The first job for Richard Brady is for him to dust off that suit he won and wear it to the friendly visit of AFC Hornchurch.
A competitive performance in the week will give Sandmann something to build on as we get closer to the start of the season.
Kick off at 3pm. Check out the official site for prices…
Leatherhead played out an entertaining friendly that they were unlucky not to win.
Maidstone did take control over the first ten minutes and forced our new ‘keeper into a good save but soon it was Leatherhead who looked the more confident side. Leatherhead pressed well which forced a strong Maidstone side into mistakes. A Tomi free kick looked destined for the top corner but for a heroic diving save from the visiting ‘keeper. A less heroic dive was later seen by a Leatherhead support who tried to save his beer from a wide shot only to land on the floor.
Academy product, Callum Davis, opened the scoring to continue his impressive preseason run. A powerful shot from outside the box could only be parried up in the air for the striker to head the ball into an open net.
Second half and Vas started to look a bit more interested in the game. It was his shot from outside the box that levelled the match, although there was more than a touch of the Joe Harts about the attempted save.
Leatherhead responded well and should have maybe gone on to score two more. A new striker broke free and beat the ‘keeper only for the flag to go up for offside. Hughes Mason then hit the inside of the post with the rebound rolling along the line rather than into the back of the net.
1-1 is not to be sniffed at and now to prepare for the next big showdown. The AGM on Thursday night…
Tonight sees Maidstone arrive at the Grove for a pre-season friendly. There is also a mystery announcement…
Kick off at 7.45. See you there...
Leatherhead take in their next friendly away at Margate. Not the obvious choice, the smaller club often hosting the friendly but I am sure it is good preparation.
Kick off at 3pm. Directions can be found here. See you there.
Leatherhead’s pre-season got underway on Friday night with a 2-2 draw away at Corinthians. This is a fixture we play every year, yet it somehow eludes me and still remains a ground for me to tick off.
Tuesday night Leatherhead play away at East Grinstead. Directions can be found here.
OK; the prospect of hosting Faversham isn’t away to South Park exciting, but it is exciting all the same.
Tonight Dorking Wanderers host our old friends from Kent in the Ryman South play-off semifinal. Early tweets suggested it would be advance ticket only but I am sure if you get there early enough you may be in luck. I have my ticket: so there.
Kick off at 7.45. See you there!
So, here we go into the last game of the season. Leatherhead, 10th and can climb no higher, play 17th place Harrow (who can climb one place) in this exciting fixture.
Operation Merstham is still very much in own hands though as we are two points ahead, but with an inferior goal difference so a point won’t do.
Kick off at 3pm. Directions can be found here. Good luck fellas.
Leatherhead lose their last home game thanks to a swift move from the visitors and poor penetration from the hosts.
The game pretty much had the same pattern all the way through. Leatherhead built attacks through the endeavor of Mahal but all too often there was no support in the box to pose any threat. Farnborough probed but on the whole we looked comfortable. Wells was forced into a couple of fingertip saves and their goal was a powerful finish from a purposeful run to the byline.
The only thing that changed was Farnborough were keen to time waste at every opportunity once they took the lead. Who can blame them when a double relegation looms over them.
The introduction of Walsh did boost our presence in the box but the telling touch still eluded us. 1-0 it ended and good luck to Farnborough with their great escape.
Leatherhead have the grim task of potentially delivering the final blow to Farnborough’s hopes of “survival”. They are relegated no matter what it seems but relegation from this league will mean the punishment will send them into the Combined Counties. That stand behind the goal looked rather empty when we visited, I dread to think what it will look like when Epsom & Ewell visit!
Leatherhead meanwhile continue to aim for tenth place. It looked unlikely but a midweek comeback has put us in with a chance. Hopefully The Lip’s Player of the Season, Ryan Mahal, can show some of the good form that won him the votes to secure three points today.
Kick off at 3pm. See you there.
Leatherhead travel to Harrow based Hendon for tonight’s league encounter. After giving themselves Saturday off, Leatherhead should be well rested for the game.
Hendon are in a group of three teams on 48 points who will be looking nervously over their shoulder at Farnborough. So they should do to, they haven’t won since February.
Kick off at 7:45. Directions can be found here. Good luck fellas.
We really should have phoned in sick.
This was a dreadful effort from Leatherhead. Bognor had lost 3 of their last 4 games and this was their 15th game since March 1st. But we turned up like we were away to Barcelona with only damage limitation on our mind. Bognor were all over us from the start. We barely entered the Bognor half and had not a single shot in the first 30 minutes.
On 28 minutes Adam Green was shown a straight red by the referee who couldn't wait to appease the baying Bognor crowd behind the goal. The offence was outside the box but Adam was adjudged to have fouled the last man and he was off. Mr Sandmann patted Adam on the back as he left the field which was rather strange as even before the foul we were getting murdered. 2 goals followed before half time and 3 after but Bognor could have had as many as they liked.
Worse things happen at sea.
Despite being fourth they can still mount a challenge for the title with two games in hand, although they would need Hampton to slip up at least once.
For that challenge to happen they need to win all their games so Leatherhead can expect a tough afternoon. Beating Billericay was a much needed boost and a reminder of what the team are capable of. Operation Merstham is back on…
Kick off at 3pm. Directions can be found here. Good luck Tanners.
It was Leatherhead who were finally able to break out into brainless pub songs after we destroyed a hapless Billericay 4-1.
The Essex side's season has ended in disappoint after having flirted with the play offs and they were a shadow of their normally combative selves tonight. From the start we were all over them and we blasted 4 good chances wide in the first 15 minutes. A well taken free kick from Frannie gave us the lead and Jerry made it 2 when he forced in a cross at the far post.
We started the 2nd half as we normally do - really badly. Ricay got a goal back after a period of pressure but failed to capitalise on it and then started to wilt. Toni fired a goal through the bearded keeper's legs to be followed by Mahal who lobbed the keeper from distance.
It was the demure Craig Edwards who was made to look an "idiot" and "big time" today...
Billericay arrive to the Grove in a fixture that needlessly has become somewhat heated. Ever since Richard Brady pointed out, with some justification, the team’s winning anthem was a bit crap they took this to heart and have gone on to beat us in every game.
Will tonight be any different? On the evidence from Saturday, unlikely.
Kick off at 7:45. Good luck fellas.
Met Police and Leatherhead have nothing left to play for this season other than pride, which meant the home side were in trouble from the start.
In fact, Met Police added to the end of season feeling by letting one of their players' dads go in goal for the day. The 46 year old Scott Tarr was very largely relieved that his creaking knees only got dirty twice as the rest of our shots were fired at a more comfortable height or wide.
We went behind after 3 minutes due to a sleepy defence and soon after we lost Watt to an injury which meant that Walsh had to put on his other hat. We forced a deserved equaliser late in the 1st half when a good cross was well taken header by Bodkin.
The 2nd half, and we were looking the more likely to score until the player of the season papers were handed out around the ground. Louis Wells was being written down by a couple of people around me which immediately led to a very rare howler as a weak shot bounced off his body into the goal. After that we dissolved into a bit of a shambles and conceded a late goal to make it 1-3.
Only 5 more end of season games to go...