Banstead 2 - 5 Tanners

For once an experimental side did not capitulate, as with the league cup, but went on to notch up an impressive 5-2 to see us through to the next round.

A handful of supporters made the journey and could only recognise about three names on the team sheet.  Finding goals came easier than hot food as Leatherhead found themselves 2-1 up at half time and then went on to score three more until they pulled one back at the death.

The Surrey Senior Cup dream goes on, but now we focus on Wycombe...

Travelling Tanners

Going to Banstead is like putting on an old pair of socks (and I recommend you put on a couple more pairs for the visit to the tundra) as this was a ground I regularly visited when I first started supported Levred in the mid-90s.  In those days we made this journey twice as they ground shared with Epsom & Ewell.

Tonight we face our old friends in a Surrey Senior Cup tie that has taken on greter significance than we could have predicted when the draw was made.  A rush of blood to the head saw two of our most influential players sent off seven days before and they can only feature in our historic cup game due this fixture being pre-arranged.

We love the Surrey Senior Cup though and to advance would be great, but understandably the cotton wool will be out in force tonight and we already have news of Academy Players getting the nod.

Kick off at 7.45.  Directions can be found here.  Good luck fellas.

Tanners 2 - 0 Enfield

A war of attrition today as two sides battled out a rather uninspiring game, but let us not underestimate the impoartance of the win.  Three points without Jack would have been hard to believe a few weeks ago.

The first half had its moments, with one weak header going wide from us and a series of offside decisions at the other end.

Second half we upped it to create a period of about 10 minutes of excitement, which would be cut down to about two in edited highlights.

McManus was the goal hero today.  He made a nice amount of space for himself before directing his shot past the 'keeper and in off of the post.

The Enfield 'keeper then seemed to get the jitters and made a series of blunders, the most calamitous being from a back pass that he failed to get under control.  McManus pounced and header the ball away from the juggler and then fired his shot in from a reasonably tight angle.

We all had a good laugh when a shot going well wide was nearly directed in by an Enfield midfielder; but we were laughing through gritted teeth as the temperature was dropping with little prospect of future entertainment.

Three points and now we focus on the Surrey Senior Cup.  Please let there be a Surrey Senior Cup...

Lowestoft Town 3 - 1 Tanners

Getting to Lowestoft was never going to be an option for me midweek, so I looked forward to a quiet night, perhaps sit down with my laptop and make some sarcastic tweets over how the game was going. Hell, I might even pretend I was there... but that all changed in the opening minutes.

First of all (from a contact) Midson received a yellow for handball outside the box, a decision he queried and received a second yellow.  One off.  Almost from the resulting play Moore dived in and got a yellow and, not picking up on the subtle signals that the ref was not tolerating back chat, queried this decision too and got the same treatment.

Leatherhead soon conceded but fought back to make it 1-1, a Minshull header giving us hope.  By all accounts we never gave up but to be two men down (and two key men) it was hard work and so we lost a perhaps winnable game.

This was all immaterial to the excitement levels on Twitter.  Would our two key players be out for Wycombe?  The laws of the game were sent to some of the highest judges in the land (well, a Twitter poll) and it appeared OK.  Then Brady (a man I dare say has first hand experience of suffering punishment through discussing decisions) confirmed the key to this is the Surrey Senior Cup game on Tuesday.  Pray for sun.

Travelling Tanners

First a brief summary of last night where Billericay arrived at The Grove to play Kingstonian.  Without Tamplin (in hiding in Dubai) there was no silly song (replaced by "****** come on"), Paul Konchesky (on the bench) and Pennant (on the bench as usual) and an altogether better atmosphere.  Sure Ks fans threw some fake money at the 'keeper but he suddenly started to appear pleasant.

First half and Ks could perhaps claim to have had the better of it, but in the second half the conference quality of Billericay's players told and they soon found themselves two nil up.  Then Billericay's keeper admitted it was a dive for our first game and wished us good luck against Wycombe which really took the win out of our sails so we left early.  It got us out of the house though.

On to tonight and it is the longest mid-week journey I think in the league as we take on Lowestoft.  Providing our players didn't use up all of their goals we could hope for something from this game, but it is a long way to travel having played so often

Kick off at 7.45.  Directions can be found here.  Good luck fellas.

Tanners 4 - 0 Wingate & Finchley

Wingate & Finchley could not have predicted the response from the FA Cup win that they were on the receiving end of yesterday.  During this cup run we have been fragile in the other competitions, but perhaps by finally getting to play a league club has brought some closure to the team and they can relax (for now).

The first set back for the visitors was their 'keeper; he pulled a thigh muscle and had to ask a friend to help take goal kicks.  The second setback was that Midson and Nash were on fire.

