Tanners 0 - 1 Moneyfields

Leatherhead played out a game that was as depressing as it was predictable, as Moneyfields executed their usual game plan to perfection.

 

We started with a fluid shape. Players were popping up everywhere, switching sides and rotating constantly. It was like watching the balls bounce around inside a lottery machine, but Moneyfields didn't roll over. From start to finish they frustrated us with players falling over, screaming in pain at the slightest touch, then jogging off for a drinks break while someone received "treatment". That's fine if the referee adds the time on, but he didn't.

 

Leatherhead have the tools to deal with this, but too many players looked out of place. Bancroft has shown he can cause defenders problems when bursting into the box; he also showed he lacks the pace and trickery to pull off a winger's role. When he eventually settled out wide near the halfway line, we effectively lost the right flank. Hogan is our top scorer and is most dangerous when starting wide, yet he was used through the middle. And Waters has been influential both in breaking up play and creating chances, but here he was positioned too deep to do the latter.

 

At least Sonny Wheeler was where he should be, but he was powerless to stop Moneyfields' second-half goal. A low corner was cut out too easily and they scored on the break, despite two defenders getting back and attempting to stop the attack.

 

It could have been different. Breckon let fly with a powerful left-footed shot towards the near post, but their 'keeper stuck out a foot and saved it. He also struck the bar in the dying minutes.

 

The referee didn't cover himself in glory either, allowing blatant play-acting and timewasting without properly adding it on at the end. In the second half, one player needed five minutes of treatment and walking-off time, yet only six minutes were added despite numerous other stoppages, substitutions and a goal. To add insult to injury, the ref then wasted time explaining to the Moneyfields defenders how to jump in the wall, and blew up around ten seconds short of the six minutes he'd indicated.

 

That result sees us drop to third place — the first time we haven't been top since August. But we go again on Saturday, away at Ascot, looking to make amends…

Moneyfields are coming!

Portsmouth comes at Leatherhead hard and fast, with our second team in a week from the south.

Our guests are breathing down our necks, level on points but having played more games.

Kick off at 7.45. See you there!

Tanners 1 - 2 Hayes & Yeading

Is there a world where we can win a game without Anas and Nathan? I hope so, but on the evidence of a few second-half collapses — and this one, after Nathan was withdrawn — it feels doubtful. With Anas away and Nathan nursing a midweek illness, it all compounded a leggy display that suggested last Tuesday had taken its toll.

 

Hayes & Yeading brought more fans than I remember seeing at their place when we played them last year. Perhaps they were there then, but had little to shout about as we ran away 5-0 winners. This time they certainly had more to celebrate, as their player cut across the face of the box, evaded three challenges, and blasted powerfully past Sonny Wheeler. 0-1.

 

Second half and Leatherhead needed to step it up, as Nathan made way for fresh legs. The change had an immediate impact as their 'keeper failed to deal with a ball into the box and Hedley prodded it home from close range. 1-1.

 

We started to look much livelier and nearly took the lead when Bancroft broke free for a one-on-one with the 'keeper. Twice before he'd had similar chances, but from the left of goal, and checking back for a right-footed shot gave the defence time to recover and block. This time he was on the right, so he could send the 'keeper the wrong way and drive a powerful effort towards the near post. It rattled the post and bounced into a dangerous area in the goalmouth, but no one was there to follow up.

 

Not even a trip to the toilet could conjure the decisive goal we needed, and with ten minutes to go it got worse as Hayes & Yeading scored on the break. 1-2. Any energy we had left soon dissipated, and they held on for a win that keeps us looking over our shoulder.

 

Onto Tuesday and another tough game, with the visit of Moneyfields…

Hayes & Yeading are coming!

Another tough game, today, as sixth-placed Hayes & Yeading come to the Grove today.

We beat them 5-0 earlier in the season and just lost to the same score line to AFC Portchester, but you don't sit in sixth without posing a threat.

