Play-off final

A bumper crowd roared Maidstone home 1-0 against Folkestone.  Elsewhere Faversham saw off Hythe with ease to make it through to the final.

Maidstone host Faversham then on Saturday...

Tanners 0 - 1 Faversham

It was Folkestone who ended our dream of promotion three seasons ago in the semi-final and it is them again who spoil our party by grabbing 5th spot but in truth our failure to reach the promised land was of our own making.

We were lucky even to be in with a shout of this anyway.  The three points against Dulwich made both the title race and the 5th spot exciting where, if you were a betting man, it looked over at the time of the wall collapse.

However life is all about taking your chances and while we did at the replay we failed miserable yesterday.  Faversham looked quite content about the game.  They were not going hell for leather but were not lying down either.

As with the Horsham game, the opening spell looked bright with Leatherhead creating some pressure.  Faversham hit the bar from a freekick and on the death of half time Tommy blasted wide when most expected the net to bulge.

Second half and news of Folkestone being one nil up filtered around the Grove.  It confirmed what we already knew.  We had to score.

That didn't happen and just when it looked like we would end the season missing out on goal difference a freak goal added to our misery.  The visiting striker hit the ball with power from an impossibly tight angle and some how it came off or under the 'keeper and in.  0-1.

Could we respond?  No chance.  Composure out of the window and two one on one chances were missed in as many minutes.

Our friends from Dulwich would say justice was done.  Some fans behind the goal and in the forum are not so sure...

Faversham are coming!

With Folkestone hosting Herne Bay it would appear only a win will do tomorrow.  Failing to win by more than three goals on Wednesday rules out the draw option so we need to take the game to our visitors tomorrow.

Not an easy task though.  Faversham sit in 4th place and have a chance of grabbing a home tie in the play-offs if they win.

Tense stuff then so hope to see you at the Grove at 3pm tomorrow for this encounter...

Eastbourne 0 - 1 Tanners

A Sam Blackman first half goal gives us the three points to give us hope.

Saturday awaits...

Travelling Tanners

Big game tonight.  Lose this one and the chances are we will be playing at this level again next year.  Our hosts sit around mid-table but have only score 6 fewer goals than us so plenty to think about.

There is also a bus leaving at 4.30 should you be wavering on whether to go or not.  Details of how to book a place can be seen on the message board.

Directions can be found here.  Kick off at 7.45.  See you there!

Horsham 1 - 0 Tanners

A bogey ground? Perhaps. A bad result? Without doubt.

Leatherhead fail to take advantage of early pressure and go down to a 27 minute penalty.

Composure ebbed away as Tommy saw red for giving the officials a piece of his mind. Brady followed soon after.

Have we blown it..?

Travelling Tanners

Leatherhead travel to a side tomorrow that were in the Ryman Premier last year but suffered the same fate of relegation.  They are also looking over their shoulders a bit of the trap door of relegation again but a point will keep them safe.

They are up for this then and look for the double having beaten us 2-1 already this season.  A classic in the making.  Directions can be found here.  Kick off at 3pm.  Good luck fellas.

Tanners 4 - 0 CDG

I was worried about this game.  After the adrenalin of Tuesday to go on and face a handy outfit at home I can be forgiven for thinking this was only going to end in tears... I was quite wrong.

The whole team continued in the fashion as they had on Tuesday.  Typified by two quick goals from Bradbrook.  The first being a wonderful lob from distance.

Second half and we were still on the chase against a rather disheartened visiting team.  Elliott and Tommy adding to their misery.

Big Vern made his way back into the side after a period of absence.  Kev Terry returning from injury was another highlight.  Keep him wrapped in cotton wool though as currently we sit 5th...

Horsham away Saturday...

Crawley Down Gatwick are coming

Getting busy this!  Crawley Down Gatwick come to the Grove after several failed attempts to play their first game here.  This newly promoted side has settled nicely into the league and at one point sat in the play-off spots until they ran out of steam a little bit BUT they still pose a threat to our chances.  You don’t score 70 goals in this division by luck you know…

Kick-off is at 7.45.  See you there!

Tanners 1 - 0 Dulwich

Hard hats...

I think a Dulwich side that approached this game in a less militant fashion would have won this easily but the recent frenzy over cheating this and not playing for that created an atmosphere that Leatherhead thrive on.  Dulwich on the other hand often fail to perform under such pressure...

It was clear that Leatherhead had not heeded pleas to sit on the grass for 78 minutes and took the game to Dulwich.  We were closing down and presenting Dulwich with some problems down the wings.  Not least for the number 2 who could cause himself enough problems without any help as it was.

