Leatherhead travel to Hendon (who play at Harrow) today for this league fixture. Hendon have enjoyed back to back wins but we’ve been on quite a run ourselves.
I started typing this believing there was no need for a pitch inspection... now there is one at 11:15 so check twitter for updates.
Kick off at 3pm (I hope). Directions can be found here. See you there!
Three first half goals were enough of a buffer to protect the three points from the second half slump and a terrible referee.
Leatherhead needed some performances today if they were going to overturn the visitors you had made the 130 mile trip south. In the first half at least we got it and with a shade of fortune built up an impressive lead.
The opening goal came from Frannie. Since his debut penalty he has seemed a little goal shy so it was a relief to see him on the scoresheet again. Playing in a deeper role he collected the ball on the edge of the box and drove a low purposeful shot into the bottom left corner. The ‘keeper could have perhaps done better but it was well placed. Six minutes gone and things were going well.
Hughes-Mason was a player who had perhaps caught the bug Tomi brought with him in recent weeks. Glaring misses have plagued him over the last four games but he has always maintained his ability to burst into the box with the ball at feet. On the half hour mark he did just that and released a fierce shot which, despite the strong hand of the ‘keeper getting to the ball, sneaked in on the far post.
Just three minutes later Frannie made it three with another shot from outside the box. He was aided by a massive deflection and with the ‘keeper going the wrong way it found the back of the net.
From here on in the ref took over. On a televised game he’d be in the “let things go” category but it was difficult to watch when some of these instances appeared to inflict genuine pain. Phil Walsh took a high boot to the face for example with on the assistant prepared to give it. Phil was subbed off shortly afterwards.
Leatherhead have developed a habit of only being able to play 45 minutes and so Leiston pressured with us sinking deeper. On the hour mark there was a goal mouth scramble with the ball crossing the line. Unsurprisingly the ref was unable to make a decision and the assistant stepped in and gave it.
Leiston did not seem to have the urgency to really press us though and at no real point did the fans get too nervous. In fact we thought the result was beyond doubt when Alex Wood tapped in from a Cash cross but it was ruled out for offside.
Deep into stoppage time Leiston pulled one back to cause the pulse to race a little. Not aided by Leatherhead’s decision to believe the last kick of the ball from the re-start would come from punting it straight at their ‘keeper. The ref found an extra few second to allow the ball to be sent back towards our goal but we managed to hold off their last attack long enough for the ref to finally see sense and call time on a great win.
Tanners will come away from this game disappointed they did not get more, perhaps a point being a fair result. Then again, VCD would not doubt feel the same so while we have three points over the two games if football was fair we’d only have two.
The first thing that struck the few that made the 100 mile trip was the state of the pitch, it looked as if it had been freshly ploughed. Home advantage proved to be crucial as the hosts quickly adapted to the conditions.
Something Needham Market had was a powerful forward who dominated down the wings. He seemed unstoppable and no sooner did we get to grips with things he simply changed sides. It was from one of his runs they got the goal. Down the right he fired in an early cross that found an unmarked player just inside the box on the left hand side. He had time to pick his spot and curl his shot past Wells with apparent ease. Disappointing but with 60 minutes to go we need not panic.
It was only really in the second half did we really get going. We were now used to the cabbage patch and started to apply pressure. Also we tried to match their tactics of a large striker and deployed Walsh upfront to bolster our attack.
Things just simply did not go our way. When Hughes-Mason was clear on goal with a ball coming to him it would bobble under or over his foot. Shots from midfield were sliced. In the dying minutes we had a goal mouth scramble where three shots on target were blocked or save. The third and best shot was hit with so little power the defender on the line could have built a campfire to keep warm waiting for the ball to arrive.
It wasn’t meant to be and Sandmann suffers his first defeat after an impressive six straight wins. There is also no chance to bounce back with a quick game as conflicts elsewhere mean Bognor Regis will not be coming Wednesday. Leiston it is on Saturday then!
Difficult to know what to think about this game. It certainly didn’t get off to a good start. The ref has one job to do before the game and that is to get it started on time. He failed miserably, coming out two minutes late and then allowed Ks to do a stupid warm up routine. They too join the ranks of teams I have seen muck about on a side line then lose.
The game also didn’t start too well from a Leatherhead perspective. Ks were quick out of the blocks and on three minutes they were through on goal. Wells is in the form of his life and must have appeared to be an oncoming Darth Vader to the striker and the shot was well saved. The resulting corner brought about a free header that was cleared off the line and the follow up shot smothered by Wells.
