Folkestone 5 - 1 Tanners

We have had better weeks. Knocked out of 2 cups. Shipped 7 goals. Missed out on £28,250. Dropped into the relegation zone. 

From the moment Folkestone opened the scoring on 7 minutes it looked like we were going to be on the wrong end of a hiding. The players looked tired and demoralised after playing 120 minutes just 3 days ago. 

Folkestone were 3-0 up at half time and even the chalk horse up on the hill hardly needed to get out of a canter. It doesn't actually look much like a horse anyway.

After 63 minutes we were 5 down and talk turned to the last time we got battered 7 or 8 nil. Fortunately, Folkestone started to lose interest and feel sorry for us even allowing Sean a consolation goal on 79 minutes. 

It will be a long hard winter of discontent if we don't start winning some league games soon.

Travelling Tanners

As one cup door closes another one opens. Although the FA Trophy door doesn't normally stay open for too long.

We travel to Folkestone, the scene of a famous play-off victory under the leadership of Richard Brady (whatever became of him) in 2014. We won 3-1 on penalties after finishing extra time 1-1. The legendary Tom Bradbrook had put us in the lead on 13 minutes. This was revenge for a play off semi final defeat on penalties in 2010. 

Will tired legs and deflated minds recover enough for us to put in a good showing tomorrow in an attempt win £3,250? After all we are the famous Leatherhead and we've been to Wembley although there have been 40 years of hurt in this competition since then......

Tanners 1 - 2 Hitchin Town (AET)

Hitchin Town proved to be an H too far.  In a season jam-packed with mediocre performances this game stood out from the rest. It was even worse.

Our luck in the previous three rounds of the FA Cup by drawing teams from lower leagues came to an end as we were cruelly forced to play a team at our own level.

Hitchin were more streetwise, more experienced and had a plan. We were devoid of ideas and toothless. Jerry stood out again by defending heroically, also scoring our goal, but generally we are indecisive, horribly out of form, and lacking in any confidence.

We squeezed past Hanwell from the level below with one goal in 210 minutes. In the league we have scored just 8 goals in 810 minutes. (Excluding Haverhill of Level 5) Elliot hasn't scored a single goal all season and Sean hasn't scored since September 8th.  So by having the penalty well saved on the stroke of half-time, it was always likely to be an uphill struggle.

Hitchin Town brought up extra-time with a goal on 70 minutes and from there our best hopes were in penalties, but we failed to keep the guests out who by now and the smell of blood in their nostrils.

The midfield lacks an enforcer and a leader. D'Sean was originally a winger so not sure why he is now expected to be Dennis Wise. Dan is left to valiantly try and protect the defence on his own. We set up to get the ball wide and get in crosses, but no one has noticed that we have no natural headers of the ball.

We are less than the sum of our parts.

Hitchin Are Coming

Hitchin Town come to the Grove tonight, fresh from hobnobbing with the BBC, to decide who has the right to play Solihull Moors in the FA Cup First Round Proper.

Leatherhead may feel they missed their chance, given the "advantage" of having a man advantage for 70 minutes but will hopefully be confident given the experiences gained from our last replay.

Kick off at 7.45. Good luck fellas.

Hitchin 1 - 1 Tanners

Leatherhead get into the hat for tonight's draw, but failed again succumbed to the curse of playing a team reduce to 10 men.

Leatherhead were dealt this blow just 20 minutes into the first half.  The ref deemed a foot to be raised and so a straight red card shown. 

Early in the second half, Leatherhead scored a goal that many would have thought would be enough to take us through into the second round.  Travis pouncing on a ball in the box to prod it home from close range.

The ref was a bit of a ponce though and gave a soft penalty to HItchin to even out the soft red card which allowed the hosts to score and take this game to a replay. 

The location of the televised draw remains with the self-declared underdogs of Hitchin... but all eyes will be on who the prize of winning the replay will be.  Sunderland away anyone?

Travelling Tanners

This is the big one.  We are off to Hitchin Town.  That said, and I don't know if it is because I am flying to Azerbaijan on Saturday, I feel the game seems to be understated this year.  Both teams seem keen to be seen as  the underdog by losing their games and tickets still remain available on the coach.

Nevertheless, tomorrow is massive.  A real shot at the £25,000 and the chance to be in the same hat as the likes of Sunderland.

Kick off at 3pm.  Directions can be found here.  Good luck fellas.

Wingate & Finchley 1 - 0 Tanners

Leatherhead earned the right to the title of underdogs against Hitchin with a weary first half performance that ultimately cost us the game.

After 120 minutes of commitment and hard work against Hanwell on Tuesday and £15,000 (see refund terms and conditions) it is hard to be too critical.

