Tomorrow night Leatherhead travel to Grays Athletic. They will no doubt be smarting from the last midweek encounter where we ran out 3-0 winners. Our hosts also won their FA Cup game against Hanwell Town, thus avoiding a replay, so they will give us their undivided attention…
Kick off at 7:45. Directions can be found here. Good luck fellas!
Leatherhead rode out the second half storm to gain all three points against a professional outfit that liked to chat to the ref.
The first chance fell to the visitors. After a large appeal for a penalty the ball fell to their captain with not much to do other than beat the ‘keeper. He missed and then promptly ran to the ref to complain. This dialog went on for some time and set the tone for the rest of his time on the pitch.
Meanwhile Leatherhead quietly went about their business and applied much of the first half pressure. The pressure told through the left foot of Vas you twice found space on the edge of the box to lash home to glorious goals. The second better than the first.
Burgess Hill made two halftime changes and they had the desired effect. They went on to dominate the first 30 minutes second half and soon found themselves level. Leatherhead were unable to cope with the pressure and invited the shots on goal.
At 2-2 Josh was thrown into mix and soon the game was swinging back in our favour. With five minutes to go Leatherhead won a corner from which Jerry headed what looked to be the winner until Burgess Hill’s number 7 stuck up and hand to punch it off the line. Straight red for the would-be Maradona. Vas stepped up, perhaps a little too near the ‘keeper for my liking but it did the job. 3-2 and the cheat didn’t prosper.
A tricky midweek away game at Grays awaits…
Leatherhead’s Youth Team play in the FA Youth Cup tonight away at Worthing.
Kickoff is at 7:45. Good luck fellas!
Leatherhead travel to Enfield Town with a spring in their step. A resounding 3-0 built on a solid defence and a lively midfield managed to see off second place opposition.
Leatherhead will need more of the same if they are to beat Enfield Town. Our last trip saw us lack any real form of cutting edge while the local support, boosted by a Belgian contingent, cheered them to victory.
Kick off at 3pm. Directions can be found here. Good luck fellas.
I am feeling pretty smug about this one. It was “one of those nights” at The Grove, inspired by a revitalized midfield lead in no small way by Josh. It was clear lessons had been learned and the midfield were quickly snapping at the heels of the surprised visitors.
It was not all Josh. It was a combined effort as they hunted in packs. Daly though shone, intercepting many of their hurried passes and building the attacks.
While we pressed the first half goals came from corners. The first was sent long with the defence switching off, assuming the ball was drifting to safety but from a tight angle Josh sneaked in and tapped it home. Soon after another corner from the same side was sent into the box and Grays made a complete mess of dealing with it. Players were on the ground, diving in but Josh had the presence of mind to smash it through the chaos and score our second.
2-0 at half time. The ball did fall kindly for us in our third of the pitch but you make your own luck when you play this positively.
Second half and on the 60 minute mark it looked like Leatherhead had tired and Grays started to apply some pressure. Luckily after 5 minutes Leatherhead seemed to get a second wind and Hughes-Mason was soon dashing down the right flank to find an unmarked Daly. Outside of the box he still had plenty to do but his strike found the top corner despite the ‘keeper getting a hand to it.
So Leatherhead saw the game out. The ref was a ponce though. Their number 4 was of the Carl Rook school of playing and engaged in some rather unhealthy marking, only in the last minute (when he was swapping shirts a little early) did he finally have a word.
Great stuff and now on to Enfield Town with green shoots of recovery…
What do you need to steady a ship at a time like this? A side that cannot buy a win at the bottom of the table perhaps? Tough, we’ve got second place Grays Athletic fresh from a morale boosting 6-0 win in the FA Cup last weekend.
That said there is nothing like a big team coming to The Grove to focus the mind and (hopefully) raise our game. I am sure we can all think back to one of those “nights at The Grove” where this has happened… just… well… it’s been a while…
Kick off at 7:45. See you there…
There will be two sides licking their wounds at Fetcham Grove tomorrow.
Hendon also lost 1-3 in the FA Cup to Ryman One opposition at home. Hendon have also had a very average start to the season in the league.
There is a general feeling that our players are simply turning up to pick up their wages and that running around the pitch is too much trouble when they could be sat at home playing on the Xbox.
Tomorrow could be a case of which side wants it the most. Oh dear…
This was one of the worst first half performances we have seen this season and that is saying something. No energy. No desire. No quality. Many of our players have played at a higher level in their careers but their performances today weren't even worthy of the Kent League.
The prize money of £3,000....the share of a 2,000 gate at Maidstone.....the proud history of our club in the FA Cup.....none of them seemed that bothered. South Park cruised to a 2-0 half time lead and everyone was wondering what had happened to the team that gave such a good account of themselves last season.
Richard Brady must have gone for the hairdryer at half time as something approaching the Leatherhead side of old came out for the 2nd half and started to believe in themselves. Shots started to fire in although some were from ridiculous distances. Finally we got an equaliser and a protesting South Park player was sent off for protesting it was offside. At least I think that was the reason. Maybe the ref was just trying to even it up.
Against 10 men with 15 minutes, left surely we could force extra time? We should have done when Kiernan blasted over from 10 yards. However the last laugh was with South Park who made it 3-1 on 90 minutes and pocketed what must be around £8,000.
If our team doesn't shake themselves out of their stupor soon we will have a relegation battle on our hands.
Second time lucky as Leatherhead host South Park tonight in this rearranged FA Cup fixture.
A lack of goals over the weekend may indicate that the return of Vas isn’t the complete remedy to some of our recent results. A clean sheet against well placed opposition gives us something to build on though.
Kick off at 7:45. Good luck fellas.
After being spared a midweek replay Leatherhead now face a side that is doing rather well. Wingate & Finchley sit in fourth place and have a game in hand that, should they win, take them just one point behind Grays.
On the plus side Vas is back to give us some added fire power and the new players have had some more time to get to know their new teammates.
Kick off at 3pm. See you there.
Leatherhead take on South Park looking to progress into the FA Cup and face Maidstone. On leaving South Park a local supporter announced what he had seen to be “daylight robbery” and in many ways he was correct. It was far from convincing and we will need to be better to avoid leaving the competition at the first time of asking.
Good news comes in the return of Vas. His three match suspension is over and hopefully he and Hughes-Mason can cause enough mayhem to see us over the line.
Kick off at 7:45. See you there!
