When the Hampton & Richmond manager, Alan Julian, last came to the Grove to face Leatherhead, he was with a Billericay side where Glen Tamplin shouted at him to shut his eyes while singing "The World's Greatest." No doubt he wished he could shut his eyes again and make it all go away, as Leatherhead ran riot over his side today.
Following the toss, we were forced to change ends, and we barely had time to get behind the goal before we were 1-0 up. A blistering run from Anas and a deadly cross found Seb Tauta Caballero, who headed it home with less than two minutes on the clock. 1-0.
Had we scored too early? No, because it only got worse for our National League South guests. Another cross from Anas went long and found Gallagher alone, who stroked it into an empty net. 2-0.
From then on, Leatherhead were firmly in control. Towards the end of the first half, the ball got stuck under Hogan's foot; otherwise, he would have been clear on goal. In the dying minutes, Ty Butler did manage to break away, but the 'keeper got a vital touch to keep it out. In between, I was more concerned about conceding at Fareham than I was against this team.
I sometimes find that referees, when they come from the same level as the higher-division side, often lean towards the more familiar team. This was certainly the case in the last few minutes, as the referee turned a blind eye to some terrible tackles from the frustrated Hampton & Richmond players. Sadly, this boiled over, and yet another FA Trophy game ended in a kerfuffle.
That was a mere distraction, though, as the win was secure. Now we go into the draw on Monday, dreaming of trips to Carlisle or Rochdale…
As the teams lined up in their dressing rooms to come out, the home captain let out a battle cry to "let them know how ******** good we are." However, it was clear from the outset that South Park hadn't come to play football but instead came to show us how "hard" they were by trying to kick lumps out of us. Throw in a wet, slippery, plastic pitch, and it's understandable that we found it difficult to settle.
But settle we did, and we got a first-half goal from a hotly disputed corner (I don't know why they disputed the corner—it was as clear as day). The resulting long ball fell to The Lip's Logan Coles (replacing my sponsorship of Sam ou est de St Croix), who smashed it in off the far post.
In the second half, one-nil down, the penny finally dropped for the home side that they were going to need to play football a little bit to get a goal back. This made for a more entertaining game all round, and we felt the pressure a bit.
But from pressure comes great opportunities, and towards the end of the game, Body was set free in a one-on-one with the 'keeper. We've grown used to players like Anas and Hogan finding a way to slip it past the 'keeper, so when Body took an extra touch to round the 'keeper, I thought he'd blown it. However, he had the speed to catch up and slot the ball into the empty net.
Two-nil, and with the game safe, South Park reverted to their old ways and tried to start a fight by the corner flag. The weak officials could have prevented this by giving a foul when Anas's shirt was pulled up over his head, but the tussle was allowed to carry on until things boiled over.
On to Saturday, and hopefully the rain doesn't spoil the visit of Hampton & Richmond tomorrow…
Kick off at 7.45. Directions can be found here. See you there!
A smash-and-grab job for Leatherhead in Portsmouth, as a last-minute winner breaks Fareham hearts and keeps us clear of Westfield.
A big travelling crowd came to see Leatherhead on the south coast, probably expecting to see a hatful of goals against bottom-of-the-table Fareham, but spent most of the game watching in frustration as our hosts took the game to us.
In a cagey chess opening 15 minutes we, once again as we did at Egham, got caught out with the same King's Indian Attack, with a sudden long ball into to right hand side and a free run on goal. A powerful finish beat Rileigh and put the home side 1-0 up. Strangely, a home supporter in a red tracksuit decided this was the game to "give it large" when facing both the top of the table team and the largest travelling support of the season.
The first half was not pretty. Fareham were a niggly side that both worked hard and played dirty (I haven't seen so much shirt pulling in a game, for example), and it looked like we were expecting an easier ride. We did get a goal to ease the nerves when on out-swinging corner was met by Cameron Black around the penalty spot who deftly guided a looping header over the No 3 on the line and into the back of the net.
While the ref let a lot of shirt pulling go, he also overlooked a reaction from Gallagher that could have seen him sent off on the stroke of halftime, but he survived, and we went in 1-1.
Changes were made and we started to look a lot more urgent. Fareham were asking their own questions of us but it seemed like it was inevitable that we would score… until it didn't. A minute when in a minute's silence seems like an eternity, but when chasing a goal they start to fly by.
Enter stoppage time, and if their manager has anything about him, he would have gone into the dressing room after the game and apologised to his hard-working team for losing this game. A substitution in the 91st minute is done simply to waste time, certainly when you place a five-foot something player in the back three. There was something special about this player (Number 12) as the crowd let out a large cheer when his name was announced and a few went over to rub his bald head for luck. He needed it, as the once comfortable defence that kept us at bay was now unsettled.
