Tanners 2 - 0 Potters Bar

Not the Great Escape we talked about in the bar while drinking half price beer before the game.  Leatherhead  did everything they could in this division but a result in Hertfordshire proved decisive.

With three games of importance happening elsewhere it was difficult to focus on the game being played out in front of you but an early award of a penalty helped focus the mind.  

Mitchall Gough stepped up to take it, in place of the suspended Paget, but it was saved.  Max Worsfold was alive to the situation and placed the rebound into the bottom right corner.  It is amazing how easy it is to follow up a penalty without a defender encroaching by about 5 yards.

Leatherhead went on to dominate the first half, carving out a couple of great chances and even striking the bar, in a half of football that usually results in disappointment in the second half... but not today.

As the second half started news was filtering that results were favourable in our league it was just Kings Langley that were proving to the game too far, still holding onto their early 1-0 against Salisbury. 

Hopes of us retaining the vital win were boosted when we scored from a corner.  The Potters Bar 'keeper got a little over excited and attempted to save a shot that was going wide; taking the ball over the line for a corner.  In the ball came and Cameron Black, with the extra spring in the step that comes with being voted The Lip's Player of the Season, rose to head it home.

Time wore on and suddenly a cry of "phenytoin Salisbury" went up and hung there in the air, suspended by the hopes of 500 Leatherhead fans who believed it was really our day.  

If the Salisbury player had put the ball the other way perhaps it would have been but the penalty was saved and the 10 men of Kings Langley bravely went on to double their lead and win 2-0.

So it ended with us going down on goal difference.  Thoughts of last minute goals (as early as the second game of the season against Wingate & Finchley) and atrocious decisions were soon put to one side to clap the team off, pack the bar for the end of season awards and start to look forward to next season...

Potters Bar

This is it then, the whole shooting match comes down to a need for one win and three losses / draws.

As if today wasn't big enough we welcome the perfect pantomime villain to the Grove.  Sammy Moore arrives, starting his fourth five year plan in four years. That said he has pulled our hosts clear of trouble and will no doubt put up stiff opposition today.

Come and see the Treasurer fight people from entering the bar until 2.01.  See you there!

Ks 2 - 2 Tanners

A game that had everything, except for a competent official, ended 2-2 in dramatic fashion to keep us in the hunt for survival.

Leatherhead approached this game very differently to the game against Folkestone, with a high press and attacking confidence.  Jermaine was unplayable with other midfielders joining in to create pressure in their back line.

It was somewhat unfortunate then that their opening goal came from such a press.  For a second it looked like we could force a mistake but one pass found a midfielder that fed it out to their impressive No8 who in turn found a cross for a powerful header.

Leatherhead responded quickly by earning a penalty when Jermain was brought down in the box.  Up stepped Paget; scorer of emphatic penalties in recent games; who struck it too close to the 'keeper and it was saved... but not completely dead.

Paget responded quickly and headed the rebound towards goal.  It looked like it was cleared off of the line by some great defending but the replay shows he had encroached by about 5 yards and the referee (who only has one job during a penalty kick) missed it.  Thanks.

Leatherhead did not lie down and soon got level when Lamont stormed through the middle and placed a low and powerful shot into the bottom left corner.  Wild celebrations followed.

Second half and the referee was at it again.  Jermaine was in receipt of a ball from midfield but rather than controlling it in front of the defender he opted to spin and let the ball bounce over their heads.  The defender was beaten and Jermaine was through on goal so opted to put both arms around him and bring him down.  

Paget saw a second yellow for this on Saturday but the ref opted to wave a dismissive finger and allow play to go on... and play on it did as Ks notched up their second goal from their second chance of the game.  Again, thanks.

The ref wasn't done there.  As the game became more tense it began to affect some of the players.  No doubt some pleasantries between two players resulted in a headbutt from a Ks player.  The off-the-ball incident was seen by the ref and play stopped, assistant consulted and only a yellow card awarded.  No please referee, the pleasure is all mine.

With Kings Langley winning (a team I hadn't heard of until recently) a loss was looking like the end of the road but then the footballing gods took pity on us.  Leatherhead pressed for the equaliser and with just two minutes of injury time to go a powerful cross caught the shin of a Ks defender and flew in via the near post.

Not the win we truly wanted but with kind results we may just survive yet.  Mathematical geniuses have modelled the best result for us tonight... all we know is that we have to win on Saturday...

Travelling Tanners

Never before, in the history or relegation battles, has so much been asked of so few… Leatherhead travel to Ks today in this crucial game.

Last away game of the season, so make the short trip and support the Tanners.

Kick off at 3pm.   You know the way by now.  See you there!

Tanners 0 - 1 Folkestone Invicta

This fixture always sat awkwardly in our run-in as being one that posed the most problems and so it turned out.