With the route to the next round littered with “CAUTION - SLIPPERY SURFACE” signs eyebrows were raised when on arrival to the ground we saw Big Phil was playing in defense. By all accounts he has plied his trade there before and did not look out of place but was this the time to do it? Our best striking options appear to be Vas, Big Phil and Hughes-Mason but with Vas still suspended this move left us at 33% of our scoring potential.
That said we could have put this game to bed in the opening 10 minutes. Mahal hit the bar in the opening minutes when attempting to chip the ‘keeper and then Stacy pushed a shot just wide of the post.
You need to take your chances and soon South Park were the ones on the front foot. A curling shot going just wide before they got their goal. A ball through the middle beat the back line with so much ease there was two South Park players advancing unchecked. The breakaway move was calmly finished and there was an uneasy feeling behind the goal.
The players came out with Big Phil still in defense and somehow they managed to be even less potent than the first half. Long hopeful balls hit to diminutive strikers who barely looked interested as it was without being engaged in a fruitless areal battle.
After 10 minutes common sense prevailed and Big Phil was advanced into the front line and instantly the tempo lifted. We were winning balls in the air. The players around him could collect a ball to their feet while facing goal. It wasn’t all a bed of roses. This initial spurt lasted about ten minutes before we lost our way again.
The goal came from nothing. A cross found Hughes-Mason on the edge of the box and his first time shot surprised the ‘keeper and it found the goal with room to spare. We picked the ball out of the net as if to say we wanted the winner. It was probably South Park who looked the most likely to score in injury time but the ref found time to stop talking to players about how great he was and blow the final whistle and set up the replay.
Leatherhead will have Vas back for the replay. We can only hope this will bring a change of tempo.
FA Cup day and Leatherhead are in a desperate need of a win. We travelled to Three Bridges, albeit in the league cup, without taking it too seriously and paid the price.
South Park ply their trade in the Ryman South and sit mid-table BUT with two games in hand a couple of wins could see them go second.
Kick off at 3pm. Location can be found here. See you there.
Leatherhead's very brief glorious summer at the top of the league is in danger of turning into a winter of discontent. Just one point from 4 games and everyone is scratching their heads to establish where we are going wrong.
Man of the Match was undoubtedly Louis Wells who made some outstanding saves. Meanwhile at the other end we did not have a single shot or corner for the whole of the first half. Vas and Green were absent but other than that we were at full strength.
That the score line was kept to just 1-0 was, as Brades stated in his interview, no consolation. At least there were grass fed 100% British beef burgers on offer for just £6. Remarkably, Kiernan could have made it 1-1 near the end when he smashed the ball into the side netting from just a couple of yards out.
There is good news though....Dulwich hang a flag behind their goal stating that refugees are welcome in their hamlet. Lebanon host approximately 1.2 million refugees and so if Dulwich are good to their word so we can expect to see the attendances at Champion Hill swell dramatically over the next few months.
So from refugees and burgers to banana skins. A whole box full is waiting at South Park on Saturday. Wear sensible shoes.
It’s off to Dulwich Hamlet tonight in the league after a rather turbulent weekend. Dulwich drew a 1,500 crowd while we entertained a more modest gathering to a 4-4 draw.
If you’re driving I highly recommend an app called WAZE to get you there in good time. Or you can follow the directions here. Kick off at 7:45. Good luck fellas!
There was a point in this game I wondered exactly why I had driven 60 miles to watch this game. It certainly wasn’t for the benefit of my daughter who was more than happy to pass the first half by roller skating around the ground. I envied her as East Thurrock grew in confidence and began to dominate the game.
It didn’t start out that way though with Leatherhead giving as good as they got, providing it was Stacy doing the giving as he was our only real threat. East Thurrock struck the post from a free kick which must have unsettled us as we allowed them to pressure for the remainder of the half.
Their opener came from a penalty that looked a little soft if you ask me but a gift East Thurrock snapped up. It was from a free kick we conceded our second. From distance the ball was struck under the jumping wall and it beat Wells at the far post.
So 2-0 down at half time and perhaps a second half talking to would stir things up a bit… not on first inspection. Leatherhead did not really pick up the pace and allowed a free header to make it 3-0 and I was contemplating leaving early…
Avery gave us some hope. Getting the ball just right of the goal he advanced and let fly with a powerful shot that beat the ‘keeper and struck the underside of the bar and in. 3-1. Something to cheer about. Now it was not just Stacy looking dangerous on our right but Green was advancing on our left and East Thurrock were finding it hard to cope. From the pressure Smart struck the post and it bounced out with Jerry in possession at a tight angle and with his back to goal. While the ‘keeper (me included) waited for him to turn he simply back heeled goalwards. It caught the ‘keeper off-guard and it snuck in off the far post. Cheeky and 3-2.
Josh, who replaced Semakula, sent the few who had made the trip wild when he latched onto another attacking move from Green and slipped it past the ‘keeper. 3-3. Could we go on and win it?
It seemed we could when Stacy used the outside of his right boot to lob the ‘keeper. 4-3. Twitter was in melt down and I could barely believe my eyes.
It is fair to say with 5 goals and several substitutions (which included taking off Big Phil which I believe surrendered an advantage in the dying minutes) the ref was well within his rights to add plenty of stoppage time and so he did. Enough for them to build the pressure and smash it past Wells.
With both managers thinking they blew 3 points you can imagine I was quick to rush my children past the dressing room areas for fear of having to explain some new vocabulary.
A good game but leaking goals for our second 4-4 draw will be a worry. Not least because it is Dulwich in the week!
While everyone agrees Brady is the best man for the job the form suggests the team are not fully engaged at the moment. The first two games gave us hope we could usher in a new period of challenging for the play-offs but it seems the honeymoon period could be over.
East Thurrock meanwhile have only suffered defeat once and will no doubt fancy their chances tomorrow.
Kick off at 3pm. Directions can be found here. See you there…
Difficult to write this one up. Mainly because I was not there, not that has stopped me from making it up before, but because there is very little to write about.
Leatherhead made a nervous start to the game, obviously bruised from the trip to Brentwood. While slightly more assured they were clearly on the back foot when Merstham struck in the first half.
Second half and Leatherhead did not do much to rally and when the second goal went in, following some nifty work from Tommy Hutchings, it seemed we resigned ourselves to a second straight defeat.
We’re off to East Thurrock on Saturday…
The Mick Sullivan Derby comes to Leatherhead for this Bank Holiday fixture. Newly promoted Merstham will be looking for their second win of the season having beaten Met Police last Saturday and arrive with old favourites like Hayden Bird, Mark Norman, Tommy Hutchings and Mick Sullivan.
