Tanners 2 - 0 Hastings

Leatherhead get back to winning ways by reverting to how they were playing when they were enjoying winning ways.  Ryan Thomas was given a rare start to exploit his pace while the new player Goma Lambu watched from the bench.

After travelling 170 miles over the last two games to see one shot on target I looked at this game being played out in front of me a hugely entertaining although I have been assured it wasn't.  That said Leatherhead managed to control the play and seemed camped in their half for the opening 20 minutes or so.

Although it was the Hastings defence who were troubling the Hastings' Adonis between the sticks by forcing a corner from a back pass from within the centre circle and then hitting the post when a clearance struck a defender's head and went goal wards.

When Leatherhead did have a chance to test their 'keeper the chance was missed.  Leatherhead were awarded a dubious penalty and Tommy stepped up to blast it just wide.  Corinthian spirit at work I am sure.

Second half and it did get a little scrappy, but scrappy with effort.  Leatherhead again got a penalty through the craft of Kev Terry who got his back foot taken away as he weaved his way through the area.  Simmo stepped up and struck the ball dangerously down the middle but the keeper had over committed in his dive and he was beaten.

Hastings then came out like a swarm of angry bees leaving Chico to swat away a few decent chances until a long ball found Tommy free on goal.  Out came their keeper who despite his height could not prevent Tommy from finding the back of the net as he was lobbed to perfection.

Leatherhead saw the game out as winners only to hear some big scores elsewhere in the league.  Notably Concord smashing four past Bury... we'll be seeing THEM Tuesday...

Hastings Are Coming

 

If Leatherhead need to look for any signs of hope for survival perhaps Hastings is a good place to start.  They've scored one goal less and let in three more yet they sit in a healthy 16th place and are 6 points better off.

 

All Leatherhead have to do is not concede from a set piece and score a goal or two.  A far cry from the last two performances but perhaps they were just homesick... it is a crucial game so I hope we get back to winning ways for this one.

 

Kick off at 3pm.  See you there.

South Park 1 - 0 Tanners

On leaving the ground some of the views of this was Leatherhead were "******* rubbish" as they kept giving the "******* ball away".  Now these are mild mannered gentlemen reflecting, in frustration, on another ******* shambles.

Leatherhead do not appear to have the services of Rob Hayworth and started with Drewett back from injury with some other changes.  Greg Andrews allowed to start with Vernon, Terry and Hutchings on the bench.

South Park looked composed while Leatherhead lacked any kind of drive again.  Simmo was an exception while Andrews showed signs of being back to his best (and certainly seemed up for it) but would often over complicate it and get himself into trouble.  A real shame as this game was crying out for some of the quality he is capable of.

Second half and slowly the changes were made.  Tommy, Terry and Thomas on to add some quality and speed.  It started to show signs of working until on the 65th minute a powerful header from a corner (as it was that did the damage on Saturday) put the hosts in front.

Tommy forced the keeper into perhaps his only save after some smart work from Terry and was Kev brought down in the box in the last minute?  Perhaps but we did not deserve it.

Momentum lost through tinkering.  Problems again.

Travelling Tanners

 

Obvious cliche aside as are off to South Park tonight for the Surrey Senior Cup.  Beaten finalists last season and with this our last cup perhaps we can hope for a good performance and some goals to ease the pain of last Saturday.  After all, we have our very own ex-Premiership Thierry Henry to bring on and score a magical winner no?

 

Directions can be found here.  Kick off at 7.45pm.  Good luck Tanners!

East Thurrock 3 - 0 Tanners

A narrow defeat for Leatherhead... I say narrow as for 89 minutes they played with a complete lack of width as well as no purpose or drive.  Where any width was present it was down the right hand side to a Kev Terry who was deployed far to deep for his style of play on account of us playing a more conventional 4 4 2 with an arrival of a new striker (name unknown).

For the first minute Leatherhead were bright and were swinging in the ball from wide areas.  This was somewhat enforced as we won three corners in quick succession.  From there East Thurrock tip toed their way back into the back.

It was less obvious in the first half but come the second half their fast feet were passing the ball quickly along the ground while we opted for an obvious chip and charge.

Their opener came from a long build up play and finally they had sight of goal and the shot despite being almost dead centre had enough on it to beat Chico.  Two corners and two free headers in the next 10 minutes finished us off.

All together the worst game of the season.  Perhaps Cirencester edged it but it was a close run thing.  Fresh ideas needed as this is the second game in a row where I felt we lacked inspiration...

