Tanners 3 - 2 Guernsey

Leatherhead forge ahead into the final thanks to goals from Smith and Bradbrook.  Leatherhead got off to the dream start with Smith opening the score as he ran onto a Bradbrook flick on minutes into the game.   Bradbrook minutes later took the ball on the edge of the box, made room for a shot and curled his strike into the top right corner.  A goal that even made Matt Le Tissier sit up and take note on twitter!

Another Bradbrook goal in the second half when he pounced on a knock down from a corner put us in charge.  Until the 75^th minute it was all Leatherhead and Guernsey were lucky not to go 5-0 down when two clear chances went begging.  Guernsey was finding life with Bradbrook far too difficult and for a spell targeted him with some unpunished rough stuff.

Guernsey did get one back and suddenly the momentum changed and we were hanging on at the end when they scored another ten minutes from the end.  All in all a perfect finish. Guernsey had some goals to think about in the Premier Inn, we celebrate a hard fought win.  So many good performances do dwell on.  Smart and Smith broke up attacks in midfield.  Ryan at right back had the beating of their left back.  Bradbrook couldn’t be touched.  Jerry and Coyle kept Ross Allen quiet for much of the match.

On to Folkestone then on Saturday. Hopefully they will have some tired legs after their extra time win against Hastings last night…

Tanners 3 - 2 Guernsey

Leatherhead forge ahead into the final thanks to an early Smith goal and two from Bradbrook.
Guernsey looked like they could come back but we held strong.
Off to Folkestone on Saturday then...

Guernsey are coming

Semi-final night tonight and Ross meets Brad at last.  The kind of showdown that would have Jamie Redknapp over at Sky Sports analysing in depth.  On the plus side, Guernsey’s fall from a position of challenging for second place gives us hope their form may continue.

 

The winner will either be hosting Hastings or travelling to Folkestone on Saturday in the final.

 

Kick off at 7:45.  See you there!

Guernsey it is then...

First of all apologies for the lack of updates during this crucial part of the season.  About this time last year it was my 9 year wedding anniversary and I found a delightful restaurant by the coast for a quiet meal for two.  Problem was it was Eastbourne away in the final away game of the season.  The good thing is that never gets brought up again at all...  Not wishing to make the same mistake I booked something more suitable for the family.

Not updating the website is a small oversight in the grand scheme of things no?  Despite finishing second we in fact end up in third place and potentially lose out to home advantage in the final should we get past Guernsey.  A side that over two games of regular season have the edge on us.  A plus is that we should have our hitman available which we so badly missed on the island.

On to Tuesday then...

Worthing are coming

Worthing come to the Grove in the final fixture of the season. A win will see us second place. Anything less will give Folkestone the chance to nick it from us.

Kick off at 3pm. Good luck fellas.

Travelling Tanners

Tanners try again to put the finishing touch on the season proper and hold off the late charge of Folkestone for second place.  Losing second place at this stage of the season would be careless to say the least.

Two quick fire goals quickly ate up our lead on Saturday and we were not able to respond to get a winner leaving the door open for Burgess Hill to keep their season alive.  Furthermore, today is a tough game.  Away at Faversham.  They too harboured play-off hopes but it appears the defeat away at Guernsey snuffed this out.

Kick off at 3pm.  Directions here (via Ramsgate's forum!).  Good luck fellas.

Burgess Hill are coming

An inform Burgess Hill come to The Grove in this Easter Weekend fixture.  They suffered a slight set back of losing to Faversham but they will think they have a chance of sneaking into the top 5 with the last three games to play.

Meanwhile a win for us could make sure of our runners up spot.

Kick off at 3pm. Good luck fellas.

CDG 0 - 5 Tanners

Leatherhead were welcomed to this new ground by a friendly bunch considering the run they have been on.  On the pitch they were equally as accommodating as it is clear they have yet to bond.  A defender referring to the man between the sticks as “keeper” as opposed to “Smudger” etc.

Bradbrook and Theo were left on the bench for this encounter, pushing Parkinson into the no 9 shirt.  It soon paid off with him collecting a cross at the edge of the box and stroking it low past “Keeper”.

There is one thing we can learn from this game.  Avery is good in the air.  He had already thundered one into the feet of the man on the post and soon after he leaped through a defender to score the second of the day.  The third goal moments later came from Avery heading down towards Jerry who prodded home.  He celebrated in disbelief he had scored.