For Wingate & Finchley, this was the first game in charge for Nicky Shorey.  He had a quite illustrious career with Villa, Forrest and Fulham before joining West Brom for £1.3m in 2010. He went on to make 2 full international appearances for England which is two better than Jimmy Bullard.  However, if he is anything like Jimmy Bullard as a manger he will soon get bored and give up.

The usual goal against us by MCS came on just 18 minutes. We struggled to cope with Storm Callum in the first half which blew everything out of play. In the 2nd half we were much better and had numerous chances on goal. Unfortunately, our two main strikers seem to have left their shooting boots at their previous clubs.

The sooner we get to play Sunderland in the FA Cup the better. We can then concentrate on the league.

Travelling Tanners

After the drama of the penalty shoot out, Leatherhead must now focus on the the league and a trip to Wingate & Finchley.  Our hosts sit just one pont behind behind us and a loss would start to make the season look like a bit of a dog fight.  On a plus note, it my allow us to claim the "underdog" status that Hitchin were so quick to take up...

Kick off at 3pm.  Directions can be found here.  Good luck fellas!

Hanwell 0 - 0 Tanners (Tanners win 4-2 on penalties)

There was no winner in this game; just a murderer and an accomplice.  On arriving at Hanwell, I was rather impressed with the outfit.  Friendly and an amazing playing surface, but any goodwill for the club soon dissipated when the rhythm of the game was constantly disrupted by cynical foul after cynical foul.  The ref appeared to prefer talking to the home side while dishing out yellows to the Tanners in the early part of the game, although this balanced itself out towards the end of the game.

Their 'keeper is a chatty type, who received dog's abuse in the home tie, who engaged in friendly "banter but I can't help feel he talks a lot of crap.  He started by telling me their scoreboard was donated from Brentford, which turned out to be not quite true.  He then went on to say the pitch was maintained by the centre back, number 6 was Glenn Tamplin's cousin and they had subbed off their two best penalty takers.  Well, the last part may be true...

The game was horrible.  A pre-match interview on Talk Sport had Nikki Bull saying how he wanted the young team to express themselves.  Unless he has picked the dullest bunch of players ever assembled that never really happened.  There were flashes of mediocrity to lift the mood, but any advance down the wing was turn turned into an array of backward and side ways passes.  Hanwell were well organised and gratefully accepted the gift and played their part in making the game as dull as possible.

In the second half was perhaps our better half where we struck the woodwork twice from set pieces.  That said Zak needed to be pretty decisive in some of his saves.  Extra time, Jesus... what was the point?  Hanwell probably edged it but certainly they seemed happy to go into penalties.

There is only one thing more disappointing in life than not getting what you want and that is getting it.  Hanwell wanted penalties and they were given a masterclass in how to save them from Zak.  Their first spot kick had Zak guessing correctly, with two hands behind it, but some how it squirmed in.  We then levelled.  Then a special word for their number 7, happy to blow ironic kisses at the travelling fans when we accused of him of diving and wasting time (which he was) only for him to miss the first with the worst kick of the night.  Pucker up!  The 'keeper regained his pantomime villain status by flicking the ball over D'Sean's head as he approached the spot to try and add to the pressure; it didn't matter, he scored.

Zak got his and to the next penalty but it went in off of the post.  Where are we, I've lost count?  We scored to make it 3-2 and then Zak saved again giving us a chance to win with the next kick.  Cooney stepped up and slotted it home to book us into the next round and add another £15,000 to the FA Repayment Fund.

Great times.

Travelling Tanners

Yesterday's draw of Hitchin Town (new ground klaxon) makes this replay even more significant.  For the second year running we have avoided teams higher in the pyramid and while Hitchin are at the same level, it could have been a lot worse.  We could have be drawn against Dover or something.

However, tonight's hosts will have aspirations of travelling to Hertfordshire themselves and if they equip themselves as well as they did on Saturday they may achieve that.

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

Tanners 1 - 1 Hanwell Town

Very heavy weather indeed and then it started to rain.

Alfie Cue scored in injury to spare our blushes and also spared Hanwell £15,000. Well at least for now.

It wasn't just at Fetcham Grove that people were worried. There were furrowed brows at the F.A. as well. After all, Hanwell may be well organised enough to keep their winnings.

Leatherhead huffed and puffed and played more backwards and sideways passes than Kevin Spacey at a drama school. We dominated possession but were mostly toothless and bereft of creative ideas against a well organised and totally committed Hanwell defence who only had 10 men for 40 minutes.

Never mind. All is forgiven. Let's play better on Tuesday. Much better.

Hanwell Town are coming

I'm going to stick my neck out here and say two sides have never met before. Tomorrow we welcome Hanwell town to fetch some growth in this FA Cup third qualifying round tie.

Winning this will officially see us on a cup run.  Lose it and it's over to Crowd Funding for repairs.

Kick off at 3pm.  Good luck fellas.