Leatherhead, on the other hand, have some serious thinking to do. Saturday was a disaster that not only lacked quality but any kind of desire to avoid the humiliation. Hopefully this derby will raise the spirits as it did against Dulwich.
Kick off at 3pm. Good luck fellas.
Another new ground passes me by as I spend a long weekend in Bratislava. Leatherhead travel into Essex where there must be more football clubs per capita than any place in the world. Brentwood Town were promoted from the Ryman North last season and I don't recall us having played before.
The world looks different again. After a string of disappointing results we won the big one. Important we take that performance on into this game.
Kick off at 3pm. Directions can be found here. Veľa šťastia fellas!
Out of chaos comes order.
Leatherhead bounced back from a horrible 10 minutes on Saturday to produce a disciplined professional performance of which Nietzsche would have been proud.
We secured all 3 points against a very strangely attired Dulwich side. The traditional beloved pink and blue quarters have been abandoned in favour of an almost black nondescript kit that makes it very hard to pick out the referee.
A lively opening spell produced a headed goal from our new Aryan centre forward who has proved a fine addition to last season's squad. A fairly even first half ended with Leatherhead having had the best of the chances. This was a more amiable encounter than recent games between these sides, and was summed up well by a Dulwich hipster who felt that growth in wisdom can be measured precisely by a decline a bile.
You must carry chaos inside you to produce a dancing star and the star was again Vas who was our man of the match and often our only outlet in a 2nd half in which Dulwich dominated possession. Our backs were against the wall but nothing collapsed and in defense Jerry again proved that he is not a man he is dynamite.
The final words were left with Rod who summed up the game thus: True, we love life, not because we are used to living but because we are used to loving. There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.
There are four games on tonight but only one should grab the attention. I hope the bar has stocked up on cans of Red Stripe as Dulwich arrive at the Grove in what is probably one of our biggest games of the season. After a great start we have wobbled with a collapse at the weekend associated with a tail end batting order. That said the two teams find themselves on 7 points having both lost to Staines.
Kick off at 7:45. Good luck fellas!
A frustrating game in the end as Leatherhead finish with 10 men and sacrifice a two goal lead (on two occasions).
The first half bubbled along nicely I have to say. Canvey initially showed a complete lack of composure at the back, gifting us several corners which we took poorly. It was Canvey though that had the best chances. First a close range bicycle kick that was well saved then their goal. Curran allowed to run onto a loose ball in the box and find the back of the net.
Luckily for us, Canvey’s charitable defense continued to offered up chances and when we finally delivered a telling ball in from a free kick it was Bog Phil who steered it back across goal and into the path of Hughes-Mason who prodded it home.
Vas was in the mood for scoring it seemed and while he opted to shoot rather than set up Big Phil on one chance to test the patience of the home supporters, all was forgiven when we went on to get a brace. The first was a perfectly weighted ball left Vas running onto a ball that was simply too tempting for the ‘keeper not to come out for. This left him completely exposed and he was lobbed in apparent ease. Fifteen minutes later he ran at the defense who melted away allowing him time and space to pick his spot. 3-1 at half time and all seemed well…
During half time the visiting supporters bemoaned the refereeing. Feeling he had missed a handball in the box for a penalty (I actually thought it was ball to hand) but it was the home support that felt aggrieved by the end of the game.
Canvey started the second half with real purpose. The warning signs where there when the felt they had scored when a shot struck the post and appeared to have crossed the line but we managed to clear. Then from a similar move they struck at close range and made it interesting at 3-2. Game on.
In the first half came an incident that set the tone for the rest of the game in my opinion. Vas was out to the right outside of the box when he went down a bit too theatrically for the ref and who (after a small delay) booked him for diving. Now Vas was a marked man. He was nibbled at and left completely unprotected by the ref who could now see no wrong in the defenders’ actions. Eventually this boiled over with Vas being accused of diving by an angry player who proceeded to barge Vas heavily in the back while he was being confronted by another player.
A small tangle ensued where Vas took a swipe / push across the defenders back. The ref chose only to see Vas’ retaliation and showed him a straight red. What was annoying was the assistant had clearly seen the first more violent incident and initially flagged as a foul in our favour by but the ref chose to ignore that too even after speaking with him.
Even more upsetting was Kieran found himself alone roughly in the same spot where Vas had been fouled and their central defender (the same one who had barged through Vas) came out to greet him. His greeting came in the form of a two footed tackle from behind. The ref, who had deemed a pat on the back a red card, issued only a yellow. While the ref must have been feeling pretty pleased with himself Leatherhead managed to bundle in what we felt was the winner when Big Phil beat the defender to the swung in free-kick to make it 4-2.
Credit to Canvey though. While it is true they had the extra man the pressure was there before and many sides would have taken the fourth goal as a sign it was not going to be their day. They continued to press on. Leatherhead meanwhile panicked and when we managed to intercept a pass all we could do was punt it hopefully up the pitch and wait for it to come back. On one such occasion the player who collected such a punt ran at the defense. Our defender was actually backing away quicker than the Canvey player could advance. So much so he backed into Bruce who pushed him back towards the advancing Canvey player but it was too late. He had too much space and made it 4-3. Leadership in defense needed.
The equalizer was all too easy. Just as Vas was allowed to pick his spot in the first half, so was Canvey’s Easterford and he levelled it all up with enough time for a winner but for once we held on.
What a time have such a crash in confidence on the pitch with the “classico” on Wednesday. Dulwich come to the Grove…
Ryman Premier stalwarts come to the Grove today and I am hoping for a better match than the last visit. They seemed content with only a point and it was not a pretty sight. Leatherhead did manage to get a winner as we were on a good run of form then.
Our form now is undecided. Two great wins, then a loss in the league and a further loss to a lower league side albeit in penalties. Kieran stated he expected a reaction after the Staines defeat, let’s hope it is today.
Kick off at 3pm. See you there.
Despite the significant changes made to the starting 11 this was a game that had it all. The managers had agreed before the game not to play extra time and go straight to penalties should it be a draw. While there were times in the first half I’d wished the managers had agreed just to toss a coin at the start of the game and be done with it the second half more than made up for it.
Leatherhead fielded a youthful side to face a slightly more robust looking Three Bridges, although to be fair they had made some changes themselves for this game. Leatherhead did not really find their feet in the first half although could have taken the lead when Jordan Gallagher went clear but his tame shot was easily saved. Kieran went close too with his trade mark lob but it went over.
