Tanners 1 -0 Brentford

Another fine pre-season win chalked up thanks to a piece of magic in the first half.

Brentford brought a youthful side and the experience of Leatherhead's players dictated much of the first half, with our hosts being bullied off of the ball.

Tarpey had the first attempt of goal, being played through but hitting straight at the 'keeper.  Then Tyler Cox found the ball out wide on the left, before he shimmied past two players, then beating another, before firing into the top corner.

Second half and our hosts were not quite so easy to pressure but we were rarely threatened.  Tarpey continued to look lively but failed to score.

We then won a penalty which was well saved after some mind games from their 'keeper.

Overall, an entertaining game played in front of a respectable crowd.  Dartford tomorrow then...

League structure announced

Here are the teams that we will face next year.  No new grounds for me...

1. Ascot United
2. Ashford Town
3. Badshot Lea
4. Binfield
5. Chertsey Town
6. Chipstead
7. Corinthian-Casuals
8. Guernsey
9. Hanworth Villa
10. Hartley Wintney
11. Leatherhead
12. Metropolitan Police
13. Northwood
14. Raynes Park Vale
15. South Park 
16. Southall
17. Sutton Common Rovers
18. Thatcham Town
19. Uxbridge
20. Westfield

Tanners 2 - 2 Binfield

Leatherhead see out the season with an entertaining game in front of a large crowd with both teams putting the disappointment of missing out of the play-offs behind them.

Leatherhead opened the scoring quickly, with The Lip's Dave Tarpey looking lively and squaring a ball to Omar Lawson for him to guide his low shot in off of the post.

It looked like Leatherhead would run away with the game at this point but failed to build on the pressure in the first half.  Our hard work was undone early in the second half, a goal I missed in the tea queue.

As the half wore on, Leatherhead played some attractive football and took the lead on the break.  Dave Tarpey, with a spring in his step that can only come from being crowned The Lip's Player of the Season, made an intelligent run to be in the right place to smack home a low cross.  We went on to hit woodwork for the 27th game in a row.

Looking at the table, we realised it would be too painful to finish 6th so charitably let Binfield score from a corner to take that honour.

So another season is over and we can look forward to some time off before starting it all again...

Binfield are coming

Looking at the table, all the sides (including our guests) just outside the playoffs find themselves shout out as a four point gap has emerged.  Hanworth Villa getting the last laugh, after our recent win, finding themselves in 4th place.

So pride is at stake to finish as high up as possible, and finishing above Chertsey would be something of a moral victory.

Kick off at 3pm.  See you there.

Travelling Tanners

This game looked like it was going to be rather special, and it could be but for only 50% of the reason.  A couple of weeks ago Tooting & Mitcham were playing for their lives, but now the dreaded R of Death proceeds them on the league table.  Play-offs could still happen for us but it would take some incredible results for that to happen.

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

SCR 1 - 1 Tanners

Barring a collapse from three sides above us, I would say that is our lot in terms of chasing a play-off place.  A side that has become somewhat ravaged by injury and suspension took the game to our hosts, but could only manage a draw.

Dan Hector, again, scored to make it 1-0 and perhaps we could believe a sixth win in a row was on the cards.  At the centre of this run has been a 'keeper at the top of his game but an uncharacteristic error saw the ball spilled into his own net after a clash with a defender.

Chances came and went but without the all important goal that leaves us 3 points and an inferior goal difference off the pace.

A midweek game may lift the spirits but in any case, we travel to Tooting & Mitcham to try and finish the season with good momentum.

Travelling Tanners

Leatherhead make their way to Whyteleafe (not Sutton) to play Sutton Common Rovers, as we continue to push for that last play-off spot.

Our hosts were a club that made The Grove their home for a couple of games last season, but now they play at the 3g-Tarpeyless Whyteleafe.  They are two points from safety, so will be playing for their lives today.

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

Tanners 1 - 0 Hanworth Villa

The visiting manager's pre-match team talk climaxed with the words of "let's ******* ruin their weekend" but the ruinees became the ruiners.

In many ways it was the complete performance.  A team in Hanworth Villa's form is bound to have the odd spell, but they were limited to few chances while we looked on the hunt for great periods of the game.

The goal came while some people's thoughts turned to getting in the tea-bar queue.  Dave Tarpey played in and found himself with a clear shot on goal from the penalty spot.  His neat finish found the side netting.

The dominance continued as moments later we struck the bar even before I had time to take the teabag out of the tea.

To help with the nerves I decided to break the game down into 6 minute blocks.  As the half wore on, counting to 6 suddenly became tougher than I imagined but it never really looked in doubt as we notched up a fine win.

On to Sutton Common Rovers then as we continue to push for that all-important fifth place...

Hanworth Villa are coming

This is it.  The whole shooting match.  Well, sort of.  

Losing to Hanworth Villa would put the 8 points ahead with only 9 to play for, so surely we would be out of the running.  Winning would keep us in the chase.

Leatherhead have four straight wins under their belt, while our guests have won five from the last six.

Kick off at 3pm.  See you there!

Tanners 2 - 1 Merstham

A stunning comeback saw Leatherhead rise to 8th place and keep our play-off hopes alive.

The less said about the first half the better, as for much of it Merstham looked the most likely to score.  Serine had to pull off a double save to keep it at 0-0 as the ball spent most of its time in our half.

The second half and Hayden's words had an immediate effect as we pressured looking for an opener.  That said, while we looked a lot more threatening you wouldn't call their opener "against the run of play".

Merstham won a penalty after 10 minutes of the second half.  The referee saw contact, but personally I just think he went down with the first case of the contagious cramp that appeared to affect the majority of their players shortly after the penalty was scored; sending Serine the wrong way.