I would say that set the tone for the match. Leatherhead were the team forced to desperately clear their lines while occasionally springing an attack of their own. The highlight being Mahal scoring but seeing the offside flag go up and Hughes Mason blasting over at close range, albeit from a tight angle.
During the second half it looked as if the game was going to reach its natural conclusion. Penalties. However Leatherhead managed to build some pressure from a number of corners and it was from one we scored. First half we mucked about with short corners which serve no purpose in my opinion. Second half we took proper corners, swinging in and causing trouble.
On this corner it went long to the far post with Jerry waiting. With some improvising he managed to bring the ball down and then blast his shot under the ‘keeper. Leatherhead fans celebrated, Ks fans wondered what had happened to a side that won here comfortably 5-1 and should have been enjoying a home fixture.
The rest of the game was played in torrential freezing rain. If only the game had started on time, the ref could have been wrapped up inside by then. Shame.
So, Martin Tyler at 8:50 tomorrow morning for the draw? It’s a date.
Surrey Senior Cup action tonight as Ks fulfill their “home” fixture at the Grove. At the time of the draw I wrote this game off. Our form wasn’t brilliant, our cup form even worse and we had just been dumped out of the Trophy 5-1 by our local rivals. After a run of five victories perhaps renewed optimism for this fixture and our last chance at a cup run.
The pitch has survived the rain so no need for a pitch inspection. Kick off at 7:45pm. See you there.
Tanners make it five in a row and push into the top half for the first time in, what feels to be, a long time.
On arrival the pitch looked excellent. Lush, green and no standing water. On closer inspection the grass looked a little long and you could hear water underfoot. It wasn’t Eastleigh but it must have been hard work to play on.
A word to VCD though. As far as I am concerned no team in the bottom four has ever won a game, in the history of football, by taking out cones and performing a warm up routine just before the ref blows his whistle to start the game. You’ve had perhaps 30 minutes to warm up, it looks ridiculous and it achieves nothing as the opposing side simply wait for you to finish and then have a huddle so you cool down again. I predicted they’d lose following this as I did with Brentwood who tried the same nonsense. So, on to the game.
The game promised so much early on when we scored. The beauty of our goal was its simplicity. Leatherhead had the ball in the middle and were confronted with what looked like a well-organised back four. Kinnear then simply pushed through a perfectly weighted pass through the centre. Mahal timed his run perfectly and with his first touch eluded the ‘keeper and with his second slotted it into the goal. Such a move wouldn’t have seemed out of place with Messi passing to Suarez. This was obviously something that they have been working on as such passes were tried for the remainder of the half but without threatening.
Second half and Leatherhead set out to settle for what they had it seemed and VCD had the majority of the ball. That said Wells look largely redundant with only a lobbed attempt that went close saw him move with any urgency.
Leatherhead meanwhile had their chances. Hughes Mason had the best two but were missed. The first one was forgivable as he could have believed that Walsh would make contact to the low cross into the box. He didn’t so Hughes Mason had a stab at it and it went wide. The second identical ball was meant for him and he had time to settle but in the wet conditions it skewed wide.
It was then a case of holding the ball in the corners for the last minute until the ref realized he’d seen enough. 1-0 it ends and quite a build-up of momentum to face Ks Wednesday in the Surrey Senior Cup.
Game on! According to our official Twitter feed anyway as I have yet to see any confirmation from the hosts. No rain is forecast before the game (although none was forecast last night and down it came) so we should be good to go.
VCD are having a hard time of things this season but will be buoyed by the memory of a league double over us last season.
Kick off at 3pm. Directions can be found here. See you there!
Leatherhead made it four wins in a row and inflict more misery on the travelling Staines team who have picked up just three points in the last 6 games.
The visiting ‘keeper had a strange opening ritual. On the ref’s whistle to commence the half he jumped and touched the cross bar. A touch of OCD perhaps and I wonder why he does it. Perhaps if he doesn’t he’ll concede in the first minute or something… actually he conceded twice.
Leatherhead kicked off and made a purposeful attack down the middle. An attempt at a throw ball struck the outstretched hand of a defender and the penalty given after some time to think. Had the ref waited a fraction of a second longer he would have seen Hughes-Mason strike the ball under the diving ‘keeper. Hughes-Mason fancied getting the goal he was denied but new striker Franny took the ball off him and planted the ball confidently past the ‘keeper. 1-0 with barely a sip of the pre-match tea taken.
Staines felt they bossed the first half. I disagree. Sure they had some possession but rarely threatened and we looked the more likely to score on the break.
Second half was a different kettle of fish though. Their Staines really did come out with a view to score and started to apply some genuine pressure. Watt has created a rather impressive defensive unit since his arrival and while the attacks came they were swatted away.