Three Bridges meanwhile applied a constant amount of pressure and it produced a goal from a corner. Their tall MacVicar got his physics right and judge the trajectory of the ball perfectly to head it powerfully past the ‘keeper.
Second half and Leatherhead came out with a purpose and took the game to the hosts right from the get-go, mainly driven by the experience of Kieran and Josh. It was the former that got us back into the game. Breaking clear of the back four he turned sharply and beat both the defender and the out coming ‘keeper with an open goal. Their defender, Crellin then brought down Kieran and it seemed with him being the last man it was an obvious decision that he should go. The ref was quick to explain that the ball would have run onto the ‘keeper despite the fact he was well and truly done like a kipper. Only a yellow was shown. Justice was served as Kieran fired his shot powerfully into the top corner despite a sizeable wall.
Crellin wasn’t done though. Moments later he pulled down Semakula who was advancing on goal. The ref initially pulled out his yellow card and realized he’d have some real paper work to fill in so put it away again. From the resulting free-kick Crellin dived in off the ball and fouled again and this time the ref had decided he’d seen enough of the angry young man so sent him off to cool down.
Leatherhead pressed on for the winner as Three Bridges for a long period failed to adjust to having a man less. Waves of attacks came and went until the hosts rallied and forced Jake Nimmo into some heroic saves.
Despite a lengthy period of extra time and we entered an even more lengthy period of penalty taking. As I lost count during the shootout it is fair to say this summary is going to patchy at best. Steve Sargent missed the first, a move that Kieran copied. Three Bridges then launched their next effort into Crawley while we found the net. They scored. We missed and all of a sudden after 4 attempts each it was 2-2… and so it went on until we reached double figures.
The highlight was undoubtedly the keepers’ who made the initial saves then took penalties themselves. I think that is where I lost count. There was something mesmerising about the Three Bridges keeper’s effortless curling shot into the top corner when you were expecting a power drive down the middle. These were also some of the best penalties you’ll see with the top corners and side netting powerfully found on a regular basis.
Eventually, much to the relief of the grounds man who had a bus to catch, it came to an end with Leatherhead’s 13 penalty saved. Glad I made it back from Brazil for this one and good luck to Three Bridges in the next round.
Back to the league Saturday…
League Cup action tonight and we travel to our old Division One South friends Three Bridges. Richard Brady was not too happy with the performance on Saturday so here is a chance to right some of those wrongs.
Kick off at 7:45. Directions can be found here. For the first time this season…. See you there!
“The Invincibles” took an early blow to their league campaign. While Leatherhead had their chances in the opening exchanges it was Staines who took the lead. Leatherhead failed to deal with a corner and paid the price.
For the remainder we simmered but did not really get a grip on the game with Staines going on to gain their first win of the season.
Hopefully a good response is on the cards to regain the top spot…
Tomorrow Leatherhead play old friends Staines Town in the league. It has been a while as I think the last time we faced each other it was funny to say you were part of the Staines Massif. Well funny-ish.
Our hosts, relegated from the Conference South last season, will be one of the pre-season favourite to be there or there abouts but haven’t had it all their own way. They drew their opener against Met Police and then lost to Bognor Regis.
Meanwhile Leatherhead hope to continue their perfect start and begin to stretch their lead at the top of the table…
Kick off at 3pm. Directions can be found here. Good luck fellas.
A stunning first half humbled our local rivals in their own, rented, backyard. The half got even worse with one of their defenders getting a red card making the game even more manageable.
Two first half goals from Vas and then Big Phil’s first goal for the club made the game safe.
Leatherhead then spent much of the second half toying with the hosts as the game ran to its inevitable conclusion… another three points and the perfect start for the Tanners.
Leatherhead travel to Staines Town on Saturday…
Leatherhead end the day in second place, cruelly denied top spot by virtue of the alphabet, while Lewes’ pre-season optimism seems a little misplaced.
Despite not all of the results going our way, preseason appears to have been beneficial in terms of understanding. Phil Walsh, this seasons Karl Rook, was quick to nod the ball into the path of Hughes-Mason who ran on and opened the scoring.
Only 8 minutes later Leatherhead win a free kick and when you retain the services of Vas you stand a chance and so we doubled our lead.
Leatherhead introduced Nwokeji for Marsh on 87 minutes and it took only 3 minutes for him to ensure he is not forgotten in the front line. On 90 minutes he popped up to make it 3-0.
Not much time to rest though. Monday night football is on the cards with a trip to Kingstonian and all the fun that comes with their hatched lines and jobs worth stewards.
Leatherhead are back in action tomorrow with the visit of Lewes. Much has been said about settled sides that will find it tough in their second season so it will be good to actually get the season underway.
Our visitors will certainly be looking to improve on their last season and tweets indicate some reasons to be positive.
Kick off at 3pm. Good luck fellas!
Our penultimate friendly comes to town on Wednesday night (7.45pm kick-off)… and it should be friendly too as pound for pound they were the quietest home support I have visited given their numbers. They may have their minds on another friendly, they host a Wolves side at the weekend.
Hopefully the game will go slightly better than the visit of Dartford did. Old favourite Ibrahim keeping a clean sheet while Dembele notched up a goal against his old club.
It’s a fiver for adults to get in Wednesday, £2.50 if you’re U16 and free if you’re a season ticket holder or under 8. Hope you enjoy the game.
Apologies for the lack of updates… three weeks of travelling has taken its toll… no one has been banging on more door mind so I am probably updating for my own enjoyment but here we go.
Pre-season continues but with a loss away at Erith & Belvedere last night. Stacy Long’s opener wiped out with two late goals. Leatherhead now look to practice at home with the visit of Dartford Saturday. Kick-off at 3pm.
Fixtures are out… Dulwich twice before 8 September? Strange.
Leatherhead kick off the season tomorrow with the now traditional fixture of Corinthian FC away. An early chance of who has stayed, who as left and who has turned up looking for a game.
Unfortunately the chance of getting what would be a new ground for me slips by again. Maybe next year…
Directions can be found here. Kick off at 3pm. Good luck fellas.
No FA Cup draw, I forgot we come in after the preliminary rounds. The FA Trophy is out though and we are home to Ks. I hope the work parties give the hatched areas a lick of paint for the occasion. Game to be played 31 October. We’ll need more stewards as we expect more than 287 (or another made up number) people.
In the FA Youth Cup we have drawn Lewes away.
Keep your eye out for the FA Cup and Trophy draw today… then next week we can hope for the league fixtures.