Darren Smith was given an opportunity to make it four on 40 minutes.  A free-kick right on the edge of the box sailed into the top right hand corner.

Second half and the damage was done.  The home side were not looking dangerous and so we went about our business at a leisurely pace.  Avery added a goal to his tally from an instinctive strike some 15 yards out.

No one wanted a goal more than Kev Terry but it didn’t go his way.  Theo came on and could have scored a couple but luck was not on his side either.

Burgess Hill come to the Grove Saturday hoping to keep any chance of them making the play-offs alive.  A win could give us the runners up spot…

Travelling Tanners

With top spot now confirmed as being out of reach all that remains to do is finish second to ensure home advantage is retained going into the play-offs.  That good fight continues tomorrow with a trip to Crawley Down Gatwick.  A team that was flying at the start of the season but have drifted away alarmingly.  So much so a whole new look team has been created to keep them in the league.  I hope they don’t click into life tomorrow!

Kick off at 3:07.  A new ground so see you there!  A list of the new players for your reading pleasure is below…

 

Baff Addae from Thamesmead Town
Alex Addai from Carshalton Athletic
Karl Akehurst from Eastbourne Town
Fope Coker from Tilbury
Wade Eason from Peacehaven & Telscombe
Akwasi Fobi-Edusei from Horsham
Thomas Hughes from Tooting & Mitcham United
Jide Maduako from Cray Wanderers
Romone McCrae from Redhill

Herne Bay 2 - 0 Tanners

Well that was disappointing.  Leatherhead lose to a second half brace allowing Peacehaven to claim the title.  Now all bad news as those below us too struggled.

Leatherhead could have built up a safe lead after a series of missed chances.  Leatherhead were also accused of being a tad too robust as the home side made all three changes to accommodate injuries.

Herne Bay then went on to punish us with a double from Jordan Casey.

A rare week off now until we travel to a new look Crawley Down Gatwick…

Travelling Tanners

Leatherhead travel to Kent again to play Herne Bay who will be equally drained after beating Crawley Down Gatwick on Thursday night.
Kick off at 3pm.  Location here (no directions on their site from what I can see).  Good luck fellas.

Whitstable 2 - 3 Tanners

Richard of Arabia masterminded a welcome win in Kent thanks to a last minute Kev Terry tap in.  It look at first like it was going to be a formality with Draycott hitting the inside of the post in the first few minutes and their defence looking all at sea.  So typical of a wounded animal that 20 minutes later they slotted one in from the edge of the box.

Leatherhead responded well with a stooping header from Draycott levelling, but then we seemed to take our foot off the pedal and they forced a number of corners to put together some pressure of their own.

Second half and we began to dominate so no surprise when debutant Richard Avery scored with another header.  2-1 and perhaps we could finally think the three points were ours… but then in a rare foray the home side won a free kick 30 yards out which was expertly bent into the back of the net whilst our wall still seemed to be lining up.

This buoyed Whitstable and moments later they carved us open only for their striker to inexplicably hit the post from 5 yards when faced with an open goal.  Both sides had decent half chances, until in the last minute of injury time Eisa went on a mazy run, the ball found its way to Kev inside the box, he juggled it past the keeper and tapped home to much elation from the visiting few.

Herne Bay awaits…

(based on Dickie’s match report)

Travelling Tanners

Leatherhead travel into the dust bowl of Whitstable tonight in a rare Thursday night outing.  They must be playing catch up as they beat Eastbourne 3-2 on Tuesday.  Leatherhead fans may as well find a nice B&B to stay in as they will be returning to that neck of the woods Saturday with a trip to Herne Bay.

Kick off at 7.45.  Directions can be found here.  Good luck fellas.

Tanners 1 - 0 Folkestone Invicta

The game was not pretty but Folkestone were sent home pointless and lucky to have only conceded one.  I did worry about this game given the ambitions of the 4^th placed visitors who were looking over their shoulder at Merstham.  I had nothing to fear as they turned up and were shackled from the start.

While on Wednesday it was almost a free for all the wide players set out with a clear instruction it would seem to “tuck in” and so the visitors resorted to a long ball game.  Food and drink to “Terry Butcher and his mate” who kept any attack at bay for much of the 90 minutes.  I do not want to do Ibrahim a disservice, he may have pulled off a wonderful save but I do not remember a meaningful attack until we got into the 4^th minute of injury time in the second half.