That said, Leatherhead fans always suspect their luck would run out and when a nasty deflection surprised Wells into a reflex save we felt that time was soon to come. Luckily this feeling did not last long as a break down the right fed in Hughes-Mason who was now clear on goal. He wanted to hit it first time but probably assessed he was too far out so allowed himself to travel a few metres forward, sent the defender the wrong way and calmly curled it into the side netting from the edge of the box. 2-0.
Thing were looking pretty safe but things got worse when Mahal sent in a dangerous cross with Frannie Collin looking favourite to tap it in at the far post. The covering defender tried to deal with the situation but could only steer it in from two yards. An impressive finish considering the misses we have seen from that range recently.
VCD it is then, weather permitting, Saturday!
By all accounts we should have a game tonight. A close encounter with our old friends Staines. I am concerned that the pitch is still underwater… certainly the U21s did not play last night for that reason.
No rain forecast for today so there is hope. Keep following twitter for updates…
Leatherhead lifted the Mick Sullivan Trophy with the hosts getting the lesser prize… The Hayden Bird Cup… after an entertaining second half performance.
It was not that the first half was not impressive. It just seemed to lack chances but you could not fault the effort made on either side. It was Tomi who had the first chance to score for the visitors. Put through and clear on goal his powerful shot was aimed straight at the ‘keeper who had done well to come out smother. Dembelle too managed to wriggle through the defence but could not get enough space to get the shot away and it bounced off his shin to safety.
Second half and the game was still played with plenty of huff and puff but little in the way of clear cut chances until Mahal came on and added some new pace down the right wing. From his run on 69 minutes we won a corner and on the second attempt of swinging the wall in we got our goal. It was a dangerous ball into the ball, low and hard and could have gone in on its own. Perhaps it did as Mahal, Jerry and Tomi all seem to want a part in it. I seem to think it came off Tomi and he certainly got the lion share of the praise from his fellow players.
Our lead did not last long. A nice build of play saw the ball in open space just inside the box and it was lashed home by their winger. Wells got his hands to it but it was simply too well struck to save.
Merstham now looked the more purposeful but with Mahal we were quick to break. Also we welcomed back Sam Blackman, who after adjusting from playing football from soccer, looked very composed. His best moment came when he danced through the Merstham defence with his shot going just wide.
It was from a break we got the winner. Tomi chased what appeared to be a lost cause but just managed to get a cross in which eluded the sole defender and ‘keeper but not Hughes Mason who had the presence of mind to chest in the cross.
Merstham started to press for the equalizer again when Mahal went on another run down the right. His cross beat the ‘keeper and found Tomi along in front of goal. He had scored a goal and created another. Perhaps now his confidence was up. Alas if it was it did not help as from three yards the ball was ballooned up over the bar. At first we cried, then laughed and then began to panic as it looked increasingly likely that the miss would cost us two points. On the death a powerful header beat Wells and from my angle it looked to have dipped under the bar, but it sailed just over and the ref blew the final whistle.
A fantastic victory that makes it three in a row and was felt hard by the local supporters by the boardroom who are usually so smug. In fact, if you’re a teenage boy smiling to yourself on the way out you could expect to be told off for such a show of disrespect…
So. The Tanners have some time to see in the new year then look forward to the visit of Hampton & Richmond…
With Bubble & Squeak consumed we travel to Merstham for this important Mick Sullivan Derby game. The two sides, who know each other from our Div One South Days, are separated by just one point.
An ex-Tanner leads the line for the hosts. Phil Page has come in for Tommy Hutchings who now joins the ranks of the Leatherhead Hall of Fame at Westhumble.
All in all it is a big festive game… let’s hope it will be the Tanners who will be sleighing Merstham today…
Kick off at 3pm. Directions can be found here. See you there!
Leatherhead voyage in the league looks to be on calmer waters after today’s win. Back to back wins against teams in deeper relegation trouble than us has seen us pull away 11 points clear of the dreaded drop zone.
It was another assured performance with the new Assistant adding much needed leadership and commanding things at the back with Jerry. Walsh was pushed upfront and was masterful in his knock downs and holding up play.
Kinnear Jnr got our opening goal from such a knockdown and steered a shot from the outside of his boot in off the inside of the post. It wasn’t the most powerful shot but did enough to beat a ‘keeper who went on to make two top class saves. Watts could have doubled the advantage but his powerful header bounced off the bar.
Second half and Leatherhead played largely being in control. Walsh was went off injured and on came Tomi. He went on to miss two big chances which did little to calm the nerves as the game went on. Playing well at 1-0 is still a dangerous position.