My prediction for the FA Cup draw is a disappoint Met Police away… prove me wrong FA… prove me wrong…
Harrow arrived at The Grove knowing that if disaster struck they would be relegated so travelled in good numbers. Even before the game started they were given the boost of some key absences in the Leatherhead ranks. Man flu, a prize holiday and an assistant manager position left us three players short and in need of some reorganising.
With the visitors well prepared for the task at hand it was no surprise that they fought just that little bit harder and dominated most of the game. The dominance rewarded by a player who takes his chances when presented. MCS scoring the winning goal against us both home and away this season when he latched onto a loose ball in the box in the first half.
The second half was a little quiet. Our best chance came via a penalty awarded when Vas’ run was blocked in the box. A soft penalty that was struck with equal measure by Vas and was saved with ease.
With little at stake Leatherhead allowed some youth team players to get a run. We did rally but no breakthrough came. At the final whistle the visitors over celebrated somewhat given the collapse by Peacehaven made the result redundant.
Leatherhead can take a lot of pride of the season overall. Especially given the revolving door we were faced with at the start of the season. With a bit more stability we can hope for an exciting campaign next season…
Harrow Borough come to the Grove in a bit of a spot. Of the five teams in relegation trouble our guests look the safest but should all the other results go against them and we win they will be down. Leatherhead can feel pretty good about themselves after an altogether successful season given it was our first year back in the top flight of the Ryman. I hope we don’t take our foot off the pedal as we could finish as high as eighth above Billericay. A-ring-a-ding-ding!
Meanwhile at the top Enfield Town go into the game not knowing how it will turn out for them after being hit with an FA charge of playing an illegible player through no real fault of their own. Dulwich could still miss out but only in the place of Met Police…
Kick off at 3pm. See you there!
A fine win but ever there was an end of season feel to a game it was this one. Off the pitch, a large crowd watched in near silence as Leatherhead went about keeping third place Margate quiet on the pitch.
The winner came early in the game. A Margate centre back tried to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick but with Vas in chase you need to be careful. The defender tried to be clever but Vas got the better of him, stole the ball and advanced on goal. The centre back again tried to be clever and nudge Vas off the ball but in doing so stuck out a leg… the invitation to be tripped by it was gratefully received and the penalty given. Vas struck his penalty a little too close to the ‘keeper for my liking but as he was diving the wrong way it did not matter. 1-0.
Margate were then lucky to have 11 men on the pitch when Hughes-Mason broke down the middle of the pitch. A cute cut inside would have seen him clear on goal but the centre back cynically pulled him down. Only a yellow awarded.
Second half was largely tame but assured. Not that the game was devoid of entertainment. There were some good chances, some “oooohs”, some “ahhhhs” and a rousing cheer for Richard Brady and the team for the win that, on balance, they deserved.
Lewes away Saturday…
Margate away was supposed to be a wonderful affair. A big crowd and a new ground in the bag all I needed was a good game. It failed to deliver with the home side keeping us at bay with ease and in the second half the crowd was so quiet a bird in the tree behind us was making more noise.
Now they come to the Grove a certainty for the play-offs and pretty much nailed on to finish third.
Kick off at 3pm. See you there.
A complete ruddy shambles of an away game for Leatherhead as we were outplayed by a side scrapping for Ryman Premier survival.
The damage was done in the second half. A spilled save was tapped in shortly after the restart and in the death a complete mix up resulting from a back pass allowed for a second.
So VCD complete the double over us to complete a successful Easter weekend taking the shine off of our fine 1-0 win over Leiston a little… Margate arrive Saturday to further test us…
A large travelling contingent turned up at Fetcham Grove in an expectant mood but went home with only a point after a robust performance from Leatherhead.
Leatherhead gave a debut appearance to Phil Page. A powerful looking striker that certainly put himself about a bit and was booked for repeatedly doing so by a ref who spent more time doing up his shoe laces than officiating the game.
Our opener came from Vas. A long ball down the middle should have been dealt with but the defender hesitated to raise a boot and allowed Vas to head it on and run clear on goal. A composed finish beat the ‘keeper who is not relishing the thought of long distance travel next season.
Maidstone’s equaliser came about from a spell of poor refereeing. No question about the powerful headed finish from the corner, but that corner came from a spell where the ref failed to remember Dembele had been waved off the field of play after receiving treatment after being fouled. Despite screams from the physio the ref allowed play to go on with Dembele on the side lines and allow Maidstone to build an attack down their left. While our right-back was allowed on it was not in time to prevent the cross from which we conceded the corner.
The halftime discussion was mainly over why Leatherhead did not build an extra tea bar for the visiting supporters. Surely we should have known so many would come, the attendance at Harrow was a massive 372 after all…
Second half and the ref managed to get a grip of his laces but not the game. He certainly failed to control the Maidstone players as they tried to haul Vas off the floor, and sneak in a crafty kick, as he was booked for diving. A tad harsh. While there was no trip, Vas was undoubtedly pulled back in the box to deny him a shooting opportunity.
The remainder of the half was a lively yet even affair. Maidstone are undoubtedly worthy champions elect but Leatherhead should take heart from a well-earned point. No need to shrug this one off…
While some teams have struggled with form our visitors, Maidstone United, have just steadily got on with things and now sit at the top of the table in a rather healthy position to go on and win the league. Home they are getting 2,000 yet away the crowds are not as spectacular as one would hope. Certainly a bus load of Belgians could make a larger impression.
Time for us to get over our defeat and get used to playing football on a Saturday…
Kick off at 3pm. See you there.
Leatherhead found life hard on the road over the weekend and were soundly beaten in front of a boisterous crowd that may have played its part in getting their second.
From the kick off it was clear that the Belgian visitors were (and perhaps had been since the small hours) out to enjoy themselves. A party atmosphere was created at the far end long into the first half when in truth there was little to celebrate. The ref got involved a little too early for everyone’s liking. Booking one of our players for being slightly late on a tackle on just 3 minutes. Moments later a high boot caught Rook in the face so the yellow came out again. Dembele had our only shot on goal, curling just over while Enfield perhaps had one or two shots themselves.
Second half could not have started worse for Leatherhead. Straight from the kick-off they rampaged down the middle and slotted the ball past the diving Wells with ease. Dank u wel! It was not long before one of their players was bundled over seemingly outside the box. The ref, encouraged by a large noisy contingent behind the goal, gave it straight away. A pity as Vas was bundled over in similar fashion and a goal kick was awarded. That penalty was placed to Wells’ right and gave him no chance.