Travelling Tanners

Tomorrow is a big one.  True it is a new ground for me but also another one of those crucial six pointers.  Given our run of form and looking at the league table, you might think they are the sort of side we ought to be beating these days. 

However, like us, they had a bad start and are now moving up the table.  They've Seven wins and a draw from the last eight games in all competitions!

Directions to this cracker of a game can be found here.  Kick off at 3pm.  See you there!

Write up courtesy of rivermole

Tanners 1 - 1 The Met

A big point today that does little in terms of the league place right now as we stay in 19th but with other teams winning it keeps us in touch.

Today's game was never going to be easy.  The Met have twice as many points as us for a reason and that is they are well equipped for this league.  Their centre backs were impressive today for starters.

Although we have a few surprises up our sleeve too.  Notably Tommy Van Basten Hutchings who decided (and I have no doubt in my mind he meant it) shoot from almost the corner flag.  The Met 'keeper tried to flap at it but it was too good as it lobbed him, hit the far post and crept in.  Some say it was a cross but when you're hot you're hot.

So stunned were the rest of the Tanners they allowed their No 4 to stroll up the pitch and slot in a pass to their striker on the edge of the box who was afforded the same amount of free space and he in turn passed it into the back of the net.  Easy for them.  Sloppy from us.

The second half saw The Met grow in confidence as they rattled the post and forced us into a goal line clearance from a breakaway move.  Leatherhead seemed determined to make this cross field pass from the bottom right to top left work but it was cut out every time.  Perhaps if they tried it for the 16th time..?

We did have a last hooray when we got a free kick on the edge of the box and then a corner in the last minute of stoppage time but it ended 1-1.

Big game Saturday as we go East... Thurrock!

The Met are coming...

Word just in. Pitch is fine and so the game is ON.

The Met have pushed up the league and occupy one of play-off places. Even with our purple patch this is going to be a tough one.

Kick off at 3pm. See you there...

Happy New Year!

This may look like an after thought what with this being 12 hours late but Happy New Year to all you Tanners.

2011 will go down in history as the Year of the Terry... but who will be the hero of 2012..?

Terrors 1 - 4 Tanners

Hutchings helped by some good Manners

At the bottom of the table two clubs came together hoping to build on a recent change in fortunes.  Both had scored four goals in their previous game and with home advantage Tooting certainly fancied their chances but were unable to contain a striker in form and backed up by goals from midfield.

Tooting took the lead though but were soon pegged back by a goal from Manners.  Tommy then put us into the lead and the outlook started to look better from the travelling side.  Tooting were not helping matters, a defensive howler let in Manners for his second.

Tommy was at hand moments latter to slot in his second and notch up our second 4-1 win of the season.  While only 19th we have a game in hand on two of the sides above us within three points and our goal difference is beginning to be worth half a point...

Met Police Monday it is then...

Travelling Tanners

OK.  I'm late with this update but parking isn't an issue so I think I'll get away with it.  Today we're off to play in yet another 6 point down at the wrong end of the table.  Although come the end of the season I don't think it will be that close as if one team will regroup (and perhaps refund) it will be Tooting.

That may have already started. While we put 4 past struggling Horsham they put four past Carshalton in a 4-3 thriller to maintain their 3 point advantage over us.  Its going to be quite the battle today...

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

Horsham 1 - 4 Tanners

At the bottom of the table the whippees became the whippers as Leatherhead strolled out 4-1 winners against a struggling Horsham.

Leatherhead could boast some new players, notably Jack Pallen from Dartford up front with Greg on the bench.  He could put himself about a bit and trouble a Horsham defence that can fall apart at the merest pull of a thread... and Tommy was pulling nearly all the threads today.

It was from him burst into the box and tempting cross that the 'keeper flapped at and Kev Terry headed home for us to take the lead.  The lead was short lived though.  The ball seemed to get stuck in our area in a rare Horsham attack and a stuck out foot powered the ball into the back of the net.

Leatherhead only took a couple of minutes to respond themselves.  A powerful low cross and Tommy shaped to flick it on but ducked under it.  This deceived the defence and the ball was allowed to drop to Vernon's foot and in it went.  Tommy later volleyed to draw an amazing save from their 'keeper.

Leatherhead were growing in confidence and it seemed the job was done when Billy Manners strolled into the box and shot into the bottom left corner with the keeper opting to dive the other way.

