Binfield 0 - 2 Tanners

Perhaps more hard-fought than we would have hoped, given our hosts are bottom of the table, but work us they did as we came out with a 1-0.

Omarr Lawson got us off to an early start.  We had just survived a scare in front of our own goal before Omarr finished off a low cross.

A pretty even game unfolded and Stagg left it until the last few minutes of stoppage time to make it safe and 2-0.

No game midweek so we wait until Saturday to host Guernsey, who sit just one place higher than Binfield... 

Travelling Tanners

Leatherhead travel to Binfield tomorrow, to face them in the league.  

Last year, our hosts were just outside the play-off places.  This year they are rooted to the bottom and have yet to win a game.  A perfect chance to bounce back from our midweek defeat... or a massive banana skin..?

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

Tanners 1 - 2 Badshot Lea

Leatherhead came out in the first half like world beaters and really should have added to Stagg's early goal.

Our guests came out in the second half galvonised from surviving the opening 45 minutes just one goal down, and took the game to Leatherhead.  We failed to respond and got completely outplayed, lucky not to lose by one or two more.

On to Binfield on Saturday then...

Badshot Lea are coming

The recent rains appears not to have scuppered this fixture again, so tonight we play Badshot Lea.

I miss this game as I am away in Paris.  Sacre bleu!

Kick off at 7.45.  Bonne chance, garsons!

Tanners 1 - 0 Ashford Town

A frustrating day for the 505 crowd, who hoped to see more goals but a stubborn Ashford side kept them at bay.

Luke Tuffs arrived back at the Grove, knowing his side were going to be worked hard for 90 minutes and set his side out to make life as difficult as possible for us.

Little happened in the first half until the 40th minute when their 'keeper landed badly, resulting in a dislocated shoulder.  With no recognised 'keeper on the bench, this left out guests playing the rest of the game with effective 10.5 men.

On the stroke of half-time we won a penalty, which Beanie smashed to the stand-in keeper's left and had no chance.

In the second half, Ashford were far more adventurous and hit the roof of the net with a looping header.  Game on.  Meanwhile Leatherhead shot more on sight but Ashford did an fantastic job of closing the threat down, so only one found it's way on goal and the 'keeper dealt with it.  Just.

Up to third we go but we face a very different challenge on Tuesday...

Ashford Town (Middlesex) are coming!

Game on!  Barring a heaving downpour (which last night was forecast) we can expect to see football at the Grove, after having had three games rained off in quick succession.

This fixture will see our old manager Luke Tuffs return, with his side sitting in 14th place.

Kick off at 3pm.  See you there!

Badshot Lea are coming!

I made a mistake and the NEW GROUND KLAXON is on hold as Badshot Lea come to us tomorrow.  However, for the third home game in a row, a storm precedes the fixture and The Grove could be in for another soaking.  Fingers crossed.

Our guests are knocking on the door of the play-offs and sit in sixth place having scored the same amount of goals as us but we've conceded almost 50% less.

Kick off at 7.45.  See you there!

Met Police 0 - 4 Tanners

Another dominant performance, as Leatherhead repeat the score line of Tuesday night with four goals (with another own goal).

Met Police failed to consistently deal with Leatherhead from the start.  Our attackers were allowed to roam freely down the left wing but they seemed to stamp out anything down our right...

It was also clear we were going to be shooting more.  These shots were troubling the horses, in the facility behind, more than the 'keeper but it was nice to see the intent.

The our opening goal.  An attack down our left and a cut-back ball into the box, found Hector how slotted it passed the 'keeper who was well out of position.

The second goal was a calamity from their number six.  Just seconds early he had volleyed it just over his own goal, mistiming everything.  He made no mistake from the following corner which found him unmarked at the far post; keeping his head over the ball he calmly stroked it into his own net.

A Braverman-style halftime team talk saw our hosts come out a lot more organised and for 20 minutes looked the most likely to get one back and make it interesting.  Leatherhead got through this spell and started applying pressure for more goals.

The Met's 'keeper had opted to kick it long all game but for some reason started playing out from the back when we were at our most adventurous.  This resulted in him getting the ball back with Stagg bearing down on him and in the resulting panic, played it into his shins and it rebounded towards goal and needed no further encouragement to cross the line.

In injury time Stagg made it four... but I missed this goal.