With 10 minutes to go we failed to deal with a spell of pressure and Enfield made it 3. The disco planned for the evening was now starting early.
It had been a frustrating day, Enfield Town possess some big (yet delicate as they are quick to hit the ground) players who marshalled our players robustly. A foul on Hughes-Mason caused him to react badly and the ref gave him a yellow card. That haunted him as in the dying minutes he saw another and so he ended his day with a red card.
While Semakula scored (while I was on the A10) it was not a great day and perhaps that new suit will need taking in a bit…
Leatherhead get back on the road tomorrow for the trip to Enfield Town.
A fatwa has been placed on talking about play-offs so we should now focus on maintaining momentum so we can continue in playing the same style of winning football.
The omens are good too. Enfield seem to be on a win one lose one run of form. They beat Margate in the last game…
Directions can be found here. Kick off at 3pm. See you there!
There are just two games on tonight… get the puncture repair kit out…
AFC Hornchurch vs Canvey Island
Metropolitan Police vs VCD Athletic
I don’t know what is more impressive. The run of form we are on or that a side like Canvey Island can come to The Grove with the sole purpose of slowing the game to a crawl in order to play out a point. It did not work. Leatherhead’s second half charge proved too much.
First half, while Leatherhead had the pace and looked dangerous at times, the visiting ‘keeper had little to do by the way of saves. However he set the pace for the game by walking through the motions of every goal kick to suck the life out of the game. Had Canvey shown more ambition they may have created more chances in the first half. They struck the post and could have had a good shout for a striker being brought down by the last man (although I thought it was a clear dive).
Second half and Leatherhead looked more purposeful. Rook came on, which at the time looked like a mistake. It was our fast pace that was causing them problems but as ever Rook is at hand to tap in the vital goal. The ‘keeper could only palm a vicious Hughes-Mason shot into Rook’s path and he gladly accepted the gift.
Unsurprisingly Canvey tried to up the pace but it was too late. 1-0 and the balloon remains intact…
Up, up and away in my beautiful… hang on…
Leatherhead’s impressive run of form will be tested by another Ryman Premier stalwart team, Canvey Island are coming to the Grove. Canvey had a miserable December and January but managed to bounce back a little with three wins in a row. After four winless matches they will no doubt look to string a few results together.
Kick off at 3pm. See you there!
If twitter is anything to go by some of the players, while enjoying this run, are starting to feel it physically so a midweek trip is probably not what the physio ordered.
Not that I can go, as I find myself in Basel, but I cannot for the life of me remember if I have been to this ground or not. I don’t think so. A new ground goes begging as we travel to a side who like us smashed four past Bury Town. They let one in so we can take the moral high ground there.
Kick off at 7:45. Directions can be found here. Good luck fellas.
Leatherhead are starting to look more than just comfortable in this division with a 2-1 win against a side that would have had serious ambitions on reaching the play-offs on arrival to the Grove.
It was certainly Leatherhead who looked took the game to the visitors for much of the first half. Creativity out on the wings while Josh maintained supremacy in the centre of midfield.
It is these kind of games that Leatherhead have been caught with a sucker punch but today our pressure finally told with pretty much the last kick of the first half. A clever pass into the box found Nwokeji inside the six yard box completely unmarked and had enough time to dig the ball out of the muddiest part of the pitch and strike the ball past the stranded ‘keeper.
If East Thurrock’s defence had made a mess of the offside trap for the first goal they certainly felt they had done their job properly when Hughes-Mason received the ball about 30 yards out and through on goal. The flag stayed down and Hughes-Mason coolly finished much to disgust of the central pairing, one of which was booked for his protests.
2-0 and Leatherhead looked comfortable until the ref, who by now was keen to even things up after the off-side blunder, gave a rather soft free-kick on the edge of our box with 5 minutes to go. A poorly placed wall gave Wells no chance and it was 2-1. Suddenly we lost our composure and it was East Thurrock who looked the most likely to score.
Leatherhead saw it out and now find themselves just 7 points off the play-offs…
All in all a miserable evening for the visitors. While the started looking the hungrier of the two sides the lack of quality that has lead them to the bottom of the table started to show.
The opening goal was a telling example. From a corner Jerry was closely marked, but he managed to use his strength and guile to get enough space to guide his header into the back of the net.
In the dying minutes of the first half the game was all but over when we were awarded a penalty and Vas achieved what Messi could not and scored from the spot in off the post.
Second half and there was little doubt that Leatherhead would cruise to victory. Bury did rally for a brief spell but in truth Vas was looking too hot to handle as he danced through their defence on a number of occasions.
In the last 10 minutes Hughes-Mason added further misery with two goals. The second being a cheeky flick from the outside of the boot into the top corner.
With this win Leatherhead can now surely consider themselves safe… but in some quarters people are talking of play-offs…
Spare a thought for Bury Town. It is one thing to have a Saturday game cancelled and have to make the trip mid-week but another to have actually have made the trip only for a jobs worth to call it off.
This can only add to what has been, so far, a long hard season for Bury Town. They sit bottom of the table and unless they pick up some points soon they will look certain to for the drop. Yet again I recall the VCD game which means we will need to take this seriously.
Kick off at 7:45. See you there!
Lovers of football and gardening are in for a real treat this weekend, Wingate & Finchley are placed just by the Glebelands Allotments. Our recent form has perhaps given us belief we have bedded in the league for the season but tomorrow will be a tough test. Our hosts are 9 points better off yet somehow have scored two less goals having conceded the same amount.
Directions can be found here. Kick off at 3pm. Good luck fellas.
No calamities in the visitors goal this time but a welcome three points all the same. The fact this game went ahead is testament to Dave Blaz’s (and volunteers’) hard work and common sense applied by the ref.
Leatherhead started well with our forwards proving they was too hot to handle down our left. Leatherhead fans cheered eagerly as we won a string of well-placed yet fruitless corners but it was from a free-kick we got our opener. Whipped in from the edge of the box it was flicked on by a defender onto the head of Rook who was well within his favourite territory.
As with the away game our lead did not last long. The Hampton forward ran through our defence much like a kitten with a ball of string. It was ungainly as the failed tackles came in but did the trick and he found room to shoot and score.
Unlike the away we did not find ourselves 3-1 up at half time so we had to contemplate how the game would swing over a cup of tea.
Second half and I don’t think our visitors had much more than a sniff at goal. Our second was spectacular as it is run of the mill for Vas. One of those looping shots from deep that leave a keeper a mere spectator.
