Tanners 3 - 2 Bognor Regis

On arrival at the clubhouse, it was clear this was a big showdown, as a large travelling contingent had arrived by coach and occupied many of the tables. With it being the last game before Christmas, and facing once-National-League-South opposition, the fixture was set up to be a well-attended game. 

Just before kick-off, there was a last-minute decision to change ends, and as we crossed paths, we encountered a group of gingerbread men and some elves, as several fans had come in fancy dress. Some of Santa's Little Helpers had a song with some not-so-festive words about Leatherhead, but they lost—so stick that up your chimney and smoke it.

 

Onto the game, and it did not disappoint. Both sides took turns controlling the match, with us hitting the post and Bognor being denied by two desperate goalmouth clearances. Then, as I went to the bar to try and find a table, we scored. A misplaced header went wide but was rescued by "The Lip," Logan Coles, who put the ball back into the area, and Hedley fired it home on 47 minutes.

 

You would be forgiven for thinking we could see out the half, but we conceded a foul on the edge of the box. The resulting free kick was expertly bent to the left of the diving Wheeler. "F****** get in there!" shouted a parcel of merry reindeer.

 

In the second half, Leatherhead really showed what they were made of. "The Lip," Logan Coles, was purring around midfield like a Rolls-Royce, and trying to watch Nathan Hogan was like trying to follow a ball at a tennis match as he switched sides to confuse the Bognor Regis defence. Eventually, he found space to run at goal and bent the ball past the Bognor Regis 'keeper. If we learned anything from the game so far, it's that in training, we need to work on defending set pieces and our goal celebrations, as Hogan's was both confusing and strangely erotic.

 

Hogan was on hand to make it 3-1. A similar run, but this time he fired it powerfully in at the near post, with the 'keeper feeling a sense of déjà vu and going the wrong way. Suddenly, the fancy dress costumes and the words "replacement bus service" felt a lot heavier than they did at 2:45.

 

Bognor Regis did make things a little tense when, on 90 minutes, they were awarded a penalty. However, some festive timewasting in the corner meant we held on for all three points. Onto Saturday, when we play Met Police away…

Bognor Regis are coming!

Mid-table Bognor Regis come to the Grove today for our last fixture before Christmas.  This coincides with the arrival of my in-laws from Brazil, but somehow I have been given a free pass and will not be required to drive to Heathrow to pick them up.  The miracle of Christmas!

 

Kick off at 3pm.  See you there!

Tanners 3 - 2 Harrow Borough

Leatherhead booked their place in the Fourth Round of the FA Trophy with a hard-fought game against Harrow Borough. Our guests certainly put up more of a fight than Hampton & Richmond did, and much of that was down to Rueben Collins. A centre-back who almost single-handedly kept us at bay when we faced him in a Chertsey shirt, he now marshalled the defence at Harrow, and our players almost seemed a bit scared of him.

 

But Rueben couldn't be everywhere, and when a partially cleared corner fell to Breckon, he had the time and space to find the bottom corner. A nice early goal to settle the nerves. 1-0.

 

Our nerves only remained at ease for 15 minutes, as a corner was swung in and headed home. 1-1. Leatherhead returned the favour on the stroke of half-time when Niran Butler rose to head home a corner and restore the lead. 2-1.

 

Onto the second half, and things were getting tense as both sides looked for the all-important next goal. On 63 minutes, it looked like the game was safe when Breckon rose to meet a cross and glanced it into the far corner. 3-1.

 

This two-goal cushion lasted just a few minutes, as Harrow worked some space in the box and fired a shot at goal, which took a massive deflection and beat Wheeler. 3-2.

 

Leatherhead dug in, and finally, the referee called the game to an end. Winners and off to the Fourth Round for the first time in approximately 50 years, with dreams of venturing north for some glamour ties…

Harrow Borough are coming!

Despite all of the rain, over recent days, we wake up to a morning so dray and crisp that even Raynes Park Vale would struggle to get the game called off.  So today we welcome Harrow Borough to The Grove to play this FA (sodding) Trophy Third Round Fixture.  

 

A win will see us through to the round where it goes fully national and a chance to go "up north"… but first we must get past a Harrow side that only lost to in-form Moneyfields 3-2 and knocked three past AFC Portchester recently.

 

Kick off at 3pm.  See you there!