The first goal came from Midson, receiving the ball in the box and sent defenders and the 'keeper diving in all directions except from where he coolly dispatched his shot.

The second was from a Midson / Nash combination.  Midson stole the ball off of a defender, ran to the bi-line and crossed to Nash who slotted it in.  Nash then made himself some room in the area to slide in another... and header home his hat-trick on the stroke of half-time.  Some debate over whether this was a perfect hat-trick.

Second half brought no allowed goals, but both teams scored from offside positions in quick succession.  Nash again for us.

A win that makes our league position look healthier, but a different kettle of fish with the long trip to Lowestoft on Tuesday...

Wingate & Finchley are coming

Still on a high, mentally and physically exhausted... and that is just us supporters following the heroics of Thursday. Now we face league opposition in the shape our friends from North London.

Wingate & Finchley sit in a nice position in the league and would be tough to beat on an ordinary Saturday... but with FA Cup Round 2 two tickets on sale it just isn't.

Kick off at 3pm.  See you there.

Billericay 1 - 3 Tanners

I'd like to think we could chalk up tonight's win due to arrogance.  Arrogance that Glenn Tamplin would grin while predicting he would tear us apart in the replay.  Arrogance that he would settle for a draw.  Arrogance that he would play on Tuesday.  That would be doing us a disservice though as we thoroughly deserved our win tonight.

The first half had BT Sport continuously trying to coax positive answers from the pundits over Billericay but at half time the managers from Wycombe and Woking were resolute; Leatherhead were the better side.

In the second half we were event better, but I feared the worst when they scored from an offside position.

Midson does not disappoint in the FA Cup and he was soon at hand to head our equaliser and in the 70th minute, following a clear foul in the area, he dispatched the penalty to put us 2-1.

The ref was promised a new car so found 5 minutes of injury time but it only allowed us to smash a third goal through the money grabbing hands of their 'keeper to make it 3-1.

A victory for football and now, finally, our FA Cup can begin.  We are off to Wycombe.

Travelling Tanners

When Glenn Tamplin's massive ego took over while being interviewed on the BBC, he perhaps did both teams a favour.  It created just about enough interest in the game for us to get on the TV, which I appreciate as I can now watch the game from a bar in Poland.

The prediction was that they would destroy us in the replay, and he may well be right.  Better sides than us have received a good beating and only last night, while they could have perhaps focussed on the FA Cup, they beat Merstham 3-0.  If recent Leatherhead performances are anything to go by, if Billericay come out with only ten men and play two second halves it could well be 10-0.

Football isn't as clean cut as that though, as our fellow Surrey based team Woking will testify.  Despite Billericay's big money signings we have gone toe to toe with them for 180 minutes and are only one goal down... that goal being a very dodgy penalty.  A ref that sees that interview will hopefully give it some more thought before pointing to that spot again.

Kick off at 7.45, although get there early in case there is another queue to get in.  Directions can be found here.  Good luck fellas!

Royston 3 - 2 Tanners

Sammy was covered in cotton wool for this one and Brades was covered in an unkempt beard. Rod was also present, starting to show an interest again now he has the chance to get on TV. 

There were just 15 lost souls supporting The Tanners compared to 1,500 the previous weekend. At least we were well qualified with a high percentage of our supporters holding a PhD.

A strangely subdued Jack started the game but was a shadow of his usual self, particularly compared to his heroics against Billericay where he played centre forward and centre back. Perhaps he was rightly concerned about picking up a knock or a niggle before the big one.

We started full of vim and vigour for the first 30 minutes and completely forgot that we were nervous about appearing live on TV at Tamplin Towers Theme Park on Thursday. Liam and D'Sean put us two up and we were looking great.

Slowly we started to tire and look leggy. Royston worked their way back into the game just before half time. The 2nd half was a bit of a disaster. Royston equalised then the referee gave us no chance by sending a Royston player off. A goal in injury time meant that for the 3rd time this season we lost to 10 men.

In preparation for our FA Cup Replay, and out of respect to the beloved Glenn Tamplin, I will leave you with Isiah 40;31 

But those that hope in the Lord will renew their strength
They will soar on wings like eagles
They will run and not grow weary
They will walk and not be faint

Travelling Tanners

The joyous occasion of a new ground is potentially tarnished with the understandable onset of cotton wool, that has already claimed Sammy Moore, as we take on Royston Town today in the FA Trophy. 

Some of our new players do not appear cup tied in this competition so I hope they can give some of our squad a rest while trying to add to the FA competition satchel we have accumulated this season.

Our hosts ply their trade in the Evo-Stik Premier League and are placed in a similar position.

Kick off at 3pm.  Directions can be found here.  See you there!

