Tanners 2 - 2 Binfield

Leatherhead see out the season with an entertaining game in front of a large crowd with both teams putting the disappointment of missing out of the play-offs behind them.

Leatherhead opened the scoring quickly, with The Lip's Dave Tarpey looking lively and squaring a ball to Omar Lawson for him to guide his low shot in off of the post.

It looked like Leatherhead would run away with the game at this point but failed to build on the pressure in the first half.  Our hard work was undone early in the second half, a goal I missed in the tea queue.

As the half wore on, Leatherhead played some attractive football and took the lead on the break.  Dave Tarpey, with a spring in his step that can only come from being crowned The Lip's Player of the Season, made an intelligent run to be in the right place to smack home a low cross.  We went on to hit woodwork for the 27th game in a row.

Looking at the table, we realised it would be too painful to finish 6th so charitably let Binfield score from a corner to take that honour.

So another season is over and we can look forward to some time off before starting it all again...

Binfield are coming

Looking at the table, all the sides (including our guests) just outside the playoffs find themselves shout out as a four point gap has emerged.  Hanworth Villa getting the last laugh, after our recent win, finding themselves in 4th place.

So pride is at stake to finish as high up as possible, and finishing above Chertsey would be something of a moral victory.

Kick off at 3pm.  See you there.

Travelling Tanners

This game looked like it was going to be rather special, and it could be but for only 50% of the reason.  A couple of weeks ago Tooting & Mitcham were playing for their lives, but now the dreaded R of Death proceeds them on the league table.  Play-offs could still happen for us but it would take some incredible results for that to happen.

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

SCR 1 - 1 Tanners

Barring a collapse from three sides above us, I would say that is our lot in terms of chasing a play-off place.  A side that has become somewhat ravaged by injury and suspension took the game to our hosts, but could only manage a draw.

Dan Hector, again, scored to make it 1-0 and perhaps we could believe a sixth win in a row was on the cards.  At the centre of this run has been a 'keeper at the top of his game but an uncharacteristic error saw the ball spilled into his own net after a clash with a defender.

Chances came and went but without the all important goal that leaves us 3 points and an inferior goal difference off the pace.

A midweek game may lift the spirits but in any case, we travel to Tooting & Mitcham to try and finish the season with good momentum.

Travelling Tanners

Leatherhead make their way to Whyteleafe (not Sutton) to play Sutton Common Rovers, as we continue to push for that last play-off spot.

Our hosts were a club that made The Grove their home for a couple of games last season, but now they play at the 3g-Tarpeyless Whyteleafe.  They are two points from safety, so will be playing for their lives today.

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

Tanners 1 - 0 Hanworth Villa

The visiting manager's pre-match team talk climaxed with the words of "let's ******* ruin their weekend" but the ruinees became the ruiners.

In many ways it was the complete performance.  A team in Hanworth Villa's form is bound to have the odd spell, but they were limited to few chances while we looked on the hunt for great periods of the game.

The goal came while some people's thoughts turned to getting in the tea-bar queue.  Dave Tarpey played in and found himself with a clear shot on goal from the penalty spot.  His neat finish found the side netting.

The dominance continued as moments later we struck the bar even before I had time to take the teabag out of the tea.

To help with the nerves I decided to break the game down into 6 minute blocks.  As the half wore on, counting to 6 suddenly became tougher than I imagined but it never really looked in doubt as we notched up a fine win.

On to Sutton Common Rovers then as we continue to push for that all-important fifth place...

Hanworth Villa are coming

This is it.  The whole shooting match.  Well, sort of.  

Losing to Hanworth Villa would put the 8 points ahead with only 9 to play for, so surely we would be out of the running.  Winning would keep us in the chase.

Leatherhead have four straight wins under their belt, while our guests have won five from the last six.

Kick off at 3pm.  See you there!

Tanners 2 - 1 Merstham

A stunning comeback saw Leatherhead rise to 8th place and keep our play-off hopes alive.

The less said about the first half the better, as for much of it Merstham looked the most likely to score.  Serine had to pull off a double save to keep it at 0-0 as the ball spent most of its time in our half.

The second half and Hayden's words had an immediate effect as we pressured looking for an opener.  That said, while we looked a lot more threatening you wouldn't call their opener "against the run of play".

Merstham won a penalty after 10 minutes of the second half.  The referee saw contact, but personally I just think he went down with the first case of the contagious cramp that appeared to affect the majority of their players shortly after the penalty was scored; sending Serine the wrong way.

On 80 minutes, Merstham thought they had the game wrapped up when they smashed home a cross from close range, but up went the flag to keep us in the game.

Then it all happened.  On 87 minutes an attack allowed the ball to rebound out to Dan Hector, who was a player of note the entire game, whose low shot beat several players and found the bottom corner.

On 88 minutes, almost from the first attack after winning the ball back from their kick off, a high ball was flicked onto Tarpey but his powerful side volley was deflected wide by a fortunate defender.

From the resulting corner a ball was swung in and there was Dan Hector again, with a deft header, to beat the 'keeper.  Absolute limbs.

Merstham must have found some salt tablets as their cramp suddenly eased as they pressed for an equaliser in the six minutes of injury time.  Six minutes.  Then in the dying seconds they won a freekick on the edge of the box.  

Up went the 'keeper to cause some extra mayhem.  The freekick taker saw the extra chaos but decided to ignore this and go directly for goal; but not being James Ward-Prowes he sent in into the River Mole.

I am not sure if the ref meant to blow for full time then or he swallowed his whistle laughing but blew it he did to secure us the three points.

Big game on Saturday then, when we face the team holding onto the coveted fifth place... Hanworth Villa...

Merstham are coming!

For me, this is a game I have been looking forward to for a long time.  Both teams have something to fight for (some more fights being more realistic than the other) with the added spice of a local derby.

Merstham went on a purple patch of results, being unbeaten for seven games from mid-February, but have lost the last two games 2-0.

Kick off at 7.45.  Come on you Tanners!

Bedfont Sports Club 0 - 1 Tanners

A robust encounter ended with a 1-0 win on the road, on Saturday.

High boots and elbows a plenty but it was a Leatherhead player that saw red, towards the end of  the first half.

With 10 men on the pitch for the second half, it may have been tempting to dig in for a draw but Leatherhead pounced on a set piece opportunity and Diallo headed home the winner.

Six points off the playoffs but with only 5 games left.  One of which is the much anticipated visit of Merstham, on Tuesday night!