Tanners 5 - 2 Southall

Leatherhead bounced back from the defeat at the weekend to notch up an impressive 5-2 scoreline, despite letting a two-goal lead slip.

 

If we've learned anything in the last few weeks, it's that racing to a 2-0 lead inside the first 15 minutes generally means good things. So, everything looked fine when we raced to a two-goal lead. First, Halim reacted to yet another ball bouncing off the crossbar to continue his good start, and then Gallagher tapped in a well-placed cross from Paget. 2-0, easy.

 

Then things started to unravel — fast. Southall's goals came directly from their pace down the flanks and were in no way Sonny Wheeler's fault. The fact that I say this just after meeting both of Sonny's parents, so they now know my identity, is neither here nor there. Within the space of two minutes (and just four minutes after we had gone 2-0 up), we were pegged back to 2-2.

 

Leatherhead now resembled a battered boxer, stumbling around while Southall looked to apply the killer punch. Within the next ten minutes, we could have found ourselves 4-2 down but for a close-range shot blasted wide and (Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler, please take note) a fine save to Sonny's left. But somehow, we made it to the bell, slumped down into the corner, had water squirted into our faces, while Selley shouted instructions into their ears.

 

In the second half, Leatherhead regained their composure and patiently went about their business while looking for the winner. At around the 60-minute mark, Southall abandoned their attacking approach and started going down injured a lot more.

 

Finally, the pressure told, and Halim was set up by another Paget cross and slotted it away on 75 minutes. 3-2, and the floodgates were about to open.

 

Two substitutes made the game safe in quick succession. First, Massango pounced on a loose ball, ran into the box, and delicately chipped the 'keeper. 4-2. Then, The Lip's Logan Coles came on with a point to prove. Cruelly omitted from having an official player photo or announcing his sponsorship details, he saw the ex-Tanner Mitchal Gough on the ball and pounced. Stealing it from him, he marched on goal, calmly rounded the 'keeper, and found the back of the empty net. 5-2 and a timely reminder that this quality player is in the squad and has been sponsored…

 

Poor Mitchal would not have enjoyed his return to The Grove, as he was involved in both of the last two defensive errors, providing the kind of contribution Fareham's No. 12 still has nightmares about.

 

So, the five-point gap is restored, but now we go on again and face our old friends Raynes Park Vale on Saturday…

Southall are coming!

It looks like we have a game on! I feared last night's rain would ruin our chances, but a day of largely clear sky has meant we can put Saturday behind us and get get on with it.

Tonight we welcome Southall, who sit just one point above the relegation zone.

Kick of at 7.45pm. See you there!

Tanners 2 - 3 Westfield

Leatherhead failed to grab the chance to move eight points clear of Westfield following a disappointing 3-2 loss at The Grove.

 

After 15 minutes, I understood how Hampton & Richmond fans felt a couple of weeks ago as we allowed our guests to rush to a 2-0 lead.  Selley described our three conceded goals as sloppy, but I feel that is a little harsh as the opener was created from their No 9 plucking the ball from the air to create the perfect run at goal.  Wheeler came out to close this down, but the composed striker went by him and rolled it into the empty net.  0-1.

 

The second goal, fair play, was poor defending as we had about two or three opportunities to deal with the situation before the ball was played into the area for a tap in.  0-2.

 

Leatherhead fans had something to cheer about when Halim was brought down by either a defender or 'keeper (they both slid in and made contact while both pleaded their innocence) and Hogan stepped up to find the back of the net, despite the 'keeper guessing the right way. 1-2.

 

Surely, we would now go on and win this game… but alas Westfield got a third on the 37-minute mark.  It looked like Kane was pulled back to prevent him from dealing with the loose ball on the edge of the box, but the ref didn't see it that way and the Westfield player nipped around him and slotted in a through ball that was prodded home.  1-3.

 

After the break, we needed an early goal and got one.  Anas was provided with the ball inside the box and fired his shot into the roof of the net.  2-3 and game on.

 

Alas, despite applying good spells of pressure the equaliser didn't come.  Gallagher came the closest when he pounced on a loose ball, but his effort hot the crossbar and bounced clear.  Westfield held on to take all three points, but still sit two points behind us as we look to rebuild and face Southall (subject to the weather) at home on Tuesday…