Onto Tuesday and a NEW GROUND KLAXON of Badshot Lea...

Travelling Tanners

After scoring four goals in the week Leatherhead hope they have at least one more in the locker when we face our old friends, Met Police.

The Met Police make a return to our league, missing us so much they took voluntary relegation to play us again.

Kick off at 3pm.  Directions can be found here.  See you there! 

Travelling Tanners

Leatherhead need to dry themselves off and get back to league duties, after we lose our second Saturday home fixture in quick succession.  We are off to Chipstead.

Our old friends sit just three points behind us, having played one more game, and score 8 more goals (while conceding 12 more).  Hopefully we will see more of our strikers than we did away to Marlow... 

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

Marlow 4 - 0 Tanners

You would cry too, if it happened to you.  Another birthday and another defeat, but more crushing than I had anticipated.

I arrived at the ground in good spirits, but this didn't last long as Marlow slotted away their first goal on 7 minutes.  A Marlow player was allowed too much time on the ball and made space to put it calmly away.

1-0 soon became 2-0 when we all played musical statues and allowed Marlow a free shot on goal.  We held out for a bit longer before we conceded a third in a manner I have blanked from memory.

As we changed ends I saw the famous chef, Tom Kerridge, enjoying the game.  I had naively thought he was slaving away in the kitchen where I had enjoyed my birthday lunch, but realised my curse had not only made him a little bit richer but also provided him with an eventful afternoon of football.

Early into the second half I popped into the bar when a muted cheer went up.  "If it's a Marlow goal you all get a discount, if it's Leatherhead you pay more!" announced the bar manager to the weary travelling supporters.  With business sense like that, Marlow will soon go out of business.  Of course it was a Marlow goal and it was now four ruddy nil.

Dave Tarpey started the half, coming on with the thankless task of rescuing us at 3-0 and his job was now harder.  The damage was done and we caused enough problems to limit the damage.

On to Saturday where we hope to avoid storm damage on Thursday as well as to our league position.  A loss will see us 10 points off of the lead...

Travelling Tanners

I have bad news for Hayden.  Tomorrow is my birthday and, from memory, we have only won once in the 25 years we have played when I celebrate this milestone.  The first being Rushden & Diamonds, where a cruel last-minute equaliser meant a mid-week 4-0 thrashing away in the replay. Sudbury is a nice win to have under the belt though.

We live in hope though and the trip to Marlow looks daunting, even without my hex.  They sit one point about us having scored 8 more goals and have won four games in a row.  They do have a pretty wooden stand, so there is that to look forward to...

Kick off at 3pm.  Directions can be found here.  See you there!

Tanners 3 - 1 Abbey Rangers

A second half goalfest sees Leatherhead through to the next round of the Surrey Senior Cup; a competition we should finally get our teeth stuck into.

The first half had its moments but after buying a cup of tea on 42 minutes, I felt confident that if I went into the bar to secure a table I wouldn't miss any action.  Table secured; no action missed.

The second half was a different kettle of fish.  Less sideways passing and more intent was the modus operandi and it paid off.

Firstly Splatt was given far too much respect and the defender backed off too much as he strode into the box.  A confident shot was placed into the bottom right hand corner.  Where would we be without our scoring defenders?

Then a moment of wonder from Abbey Rangers.  Our 'keeper came out to clear a ball but found an Abbey Rangers player who went for the lob.  I couldn't call it a deft lob, it was more of an orbital-intergalactic one.  High it went beyond the main beam of the flood lights so the ball dimmed in the highest point of its arc.  The down it came, landing perfectly beyond the line and into the roof of the net.

The long-cold-boney hand of penalties seemed to be resting on our shoulders until Omar Lawson struck.  Picking up the ball on the edge of the box, he danced around three players before finding the bottom corner with a powerful strike.

Hector sealed the deal with a low strike from range, bending the ball around a defender to beat the unsighted 'keeper.

On we go to Marlow then, who suddenly look like world beaters...

Abbey Rangers are coming!

Abbey Rangers, who sit in 9th place in the Combined Counties, come to the Grove tonight for this Surrey Senior Cup fixture.

It is "Pay want you want" deal on the gate and the pitch looks like it has recovered from Storm Babet.  Like us, our guests have score 14 goals but have conceded nearly three times as many.

Kick off at 7.45.  See you there!