In the 92nd minute Cameron lofted a long ball into the box towards Breckon. Breckon was being manhandled so it went over his head and fell into a space in front of the Number 12. What he lacked in height he made up for in enthusiasm and leapt to clear it, but physics came at him fast; it glanced off his head and into the path of Anas who smashed it home. Limbs. Number 12 could not have placed the ball more perfectly if he had tried. The only thing more precise was the finish itself.
We held out a spirited spell of pressure from Fareham, as they attempted to get a point they probably deserved but we held out. Onto Tuesday and the bogey ground of South Park.
Tanners should not rely on muscle memory to get to today's game, or you will find yourself at The Grove, as this is the first away game since 30 August; and a New Ground Klaxon to boot as we play Fareham away.
Our hosts have not enjoyed their start to this league and sit in last place. A classic banana skin.
Kick off at 3pm. Directions can be found here. See you there!
Leatherhead played out a Schrödinger of a game, as it was simultaneously both easy and difficult.
This game looked like a formality in the opening minutes. You know things are likely to go your way when the centre-back captain wildly slices a clearance into his own side netting and another defender tackles his own 'keeper for a corner within the opening 15 minutes. Hogan smashing the crossbar further underscored our dominance, yet that elusive opening goal did not come.
Eventually, it came thanks to the quick thinking of Breckon, who deliberately flicked his header into the path of Gallagher. This clever move created enough space for a one-on-one with the 'keeper. Jordan gave the 'keeper "the eyes," sending him the wrong way and allowing for a simple shot to the near post. 1-0.
It was all fun and games as Egham passed the ball to no one and we created chances, but we survived a scare when it briefly looked like we had given away a penalty. Leatherhead's advantage increased further when a frustrated defender appeared to stamp on Anas, earning himself a red card. Into half-time we went.
Leatherhead came out for the second half in a confident mood, and it seemed certain we would run up a big score. However, Egham slowly grew into the game, and it started to feel like we were the most likely to concede a goal or two. The travelling supporters erupted with relief and joy when Anas pounced on a loose ball in the box to fire home a second goal. Just minutes later, Mark Waters repeated the feat, but from further out.
At 3-0, Leatherhead could be forgiven for thinking the floodgates had finally opened and that more goals were imminent. However, this left us exposed at the back, and the home side managed to score from an unchallenged move down the right. This prompted us to manage the game and see it out. Elsewhere, Westfield needed the help of two own goals to avoid defeat at Portchester, but their draw allows us to open up a four-point gap.
On to Saturday and the sound of the New Ground Klaxon, as we travel to Fareham…
After a comfortable win on Saturday, life gets a bit harder as we travel to 10th placed Egham Town, who are unbeaten over the last three games.
Meanwhile Westfield host Portchester who, even if they bring a fraction of their three million home supporters, could be a tough team to beat…
Kick off at 7.45. Directions can be found here. See you there!
As the players emerged from the tunnel, a squabble of seagulls took flight from the pitch. However, our opponents offered little fight as we cantered to a 4-0 victory against the struggling Ascot side.
The game seemed fairly low-key for the first ten minutes, but this was simply Leatherhead being patient in their build-up. Soon enough, the goals started to flow. We took the lead with a straightforward ball into Breckon on the edge of the box. He picked his spot and fired it into the back of the net. Ironically, his chosen spot was right where the 'keeper was standing, and the ball went through the 'keeper's legs. The 'keeper may have been far too handsome to be in goal, but there was nothing pretty about that attempted save.
While our opener had an element of luck, the second goal was pure class. A lofted ball found Breckon in the box; a lesser player might have attempted a difficult high volley or a weak header on goal, but Breckon showed great awareness by chesting it directly into the path of Gallagher's run. Gallagher still had work to do from a tight angle, but his delicate lofted shot beat the 'keeper and nestled in at the far post. 2-0.
Anas continues to impress down the wing, and it was from one of his darting runs that he found Breckon, who forced a good save from the 'keeper. The rebound fell to Hogan, who, despite being off balance, managed to get a shot away and find the far post. 3-0 at halftime.
The second half saw Leatherhead ramp up the pressure even further, and had it not been for some heroics from Ascot's 'keeper, the scoreline could have been even more punishing for our visitors. Fittingly, the fourth goal came from a mistake on their part during a corner.
Ascot's corner was overhit and so poorly placed that it set Breckon away on a solo run from midway in our half and down the left wing. He quickly fed the ball into the path of a teammate with greater pace but stayed involved in the play, eventually receiving the ball back in the area and calmly slotting it past the 'keeper. 4-0 and into the winners' enclosure.
A fine victory keeps us top of the league. Westfield are coming up on the outside, while Raynes Park Vale suffered a refusal due to a last-minute South Park goal—scored by an ex-Tanner (Ross Stepney). Oh, the irony.
On to Tuesday, as we make the trip to Egham to defend our top spot…