Our goal was a screamer.  A ball into the box was partially cleared which fell to Bradbrook who instinctively decided to hit it first time.  It flew into the near corner leaving the diving ‘keeper no chance.

Half time entertainment ensued with a foul mouthed team talk from the visiting manager.  You could tell by the limp applause that it had missed its target and Folkestone went out and played even worse than they had before.  Leatherhead seemed quite content with this and so the game became rather stale.  Three points were becoming a certainty.

It could have been made safer when in the last 10 minutes Leatherhead then started tearing into Folkestone.  Theo was denied by the ‘keeper who had been lambasted by his manager for slicing a clearance.  Then Ryan Mahal struck the crossbar from 6 yards when faced with an open goal.

These misses looked like they could haunt us only when the ref went on to find 2 to 3 minutes of extra extra time but we held out.  A mid-week trip to Whitstable now awaits…

Folkestone Invicta are coming

Even stranger than Dickie’s prediction was that of Folkestone’s manager in a press article claiming how their playoff hopes were boosted after a 5-0 win at Leatherhead.  They can afford to be confident (although hopefully not that confident) with three players in the top 15 goal scorers with 48 goals between them.

Quite the challenge for us while Guernsey face Walton & Hersham in an evening kick-off.

Kick off at 3pm for us though.  See you there!

Tanners 5 - 0 Eastbourne Town

It was a confident prediction of goals that could have easily have gone sour but on the night it came true thanks to Bradbrook and a Leatherhead team looking for an emphatic win.

It wasn't long before Dickie must have been planning his "told you so" post.  Kev Terry was causing trouble down his left and Bradbrook gratefully took advantage of his work by finding some space and "placing" the ball in the net with his left foot.  The English Bebeto celebrated the birth of his first child...

Soon after there was a touch of deja vu too with the penalty.  With a goal 'keeper off his line and well beaten a goal bound shot was denied by a raised arm.  This time only a yellow was shown with the belief it was more ball to hand.  Smith stepped up and placed the penalty to his right with the 'keeper going the wrong way.

Draycott turned provider of sorts for the third goal.  A powerful shot was parried into the air for Bradbrook to pounce and head into an empty net.  A perfect hat trick was on...

Second half and Leatherhead were at it again after a brief spell of Eastbourne trying to score.  It was a fleeting period of the game and soon shots pounded the visiting 'keeper.  A series of shots eventually fell to the right-back who finished near post and almost seemed embarrassed to celebrate.

Bradbrook must have had the weight of the world on his shoulders.  Could today be his hat trick day?  Yes it could as he found himself in front of goal, firing initially with his right but finishing the rebound with his left.  No perfect hat trick.  What a failure.

So, Leatherhead push on and will need this form with Folkestone Invicta coming to the Grove Saturday...

Eastbourne Town are coming

Leatherhead entertain Eastbourne Town tonight in the league.  A chance to increase the gap to eight points is at stake but caution to thinking the bottom placed side will be a push over.

Firstly we have had a bit of a wobble and we went to their place needing at least two goals to put pressure on the play-off places… while we won it was by a single Sam Blackman goal and so the dream slipped by.

Kick-off at 7.45pm.  The last mid-week £5 game I believe!  See you there.

Sittingbourne 0 - 1 Tanners

With Guernsey losing the 1pm kick-off the opportunity was there to put up a five point cushion.  A trip to a new ground was also in store for the travelling fans.  What could possibly go wrong?

The main problem was the entertainment value.  It was not easy on the eye and the only thing to look forward to was the unusual offering of lasagna and chips at half time.

With double carbs on the menu you could expect a similarly sluggish second half but changes breathed life into the game.  None more so than Mo Eisa whose composed finish turned out to be the goal that separated the sides.

Five point gap retained and basement club Eastbourne Town come to the Grove Wednesday…

Travelling Tanners

Today Leatherhead travel east to try and put a worrying run of results behind us.  Slips happen but this has become more of a slide...

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

Tanners 0 - 1 Hythe

No second half flurry to save Leatherhead last night as we fall 1-0 to our visitors Hythe.  Leatherhead missed some early chances to take the lead which came back to haunt them when Josh Burchell pounced on a loose ball in the box.

Guernsey play Whitstable tonight in an attempt to close the gap to just two points…