Tanners 1 - 2 Folestone

Leatherhead's form in the league continues to slide away despite an encouraging first half.  Our guests could not have predicted the fast start to the game we initiated, thanks to a lively new signing in Nash.  It was through Nash we got our opener as he was brought down in the box (and not outside it) and took the resulting penalty.  It is clear he is not short of confidence as he took the penalty like it he was trying to get the ball out of a bunker and into a green.

Despite the pressure we let Folkestone back into the game on the stroke of half time.  I missed this goal I have to confess.

Second half and our energy levels dropped and the offside count rose.  Folkestone decided to test our 'keeper from range and were right to as one slid through his hands as he was diving to save it.  A second attempted save from another shot fell to a striker who scored but was deemed to be offside.

We had one header on target in the second half so there was little to lift the loyal crowd who were there despite not having the glamour of the FA Cup to prompt them.  That or 1,400 people snuck in for free.

Off to the Trophy then...

Folkestone are coming

By Sammy's own admission, this is going to be a tough game for all concerned tonight.  After the physical and mental strains of just watching Tamplin being interviewed, let alone the disappointed of the penalty that wasn't a penalty, we have to try and focus on the league.

The squad is in a bit of flux.  We have signed a couple of players that are cup tied and so should be fresh on the one hand, but an unused player in Calum has left to play his football elsewhere.

Folkestone would be a tough game anyway.  They are pushing for a play-off place and will no doubt look to exploit our distractions.

Kick off at 7.45.  See you there!

It's Wycombe Wanderers

Should be avoid being thorn apart by Billericay next Tuesday, we will face The Chairboys in the second round.  A club who created their own FA Cup history by getting through to the semi-final on the back of getting Roy Essandoh via a Ceefax ad (a player we later saw at Bury Town) in 2001.

Tanners 1 - 1 Billericay

Leatherhead get their name into the hat for the Second Round draw but with a tough task ahead with the replay at their place.  For a while it looked like the task was going to be too big this time round as a timid Leatherhead failed to get to grip with their guests.  After 15 minutes we calmed ourselves down and got into the game and looked the most likely to score.

Paul Konchesky, I have seen him three times now and I have no idea why they persist with him.  Subbed off last season, sent off this season and today found himself distracted by the crowd.  So much so he wondered off the near post to allow Midson to steal in and deftly flick a low ball into the net past the stranded 'keeper.

That goal pretty much summed up the two sides in the first half.  Leatherhead were prepared to throw themselves at the ball, Billericay to trot around and take the money.

Second half and Billericay were a lot more focussed; perhaps their physio had managed to paint a few lions in the away dressing room or there was an extra chorus from R Kelly.  It was a shame though that their equaliser did not come from some noteworthy passage of play or individual skill, but from their player diving outside the box and conning the referee.  Zak got a hand to it but it was too powerful.

Billericay looked the most likely to win it, and even when Leatherhead did attack we often got in each other's way and it broke down.

On to Billericay then and Glenn Tamplin showed his class, showing off in front of a pretty BBC reporter, and stated we need not even turn up as we are going to get thrashed.  Footballing gods, please take note.

Billericay are coming!

Glenn Tamplin and his array of highly paid talent arrive at the Grove for the First Round proper of the FA Cup.  He won't be looking forward to this one, after being beaten here last season, losing O'Hara as a result, and twice making approaches for Leatherhead's manager... and failing... twice.

Leatherhead have approached this game in exactly the same way as we did for Margate, and while the task is bigger I hope we can come out with the same result.  On paper we lose this one, easily, but by sticking to a game plan and some luck who knows.

Kick off at 2pm.  See.  You.  There.

Ticket update

The club have asked me to post that there will be a number of tickets available at the gate. The capacity is 2,000 and we've enjoyed good pre-sales from both clubs.  Perhaps get there early tomorrow to avoid disappointment and queues...

Training Tanners

So; what would have any Billericay scout have learned from yesterday?  If confidence is inversely proportional to activity then we are ready, if not over confident as precious little happened from the advertised start time to just after 8pm.  The players emerged from a lengthy session of sitting down in the dressing room and chatting.

Fans of watching grown men chat were in for a further treat as the dressing room chat was followed by a further chat but in a circular formation in the middle of the pitch.  This was followed by some warm up exercises that took place, annoyingly, on the furthest point from the invited fans.

Then, on about 8.20 they got into some light pass and move drills and set up into three groups of defence, midfield (the largest) and attack.  At about 8.40 I had to go as I did not want to miss The Apprentice but they stuck to a variety of pass and move drills with some players switching between the groups.

Was it a waste of time for the fans?  If you left at 8.40 then perhaps but maybe later on we saw something more challenging.  The whole experience was rather comforting though, a chance to catch up with fans and perhaps dare to dream that we can send the big money men of our league back home with us in the second round... or at least to plan how to make a quick getaway...