Kick off at 3pm. See you there!

AFC Portchester 0 - 3 Tanners

Leatherhead pulled off a statement result with a fine 3-0 win away at AFC Portchester. After a pre-match pint in one of the two bars serving supporters, I emerged into the new ground to hear their manager had just been presented with Manager of the Month. The kiss of death had been administered.

 

The first half was a cagey affair, but it sprang into life when one of their players saw red for a high tackle. Did the AFC Portchester player make significant contact with Massango? I don't care. He dived in with the ball out of reach, straight leg, knee height. The red card however, if anything, prompted a robust response from the hosts, and Leatherhead did well to stand up to it.

 

In the second half, it was difficult to tell who had ten men as AFC Portchester pegged us back. Sensing we needed a goal, I hauled myself from my spot behind the goal to a new position out wide, near the toilets. The switch brought my third goal in two games as Hedley headed in a Paget cross.

 

The second goal was karma served on a plate. AFC's number 6, Jack Lee, spent much of the game bullying and diving rather than playing football—a tactic that worked for him at Moneyfields last year, when one of our players was sent off following his playacting. This time, a corner was swung in and Lee was so preoccupied with trying to win a foul off Kane that he failed to notice Cameron Black steaming in. Black met the ball cleanly and thumped it into the net.

 

At 2-0, AFC Portchester probably felt they had us exactly where they wanted us and fancied a route back into it, but we found a third to kill it off. Bancroft was brought on, this time as a straight swap for Breckon, keeping the structural integrity of the formation that was working so well intact. With renewed power and pace up front, he calmly ran onto a long diagonal ball, brought it down, and poked it into the far corner. 3-0.

 

A great win, and a relatively easy midweek drive home—without the Hindhead Tunnel closing on us. Onto Saturday, and the visit of Hayes & Yeading…

Travelling Tanners

The New Ground Klaxon sounds with a trip to AFC Portchester this Shrove Tuesday.  And I will be flipping annoyed if we conspire to give up a two goal lead again.

Our hosts have hit some form, so we will need to be on our game for the whole 90 minutes.

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

Hanworth Villa 3 -3 Tanners

Another squandered lead yesterday, when it looked like we were well worth all three points.

Leatherhead dominated the first half and missed two good chances before Hanworth grabbed a goal against the run of play. Hogan rattled the crossbar and Breckon blasted over from close range. Typical that our hosts scored with their first shot on goal. 0–1.

As the half was drawing to a close, I decided that walking around for a cup of tea would bring Leatherhead goals, and I was not disappointed. First, Anas latched onto a cross and fired it into the roof of the net, and then we won a penalty that Hogan slotted away. 2–1. You're welcome.

In the second half, we were soon in table-topping dreamland as Hogan bore down on goal and slotted a long-range effort into the bottom corner. 3–1.

Then it all changed. Up until the 68th minute, we had dominated midfield with three in the centre and two explosive wingers who were posing a threat (and scoring). Then off came Anas (not sure why), and on came Jacob Bancroft, leaving us with only four in midfield. He put himself about a bit, but the midfield battle was starting to be lost and the pressure grew.

Just eight minutes later, Hanworth scored to set up a nervous ending. To help out, Bancroft moved into a left-wing role but lacked the pace to pull this off. Jordan Gallagher was so keen to get involved that he pretended to take a corner while warming up and got booked. Interestingly, the Hanworth player who attempted to pull Anas off the pitch when he was subbed off only got a talking-to.

The game wore on and finally we could see light at the end of the tunnel. We were past 90 minutes and through the four minutes of added time when Hanworth won a corner. The referee treated the time like the final drive in rugby and played on, and the resulting corner was swung in and met by a Hanworth header that was thundered in. The ref blew his whistle no sooner than the ball had hit the back of the net. 3-3.

Disappointing and entirely avoidable. Again. Onto Tuesday, and the New Ground Klaxon sounds again with the trip to AFC Portchester.