While Horsham did come out with some spirit Tommy had more than enough.  Twice more he was through on goal with his favourite left foot primed only to be thwarted by the keeper. It was fourth unlucky for the man between the sticks though when Tommy was put through the middle to get what he deserved.

New boy Jack was subbed and did enough to get an applause from the travelling faith and so the game drew to a close with Leatherhead climbing to 19th...

Travelling Tanners

I've flirted with the fact we have a game today but lets just out it out there.  We're off to Horsham!  It could have been worse.  Horsham were once ground sharing with Worthing so could have been quite a trip for us now but now we are back with the A24 derby.

I used to work in Horsham and so if I enjoy online banter with any club it is this one.  What is more it is rare that we face a side below us in the table so I am really looking forward to this game.

Parking appears to be an issue.  It was always trouble for the YMCA if you got there after 2.30 and with a bigger fan base Horsham are stating it is for Season Tickets only.  A guide of where else to park can be found here.

Kick off at 3pm.  See you there!

Happy Christmas!

The carrot and mince pie is by the mantelpiece so all that remains to be said is Happy Christmas to all you Tanners where ever you may find yourself around the world.

Have a good day then brace yourself for the big one... its Horsham away Boxing Day!

Boxing Day

 

A Christmas Cracker of an article in the Your Local Guardian this week featuring a preview of the big match on Boxing Day, which is away to Horsham.

 

A six pointer, irons in fire and a ding dong match.  They're all there!

Tanners 1 - 1 Wealdstone

For much of this game I am sure I was not alone in wondering why those at the club made so much effort to get the game played.  The second half in particular was hard work with Wealdstone keeping us at bay comfortably.

It did not start out that way though.  Tommy Hutchings' left foot shot crashed against the bar and his powerful follow up went straight to the keeper in the opening minute.  Four minutes later we were one nil down as a cross driven low and hard across the face of the goal was turned in as the central defence seemed caught out.

Wealdstone then added to our frustration by completing 80 minutes of time wasting.  The ref too did not make Dickie's birthday feel any happier when in the first half he brandished the yellow card four time to Leatherhead players while a quiet word was all that was needed for the visitors.

Then in the last few minutes the introduction of some pace worried Wealdstone and we grew in confidence.  A low cross through the area found Tommy whose shot found the back of the net this time.  On came Leatherhead with Kev Terry hitting the bar and a move similar to the one that opened the scoring at K's nearly paid off again with Vernon just failing with the telling touch.

A valuable point.  Enjoy your turkey and see you at Horsham...

(PS No, I don't know you ruddy Swanny76 is!)

11am pitch inspection

The Wealdstone site indicates an 11am pitch inspection.

The frost was light but here comes the drizzle.

Pop back in a couple of hours for an update.

Wealdstone are coming?

I'll keep this short as tomorrow's game sits very much in the balance.  I could forking all night to save this one ready for the 6am inspection.

The snow and rain have not come in the biblical amounts forecast Tuesday but it has been steady.

Keep an eye on the messageboard for updates...

Game off

 

Last nights downpour has left the pitch waterlogged and with worse weather forecast for tonight the game against Wingate & Finchley has been postponed.

 

Keep an eye out on the message board for yet another update on rearranged fixtures.

K's 0 - 3 Tanners

A home fan confidently declared he had the smell of goals in his nostrils to his friend as I walked past.  How right he was.  18.75% of our tally this season to be precise.

Leatherhead had to do more of their fair share of defending with K's having most of the ball (until the third goal anyway) but Leatherhead could break.  The warning signs were there when Greg volleyed wide when put in from a lofted ball (he was also offside).  On 16 minutes however Vernon was not offside as another lofted ball found his boot to chip a stranded 'keeper.

Kingstonian went for the equaliser and it was all out pressure until a clearance found Tommy alone on the half way line.  There were plenty of defenders to cope with this but they kept backing off until he was in range and his powerful shot beat the 'keeper on the stroke of 45 minutes.

K's started the second half confidently after probably getting a right telling off from the manager who walked off with a face like thunder.  Leatherhead really needed a third goal and for once we got it.  A sweeping move from Macleod down the left found Vernon in heaps of space in the middle of the area.  His powerful shot down the centre of the goal beat the 'keeper who guessed incorrectly and dived off much to his embarrassment.

A crushing defeat for the local rivals and an early tweet tells me our visitors Tuesday receive this result with more than just a raised eyebrow... batten down the hatches... its Wingate & Finchley and its going to be blowing a gale...