to left back but the big difference was he was then an average winger. 

Elliott has been such an attacking threat it seemed strange to burden him with such defencive responsibilities.  The Maidstone striker certainly agreed who made enough space down his left to fire the ball onto the underside of the bar and in.

Leatherhead did go on the attack after a period of looking a bit "all at sea".  Their passing was splitting the defence allowing some threatening attacks down the wing but the final ball eluded us.

There was a touch of controversy.  Tommy, through on goal with only the 'keeper to beat, was tackled from behind in the area.  The ball was initially "won" but not strong enough to push the ball out of risk but to leave rolling almost perfectly in Tommy's stride.  The sliding defender then brought Tommy down but the ref saw nothing wrong with the challenge, nor with the subsequent one that caused him to be subbed off.

Leatherhead will now be short of attacking options.  Tommy banned / injured and Andrews reportedly out on loan to yet another Walton club.  Bradbrook alone does not seem a viable option who had some chances, one well saved, but failed to score with his main strength in winning the long ball to play off to someone in support.

A better game than the scoreline suggests and we were certainly worth a draw.  Certainly enough of a performance to tempt fans to travel to Faversham on Tuesday...

Maidstone Are Coming

Big game Saturday.  Maidstone are tucked away nicely in second place.  Not sticking out like a big player, keeping a low profile but with only 14 games played they could quickly strike up quite a nice lead.

Leatherhead meanwhile continue to yo yo through the league.  Back to back wins pushes up to 7th but getting that elusive hat trick of wins is proving hard to get.

Kick off at 3pm.  Good luck fellas.

Tanners 1 - 0 Herne Bay

Not a classic but a win at home.  We can all think of games where we have dominated but fail to score so when a Tommy Hutchings strike takes a deflection and goes in you know it is going to be your day.

Terry made a return.  Bradbrook made way for Blackman.  Then Andrews on for Francis.

Herne Bay rallied with some pressure but failed to score.  Entertainment value... so so... scoreline... boom.

Big game Saturday!

Herne Bay are coming!

Tonight we welcome Herne Bay to the Grove for the first time I can remember.  The Kent outfit have equipped themselves well in Ryman Division One South and sit in a dangerous 10th position, just one below us.

I say dangerous as tonight we are at home where, compare to playing away, we have struggled.  It baffles everyone why this is so.  So much so that no one can offer a theory on the message board in case it is too radical, like our grass clashes too much with our shirts or something.

Anyway.  Kick off tonight at 7.45.  Good luck fellas.

Walton Casuals 0 - 2 Tanners

Leatherhead win this game comfortably with 10 men with goals in either half.  For most of the game Walton Casuals played this at the same pace which perhaps indicate why they are in position they are.  Meanwhile Leatherhead took the game to the hosts but it was perhaps more huff and puff than quality play.

The goal, for instance, came from a mazy run from Elliot who managed to beat three or four players but then seemed to run out of space.  The ball bobbled out and fell to Hutchings who unleashed a speculative strike into the bottom corner.  Hardly played for but quite spectacular.

Tommy though failed to take on board the calming influence of the female referee and after being involved in a heavy tackle lashed out and the red card was quickly shown.  The fact we were down to ten men really didn't show though for much of the game.

That said in the second half it could have gone horribly wrong.  Leatherhead 'keepers would make a fine substitute for an egg timer these days we've had so many and it appeared we had a new one on duty today.  He pulled off some fine saves that could have led to a Leatherhead collapse had they gone in.

The female ref was having a fine performance and had even reduced Dickie to soft enquiries as to the accuracy of her decisions.  However after Leatherhead missed two open goals tension was showing and after two strange decisions she was ******* getting dogs ******* abuse. 

The first was probably down to her assistant.  A three way clash between 'keeper, defender and a Leatherhead striker allowed the ball to bounce unguarded towards the goal.  With only the striker and defender contenders there was more than a hint of a hand to push it away from the reach of our striker which really should have been spotted.

The second was blatant.  A lofty back pass that was caught by the 'keeper which should have given us a indirect freekick in the box but play was waved on.

Just when we thought the goal was never going to come Bradbrook was one on one.  He had skied his first similar chance but this time it was slotted away.

Two nil.  On to Tuesday then.