Folkestone arrived having scored 80 goals this season, the exact same as we had conceded, so we set out to frustrate.  This largely worked a treat as we limited them to long range potshots for much of the game.

We offered little by way of attack. There was genuine excitement when Jermaine received the ball but often it was pumped to Eshun who had the tough job of trying to build anything when martialled by such an organised defence.  He got clobbered several times with Olivia needing to run on and water him like a freshly potted plant.

A credible draw looked likely until the moment that changed the game.  Paget skillfully martialed a long ball out from Folkestone (after one of our attacks broke down) and let it bounce over his head.  99 times out of 100 the ball wouldn't be allowed to bounce again but alas this time it did.  

The moment's lapse allowed the Folkestone player to get the beating of Paget and he brought him down as he tried to recover the situation.  A second yellow was shown and off he went.

The resulting freekick looked wild but took a kind deflection and found the back of the net.  0-1.

He tried to rally and while we forced a corner, nothing really came of it.  Ks on Monday it is then...

Folkestone Invicta are coming

Folkestone arrive to the Grove, like us, just one point from their objective.  Of the last three games we have this is by the toughest.

A last minute goal last week keeps us in the chase but we'll need two wins somewhere… let's hope one is today…

Kick off at 3pm. See you there.

Wingate & Finchley 1 - 1 Tanners

It remains to be seen if this was a must win but it felt like it was. 

The first half was dull with very few chances created. The most excitement was created when Chloe noticed that Luke was absent from the bench. 

Supporters were despatched to various parts of the ground to try and find him. He was finally spotted up with the pigeons in the rafters of the main stand. The spotting of Luke certainly calmed nerves but there was there little else to coo about in the first half. 

It seemed that Wingate were falling right into our trap of creating very little and looking very average. They made the mistake of scoring which, as usual, turned us into a completely different side. It was like we had just brought on Salah, Mane, and Firmino to replace the Southampton forward players (whoever they may be).

The Wingate keeper who had spent most of the game smirking, shouting "BALDY" at a  mild mannered green grocer, and muttering "you're going down" suddenly had work to do. 

Jermaine left it far too late to bring himself on but his appearance on 80 minutes changed the game. A goal on 90 minutes followed the first real period of pressure on the Wingate goal and it could have been all 3 points in the dying seconds but it wasn't to be this time.

The Wingate keeper waived a cheery fare thee well and safe travels to the Leatherhead supporters. He knew that the chances of seeing us again next season has been sadly diminished.

All is not yet lost so don't book your holidays in Devon just yet.

Travelling Tanners

Bom dia, from Cascais!

I can't be at today's game, a shame as it's a massive one. We could catapult ourselves out of the relegation zone today with a win and a fair wind.  We're off to Wingate & Finchley!

Kick off at 3pm.  Boa sorte!

Tanners 2 - 1 Cray Wanderers

Leatherhead stole all three points from the jaws of abject-boredom and defeat when it looked like we were finished for the season.

Considering how big this game was it was surprising just how flat the atmosphere was, both on and off the pitch.  Cray were determined not to lose and we happily obliged.  Jermaine was our main threat but when he limped off in the first half we were looking very average.

Second half and Max started to dominate a little more down the left started to cause Cray some problems.  A low cross, fired into the far post, was left by a defender who wanted to avoid an own goal and fell to a surprised Eshun who blasted wide from just a few yards.

Disaster struck when Cray decided that there was more than a draw on offer and put on a spell of pressure.  After about 10 minutes the pressure told and they headed home for what looked to be the winner on 70 minutes.

Eshun was replaced by Tayo and suddenly the pace on the left started to worry Cray.  This perhaps caused enough space for a ball chipped down the middle to leave Achie free and one on one with the 'keeper.  

There was a period where time stood still as the ball seemed to get stuck at his feet and just as we prepared for a shot to be hit straight at the 'keeper a panicked defender lunged in from behind, taking out Archie before he got to the ball.  Penalty.

Louie Le Tissier Paget stepped up and scored yet another penalty for Leatherhead.  Finding the side netting, giving the 'keeper no chance despite diving the right way.

A draw felt like relief but the winner brought wild jubilation.  In the last few minutes the ball fell to Max; marked and at a tight angle he made just enough room for himself to send a shot at goal.  It didn't have power, it didn't need to.  It was just placed - nay, tickled - right at the far post beyond the reach of the 'keeper to send Cray to their knees.

Wingate & Finchley remains a big game after all...

Cray Wanderers are coming

We welcome Cray Wanderers today in yet another must win game.  With East Thurrock playing Merstham today it proves to be even more decisive.  

Should both ourselves and Eath Thurrock win, we would find ourselves bottom despite winning four out of the last five games.  Things are getting tight.

Kick off at 3pm.  See you there!