The third goal was well worked. The robust Josh was fed a ball in the box who, while sliding, slid it into the path of Vas who poked it under the ‘keeper.
3-1 and perhaps we can look forward to a rather boring end to the season…
Leatherhead are at home tomorrow as we host Hampton & Richmond. Those who went to the away game will remember it was ruddy hilarious as their ‘keeper had nothing short of a nightmare. As ever we must be on our guard… those who laugh last…
Kick off at 3pm. See you there!
Leatherhead snatch all three points in away at Witham where calamity seemed to rule the day. We seemed to press well but failed at times to deal with a physical presence of their striker for most of the first half.
The pitch, while quite playable, was heavy and perfect for Witham’s style of play and they used their home advantage to full affect. Piling on the pressure and creating chances. Quite against the run of play we got our opener though. Vas, who had a mixed game after being accused of diving on more than one occasion by the home team, was allowed space to shoot with his deadly left foot. Rook was at hand to distract the ‘keeper but did enough not to interfere in his offside position to allow the ball to roll in off the far post.
Witham responded quickly scoring from a free-kick brought about from their first half pressure.
Second half and Leatherhead began to cope with life in Witham a lot better. Mainly down to the withdrawal of their rather large unit upfront. The goal came from an incident where Vas was “brought down” on the edge of the box. The defender claimed he was the one kicked and Vas had bought the free kick. He may have had a point. Typical that such a free-kick would result in a goal. Green’s strike took a nick off of a defender and the ‘keeper dropped the catch. A second career as a wicketkeeper not on the cards there.
With the second goal the few that travelled could hope for an easy last 30 minutes. It was not to be when Hughes-Mason found himself defending in the penalty area and the wrong side of the player with the ball at that. He stuck out a clumsy leg and down went the player to earn a penalty that was coolly put away to make it 2-2.
A point would not have been the end of the world but Hughes-Mason went on to make amends by making room in the box to shoot and buried the ball past the ‘keeper. The celebration that followed was somewhat over the top but perhaps relief that we have now matched our point tally of our last outing in this league…
Hopefully the ref won’t have an evening engagement tomorrow and make more effort to get the game on after the frustration of last weekend. Not only because it is us making the trip this time but we’d never finish the season with that kind of attitude.
As trips go this is a big one. Witham sit in the relegation zone so a win would go a long way to keep us in the division. Lest we forget VCD though…
Directions can be found here. Kick off (subject to namby-pamby inspections) at 3pm. See you there.
Bury Town come to the Grove tomorrow in, for me, a strange position. I always considered Bury to be stalwarts of this league but they find themselves at the bottom of the table. Plenty of games left in the season to get themselves out of it and Leatherhead will need to be wary of the VCD game where we lost to a club in a similar position at home.
Leatherhead fans will arrive at the Grove scratching their heads over midweek news of what looked to be quite the signing. That was soon quashed with the offending tweet promptly deleted from the local news agency…
Kick off at 3pm. See you there!
The watch word behind the goal was “under-play” on Saturday. Leatherhead under-played their way to victory by seemingly just doing enough frustrate the hosts.
The first chance of the game fell to Rook. It looked like it wasn’t going to be his day at all when he was pulled up for the patented “Rook-grapple” deep in midfield. Then a tempting cross was sent to the far post for Rook to head but he decided it was perhaps too high and ducked under it completely. The defender, understandably, was not prepared for this and it bounced off of his shin straight back to Rook who was now faced only with a stranded ‘keeper. Rook’s approach to the shot was as deliberate as a golfer approaching a tee shot off the 18th at the US Open. Ensuring his body was correctly positioned and attempted the odd practice swing. With the space now closed down he turned passed out of the box as if he was a cultured defender playing it out from the back to send the right back on his way down the wing.
Rook made amends shortly after. Hughes-Mason broke free down our right and slide a ball just beyond the keeper straight to Rook just a yard out in the middle of an open goal. He doesn’t miss those chances and so we were 1-0 up.
Second half and the game picked up. Our hosts probably had the better of it but Leatherhead were just too organised at the back and there was always someone to make the last telling tackle.
Our second goal came from a breakaway after we had soaked up a spell of Tonbridge possession. Hugh-Mason took charge of the ball down our right, who played in Nwokeji down the middle who in turn fed Vas the perfect ball on the left. Vas, now through on goal, was presented with a chance he thrives on and the second goal flew in off the far post.
More Tonbridge pressure resumed until a less dramatic breakaway move saw Vas in a similar position albeit with more defenders around him. His powerful shot was parried into the path of Nwokeji who finished to make it 3-0 and signal much of the 396 who attended to start leaving.
As the final whistle blew the hopeful message of “The Only Way Is Up” from Yazz played to the local support who chose to see out the last 10 minutes. Leatherhead would no doubt quietly admit to not being quite so ambitious. Sticking at 14th will do us fine….
Richard Brady has denied he is twitching his bottom going into this game but it is a big one. Tonbridge Angels sit just two points behind us with a game in hand. Sure, we’re 9 points above the relegation zone but that gap can soon be closed.
Tonbridge, strangely, is a new ground for me so I am looking forward to this one.
Kick off at 3pm. Directions can be found here. See you there!
Boy, those Billericay supporters are a tough bunch to please!
Despite a historic victory over non-league footballing royalty they still sang "We're just a pub team from Essex" after the final whistle. Come on guys, don't put yourselves down. Craig will sing you his little nursery rhyme after the game to cheer you up.
Leatherhead will feel hard done by not to get anything out of this game. For the first 30 minutes we were the more likely to score with Stacy going close a couple of times and Vas always a threat. Unfortunately, we conceded a goal shortly before half time followed by a superb goal from distance just after. From then on Billericay defended resolutely and we huffed and puffed but we couldn't blow the house down.
Despite the cold and the infantile goading of our strikers by their defenders, it wasn't all bad. We weren't queuing to cross the channel, and we had the reassurance of knowing that we would soon be returning to our comfortable homes in the Surrey Stockbroker Belt.
(Report by DominicWJM)
A-ring-a-ding-ding! We’re off to Billericay tomorrow for league action after, quite frankly, stuffing up our last chance of winning a cup in the week. Suspensions will no doubt mean we will be without much of our regular defence to make matters worse.
Billericay will be looking for a double. Last orders!
Kick off at 3pm. Directions can be found here. Good luck fellas.
A woeful 2nd half performance saw Leatherhead crash out of the Surrey Senior Cup to a team not only 2 leagues below them but also not even in Surrey! A local Doctor described the performance as "downright embarrassing and borderline unacceptable" and few would disagree.