Leatherhead held on and took all three points. Now on to the Mick Sullivan derby this Boxing Day…
Leatherhead hit the road again and travel to the current leaders. Our much needed win of the weekend may give us some confidence going into the game… then again we got a much needed win away at Lewes and then they beat us 2-0 in the following game.
We do have a new layer of management to help steady the good ship Leatherhead. It will be interesting to those that make the journey to see how it all fits together,
Kick off at 7.45. Directions can be found here. Good luck fellas.
Leatherhead hit the road again and travel to the current leaders. Our much needed win of the weekend may give us some confidence going into the game… then again we got a much needed win away at Lewes and then they beat us 2-0 in the following game.
We do have a new layer of management to help steady the good ship Leatherhead. It will be interesting to those that make the journey to see how it all fits together,
Kick off at 7.45. Directions can be found here. Good luck fellas.
Leatherhead got a much needed win to give us some breathing space at the bottom of the table. A word of the hosts though. A fantastic stadium for a club that should they be relegated will find themselves drop down to the Combined Counties next season. OK, they still charge big club prices (£12 to get in) but are friendly and with no chips on their shoulders. A far cry from our local rivals in their rented stadium…
Sandmann wanted to steady the ship and he must have feared the worst after just four minutes. A poorly hit back pass fell between the defender and ‘keeper and both tried to clear the danger but neither succeeded. The ball fell kindly and, despite scuffing his shot, the striker found the back of the net.
Luckily Farnborough were equally charitable. A scuffed goal kick went straight to a Leatherhead player who played in Hughes-Mason. The ‘keeper came to smother but missed allowing a simple tap in. After two clangers it was time to start the game again.
Leatherhead took their lifeline well. Hughes-Mason in particular was lively and cutting through the host defence with ease. He just simply was not able to get a shot away of square it to new boy Tomi. With some of his glaring misses in both halves there may be a reason for that.
Second half and Leatherhead dominated the game. Our second goal came when the ball came from out wide to Dembelle in the box. He had a lot to do but somehow managed to flick the ball over his marker and find room to power a shot past the diving ‘keeper.
2-1 and Farnborough tried to get an equalizer but we killed the game when Mahal was set free on the left wing, pushing the ball past the rushing ‘keeper and he passed it into an open net. 3-1 and the points were safe.
A great win but Leatherhead will face tougher opposition than Farnborough though. Notably Tonbridge just this week. The home fans, despite the result, sang “We’re the famous Fanborough and we’re off to Camberley”… on this evidence they are correct.
Tomorrow we travel to Farnborough FC in this league fixture. Our new manager has come out to say he is ready to steady, what many believe to be, a sinking ship. Certainly a couple of life rafts in the shape of lofty strategic positions and higher placed clubs have already been jettisoned.
I haven’t been to Farnborough since their Conference status as Farnborough Town, and their stadium looks like a ground worthy of higher leagues. After they had a brief spell of getting their administration in order at the start of the season they are now finding their rhythm. Stringing together a few wins in a row but still sit in the bottom four. Six pointer?
Kick off at 3pm. Directions can be found here. See you there.
This pretty much summed Leatherhead’s season up so far. A bright start saw us create a number of chances. Our right back in particular was involved in many of the attacks, overlapping and delivering dangerous crosses.
It was Hughes-Mason who got our goal. Slightly on the left wing he cut across the edge of the area determined to get a shot away. After riding, even pirouetting, over a number tackles he found enough space to send his low powerful shot into the bottom corner. 1-0.
It appears though that 45 minutes of competitive football is as far as Brady can take the current team, given the financial constraints blah blah blah, and so we were forced to watch a very different Leatherhead performance. Credit should be given to Harrow who perhaps adjusted to the threat down our right and pegged him back. Vas certainly didn't get lonely with two chaperones close by whenever he got the ball.
Leatherhead’s demise started almost as soon as the second half whistle sounded. Harrow finding the back of the net in the 49th minute. I actually missed this goal as I was walking to my usual spot behind the goal.
It was not as if we were overrun but for great periods of the second half it looked destined to be a 1-1 draw, it was just allowing them to waltz into our penalty area and rifle home a powerful shot ruined that.
So now we welcome a new era of a new manager who, if the statement is to be believed, is brimming with new ideas. Where were these new ideas yesterday or throughout a spell that has seen us drop into relegation trouble? Perhaps they were stifled… by the same person who will now oversee all footballing matters and, despite needing more time away from football, will be there on match days… it all makes perfect sense I’m sure…