On 80 minutes, Merstham thought they had the game wrapped up when they smashed home a cross from close range, but up went the flag to keep us in the game.

Then it all happened.  On 87 minutes an attack allowed the ball to rebound out to Dan Hector, who was a player of note the entire game, whose low shot beat several players and found the bottom corner.

On 88 minutes, almost from the first attack after winning the ball back from their kick off, a high ball was flicked onto Tarpey but his powerful side volley was deflected wide by a fortunate defender.

From the resulting corner a ball was swung in and there was Dan Hector again, with a deft header, to beat the 'keeper.  Absolute limbs.

Merstham must have found some salt tablets as their cramp suddenly eased as they pressed for an equaliser in the six minutes of injury time.  Six minutes.  Then in the dying seconds they won a freekick on the edge of the box.  

Up went the 'keeper to cause some extra mayhem.  The freekick taker saw the extra chaos but decided to ignore this and go directly for goal; but not being James Ward-Prowes he sent in into the River Mole.

I am not sure if the ref meant to blow for full time then or he swallowed his whistle laughing but blew it he did to secure us the three points.

Big game on Saturday then, when we face the team holding onto the coveted fifth place... Hanworth Villa...

Merstham are coming!

For me, this is a game I have been looking forward to for a long time.  Both teams have something to fight for (some more fights being more realistic than the other) with the added spice of a local derby.

Merstham went on a purple patch of results, being unbeaten for seven games from mid-February, but have lost the last two games 2-0.

Kick off at 7.45.  Come on you Tanners!

Bedfont Sports Club 0 - 1 Tanners

A robust encounter ended with a 1-0 win on the road, on Saturday.

High boots and elbows a plenty but it was a Leatherhead player that saw red, towards the end of  the first half.

With 10 men on the pitch for the second half, it may have been tempting to dig in for a draw but Leatherhead pounced on a set piece opportunity and Diallo headed home the winner.

Six points off the playoffs but with only 5 games left.  One of which is the much anticipated visit of Merstham, on Tuesday night!

Travelling Tanners

Thank goodness Bedfont Sports Club have a 3G pitch, or this game would have fallen foul to Storm Mathis.

Some may think Storm Mathis came a few days too late, with the defeat in cup against Virginia Water, but now it's all about the league...

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

Virginia Water 2 - 2 Tanners (4-3 on penalties)

Not only do I lose one ground, Leatherhead crash out of the Southern Combination Challenge Cup on penalties.

The hosts opened the scoring on 14 minutes but we were quick to respond with a Jerry Puemo goal.  The travelling fans may have hoped that we would go on and take a comfortable lead, but the hosts had other ideas by making it 2-1 on the half hour mark.

Second half and on came some big guns and Tarpey hit back to make it 2-2.  At about the time the ref could have blown for full time he awarded us a penalty to take us through, but Tarpey could not find the back of the net and the penalty shoot-out was summoned.

Tarpey made amends by scoring the opening penalty but three Leatherhead players went on to miss and despite Virginia Water also missing, they did enough to beat their higher placed opposition.

Onto Bedfont Sports on Saturday then...

Travelling Tanners

This fixture has upset me a little bit.  In doing my research into the whole confusion over which club we are travelling to, I discovered that Windsor & Eton no longer exist and Windsor were created in their place.  

While it is never nice to hear about a club folding, the real reason for my despair was the realisation that my football ground list is now overstated to the tune of one duplicated Stag Meadow.  I will update my list to reduce the count, shortly.  Honest.

Tonight we travel to play Virginia Water, without the promise of the New Ground Klaxon but with a hope of reaching the Semi Final of the Southern Combination Challenge Cup.  Our hosts ply their trade in the Combined Counties Premier Division North and sit in 7th place.

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

Tanners 2 - 0 Thatcham

The game started off with a minute's applause in honour of Dave Fuzzey and then onto the business of trying to get three points.

After a slow start, Leatherhead started applying the pressure but without really troubling the goalkeeper.  Dan Hector did deceive the 'keeper, who guessed the wrong way as he shot, but a deflection took it into the path of the diving 'keeper.

Second half and the game was starting to look every inch a 0-0 draw but just as we approached 10 minutes to go, Dan Hector struck.  He made some space inside the box and while his shot was not the cleanest shot, it did enough to beat the 'keeper.  1-0.

Leatherhead can be ripe for the picking at 1-0 but Dave Tarpey made it safe with a fantastic strike that flew into the top left hand corner despite the 'keeper getting a hand to it. 2-0.

Another two goals would have seen us rise above the visitors but we have to settle for 13th place today.

On to Tuesday where we play Virginia Water who play at Windsor FC (and not Windsor & Eton).

Thatcham are coming

This time last week, I posted a preview for the game oblivious to the rain outside and was caught out.  Today, the weather has been kinder and we can expect football today.

Our guests sit three points above us and were the team that gave us our first win of the season; so a double could be on the cards today.

Kick off at 3pm.  See you there! 

Game off

Alas, the overnight rain proved too much. Game off.

Merstham are coming!

The Mick Sullivan (and Hayden Bird) Derby comes to the Grove today for this league fixture.  Much like Guernsey, Merstham arrive as the in-form side.  They were very much the whipping boys at the start of the season, but now are unbeaten in seven.

Leatherhead continue to be somewhat inconsistent but did manage to notch up a fine win in our last game.

Kick off at 3pm.  Come on you Tanners!

Chipstead 1 - 3 Tanners

An impressive display sees Leatherhead run out comfortable winners on the road at Chipstead.

Two first half goals from Lawson and a stunning strike from Dan Hector made Chipstead's response a mere consolation.

On to Saturday and the visit of a much revitalised Merstham...