Richard Brady had put out a strong side with just a couple of new names in midfield. During the first half we cruised to a 2-0 lead and the biggest concern was the cost of printer cartridges and whether Ashford's shirts were turquoise or cyan.
However, this Leatherhead side are never more vulnerable than when 2-0 up and so it proved again. The midfield and defence simply fell apart and conceded 3 quick goals. No one was more surprised than a substituted Ashford player who emerged back into the tunnel after a quick shower to be greeted by the good news shouted across the pitch by the 'keeper.
With no teams left in the last 8 of this competition from a higher level this was a golden opportunity for some end of season glory. The Ryman League Cup Final was a fantastic evening and after all football is about winning trophies. Supporters were left wondering If the players and management cared about winning the Surrey Senior Cup as much as we do.
(Report by DominicWJM)
Surrey Senior Cup action tonight with the visit of Ashford Town (Middlesex) tonight. This represents our last cup competition and one that suddenly becomes more enticing. With Merstham beating Sutton we and Met Police remain the largest clubs in the competition.
We are not without our problems though. The recent red cards could no kick in and we could be without a number of key players…
Kick-off at 7.45. Good luck fellas.
A hard fought point against a robust Met Police who clearly have ambitions of promotion this season.
Before the game you’d be forgiven for forgetting there was a game on. A sit down lunch for the players of 1975 with the FA Cup in the corner of the room looking on as if to say “look at what you could’ve won”.
Back to the game and Leatherhead equipped themselves well in the first half. The only moan was the home side felt the referee was very much out to protect the visitors and blew up for players seemingly doing nothing but holding their ground.
Second half and it could be argued the Met Police had the better of it, but hardly enough to call it “run of play” as has been tweeted. The goal did come from a blunder though. The ‘keeper tried to clear a back pass but scuffed his effort straight to Stacey. He opted not to try and shoot from distance into an open goal but to pass to Vas who was through on goal but now with the formidable presence of the ‘keeper back in place. His perfectly placed shot gave the ‘keeper no chance and so we took the lead.
The game seemed to amble along until the visitors were given a rather soft free kick a few yards outside the box. The wall could have done better as the ball was knocked a couple of yards to the right to change the angle then shot powerfully into the bottom corner.
We did seem to survive a penalty shout for handball and the ball hitting the post before a coming together of Smart and a Met player saw a red card for the latter. The extra man meant we dominated possession in the final 10 minutes but it was not converted into a winning goal.
Still. A good point and now Ashford (Middlesex) arrive Wednesday for the distraction of the Surrey Senior Cup.
Here is a game which left many a Leatherhead fan shaking their heads as they left. We had won and had been seemingly entertained but no one was quite sure why. With seven goals the moments of happiness created the impression of a rip roaring game but we are not so sure…
The first 30 minutes were frankly dire and Bognor Regis looked the most likely with a greater share of the possession. Then Leatherhead stuck twice in the last 15 minutes to make the game seemingly safe… little did we know.
The first goal came from a high ball to Rook who tried to deftly flick it on past the ‘keeper. He just missed but his presence attracted enough attention that no one noticed Hughes-Mason who collected the loose ball and slotted it past the desperate ‘keeper’s near post.
Just before half time Hughes-Mason pounced again using a clever flick from a Stacy cross to deceive the ‘keeper and send the ball through his legs at close range. The ‘keeper was not having a good night.
Second half and Bognor Regis started playing the more purposeful football and scored two quite nice goals. A cross from the right was first glanced in off the far post from their danger man Prior before Thomson let fly from a cross again from the right into the top corner. 2-2.
Leatherhead did not seem to be playing with much urgency with only Vas and Stacy making any real purposeful runs it seemed. It was Stacy who put us back in the lead. Playing just off the shoulder of the defenders, asked for a through ball which we ran onto and beat the ‘keeper… near post again. 3-2.
Bognor Regis were not finished though. Parson received the ball deep on the right and ran at our midfield, then our defence and then found space to shoot and score the goal of the night. A bit more steal needed in defence I think!
We would perhaps have taken a draw before the game but we certainly would after the moment of madness shown by the normally level headed Avery. He received a knock from behind as he passed out to the wing and set us away for a breakaway move down our right wing. I don’t know what happened by he kicked out at the Bognor Regis player and the ref had no option but to issue a straight red.
Oh dear, it looked like we had thrown all the points away until Vas (who had been outstanding all night with a disallowed goal for offside) broke into the box and was brought down. Bognor’s centre-back argued he got the ball and he had a good case but the decision was made and Vas got up to take his own penalty. Now where to hit a penalty against a ‘keeper having a night like he was having? Straight at him and so it bounced under him to score the winner.
While we didn’t move up a place the gap from the relegation zone looks a little wider and we go into the Met Police game with renewed confidence of our scoring ability…
Tenth place Bognor Regis take centre stage tonight in this league encounter. They may have joint fifth place hitman Oliver Pearce but we have a player that is just one goal behind in Hughes-Mason.
Let’s not forget that Connor Heffernan may step into the limelight following his midweek move to Leatherhead.
Curtains raise at 7:45. See you there!
Leatherhead hit the road again and will need to win this one. A tidy run of results have come to an end in an Everton style and three points would make the table more comfortable viewing again. Our hosts, while below us in the table, have enjoyed success this festive season. They beat Grays 2-0 at home.
I am looking forward to this one as it will provide a new ground for me. Those who travelled to Dulwich would have met my enthusiastic nephews from Sao Paulo and they too are looking forward to the trip.
Directions can be found here. Kick off at 3pm. See you there.
I didn’t really fancy this one and so it turned out to be a complete ruddy disaster. Dulwich spent most of this game on top and while we had our chances, restricted to the first half, 4-1 pretty much sums it up.
Dulwich are a professional outfit. They know how to shield the ball, nudging us off the ball just enough to win the ball and favour from the referee. They also hold onto it well and pretty much squeezed us into our own net by the time their deflected shot beat Wells.
Our heads did not drop with Stacy and Vas leading the way, both going close before we won a free kick out wide. The cross was flapped at by the ‘keeper and then headed in at close range from Jerry. 1-1 it ends at half time.
If we had about 40% of the game in the first half in the second it probably dropped to about 20% and this then was reflected in the score line. Pressure resulted in goals. A glancing header to make it 2-1. A shot from the left and a shot from the right make it 3 and 4.
So, Hornchurch away Saturday to round of these very unfestive fixtures…