The opening goal came down our right.  A low swift cross that eluded (or perhaps even a dummy) the first man in the box.  It came to Sam Blackman next who dealt the sobering blow.  1-0.

Leatherhead were accused of cheating in the abandoned game.  Pressuring the ref to get it called off.  Dulwich fans remained silent while their number 5 took a challenge and feigned injury to try and draw a yellow card.  Not happy that his acting hadn't worked then went to sit on the pitch for a few minutes to receive 10 seconds of "treatment" only to jog back on and complete the full 90 minutes.

Ugly...

Second half and it was an open affair.  Dulwich probably look the most likely to score although Tommy and Simmo continuously tried their luck knowing it was Chico between the sticks.  He was true to the task until one piece of "Chico Magic" saw him rush off his line to fail to collect a ball and appeared to bring down Bradbrook on the touch line.  Nothing given.

The whistle went and the Dulwich players did not take the news well.  Ugly handbags were drawn and, in a trademark Dulwich move, the dressing room door now lies on the floor.  All in a nights work.

CDG on Thursday then for a more low key affair...

Dulwich are coming

Leatherhead face a Dulwich side that look even stronger than they did on their abandoned trip to The Grove.

Leatherhead look like the shadow of the side that had been on an amazing run until that point.

Football is a funny game though no?

Kick off at 7.45. See you there.

Tanners 0 - 1 Burgess Hill

This game got the go ahead thanks to the hard work of the likes of Dave Blaz, Gerald et al who got pumping and forking since 8am.  For the second time this season their efforts were not rewarded.

Leatherhead did put the effort in but spent the most of the first half enjoying their hobby of water divining by insisting on playing down the left where there was the most standing water.

Burgess Hill managed the better in the conditions and stringed enough passes together in a breakaway move to open the scoring on 19 minutes.

Second half and Leatherhead tried to ply some pressure in difficult conditions.  A loud cry went up when the 'keeper appeared to slip and go straight through Bradbrook but no penalty was given and the game faded out to leave us looking short for the play-offs.

Dulwich Tuesday (subject to pumping)...

GAME OFF

Yet again this game falls due to bad weather.  The game has been rescheduled for next Thursday!

Crawley Down Gatwick are coming

Our new friends touch down to the Grove tonight in yet another crucial game for us if we are going to make the play-offs.  A rare Thursday night outing but such is the need with all of the postponements we have suffered this year.

 

This represents one of those birds in the bush.  Let’s hope Brady has some good birdseed to tempt it out of hiding…

 

Kick off at 7.45pm.  Good luck fellas.

Herne Bay 0 - 1 Tanners

This was a ground I was looking forward to seeing this season.  On the coast and in April, it smacked of a good family day out.  However I find myself in Amsterdam searching for updates where I can...

Before the game much was made of the Herne Bay pitch.  It was dry and bobbly and looked like playing conditions were tough.  But for the cold we could have been playing on an African plain.

 

After a lively start the factors started playing a major factor into the state of play and you could have been forgiven for thinking this game would be one of those that got away.

 

Tommy however had different ideas and put us in front in the second half.  One nil and now our turn to hold on to the win.  Like Corinthians we held on and got the vital win to help lift our spirits.

 

Leatherhead still sit outside the play-offs but it gets busy now...  Thursday night football with the visit of Crawley Down Gatwick...

Travelling Tanners

After the steaming pile of false hope served up Saturday followed by spoons full of cliches in the local press, today represents a considerable outlay in terms of expected return.  Herne Bay sit more comfortably in the league that Monday's opposition and represents a 150 mile return trip.

For those that do brave the conditions a win COULD see bounce back into play-off places.  We are only one point behind you know... but that point seems to get bigger every game.

The location (I cannot find directions) can be found here.  Kick off at 3pm.  Good luck fellas.

Tanners 0 - 1 Corinthian-Casuals

Oh dear.  The visitors took just five minutes to inflict the killer blow and from then on the game was quite the non-event for the home side.

Kev Terry is out and with a number of players being released it was the turn of something borrowed, something new.  Not a happy marriage as it turned out.

Ramsgate failed to take advantage of our slip.  Herne Bay away this weekend then!

Corinthian-Casuals are coming!

On Saturday we got a much needed win against a side on just 35 points and hopefully Leatherhead can repeat the feat with the visit of Corinthian-Casuals.

Leatherhead sit just one point outside the play off places but face a famous bogey side.  Kick off at 3pm.  Good luck Tanners.