Game off

The morning's rain was a drop too far and the game is off.

Hopefully it dries out in time for Tuesday…

Tanners 0 - 0 Northwood

There was once a time when watching Leatherhead, under the lights, on a Tuesday night was a thing of wonder.  In recent weeks it has become a trip to the hygienist who is running 30 minutes late for your appointment.

Northwood came with a game plan to frustrate, but still had enough in the locker to give us a scare.  Missing a free tap in at the far post on about 10 minutes was the first and most notably warning sign. 

Leatherhead could have scored from range in the early exchange, with a gaping open goal, but the first time shot bent wide.

Other than that, Northwood had the measure of us.   Our crosses were picked off one by one. Some were tantalisingly close to completion to set up a good attempt at goal but somehow a boot or head got in the way.

Frustrating but we come back here to make amends on Saturday.  Saturday!

Northwood are coming

Northwood make the difficult midweek journey to the Grove for the first of the trilogy of home games.  

We will go top with a win and our hosts sit near the relegation zone.   That said we got battered at their place last season when their tall striker proved too much to handle.

Kick off at 7.45pm.  See you there!

Uxbridge 1 - 3 Tanners

A match report as late as Leatherhead left it to grab the victory on Saturday.  Two goals in the dying minutes were enough to beat a side playing in front of a large home crowd, welcoming them home.

On arrival, we were impressed how friendly the hosts were.  Excited to be back at their stadium (new pitch, not a new ground for me) they greeted us with smiles and a pay as much or as little as you like policy.

They were as welcoming on the pitch, as after just a few minutes we were 1-0 up.  A free kick (that I did not think the ref was going to give) was swung in and Ollie Cook rose to head back across goal.  It seemed to take an age to find the far post and sneak in but the 'keeper could not get to it.

Watching the game also told us just how good Chertsey were.  Uxbridge are a good side, but they were nothing compared to how Chertsey controlled us in the week.

After controlling the game for about 30 minutes we dropped off and suddenly everything seemed like hard work.

This continued into half time and sensing a delay on the M25 I popped to the facilities on 82 minutes.  I re-emerged by the bar on 85 minutes, as Rod was no doubt sharpening his pencil for another tirade, as Ollie Cook pivoted in the area to strike a ball in the top right hand corner. 2-1.

By the time I had reached the corner flag it was 3-1.  Leatherhead won the ball back from a last ditch Uxbridge attack, then feeding in Trevan who made no mistake on the break.  3-1. 

A great win, in the end, and onto tonight...

Travelling Tanners

Leatherhead hit the A3-less road to Uxbridge today in this league fixture.

Uxbridge are doing a "pay what you think it's worth" promotion today. Question is, can you pay after the game…

Kick off at 3pm. See you there!

Tanners 0 - 1 Chertsey

I had a nightmare with the preview for this.  I got the opposition wrong about who knocked us out of the league cup.  I mixed up the weeks and thought it was only this and one other fixture being played.  I wish I had got the date wrong, as then I would have been spared this disappointing defeat.

Chertsey came and did a real number on us last night.  They forced our usual penetrating attack to mild flirting and at no real point did we even ask our guests out for a coffee.

After a very nervous start we did have some good spells; notably around the 20 minute mark for about 20 minutes and the opening 15.  In that time we had a good chance, with Dan Hector running on to a loose ball on the penalty spot, but another player got in his way and they both left it to bounce harmlessly away.

In the last 15 minutes, we had the moments of controversy that could have swung the game our way.  A powerful shot was blocked and saw the ball bounce high in the box.  One of our players attacked the ball but no real attempt to win it as a defender was rushing in with a high boot.  

Contact was made with our player but the defender let out the loudest shout and went down holding his foot.  The ref and seen and heard enough and out came the yellow card for our player for daring to be kicked in the head.

We hoped that might rally us into action but the ball went down the other end and they scored.  A long ball was met by both their attacker and a defender.  We got there first, the ball struck their player (perhaps even off an arm) and bounced kindly for him to run on and score into the bottom corner.

Chertsey then managed the game well.  Using their bodies to shield the ball and then falling down to win free kick after free kick.  Frustration grew and a scuffle broke out after we fouled badly.  Despite multiple players being involved, the officials only saw fault with one of our defenders with an additional yellow card being shown.

Not the night I had hoped for and on we go to Uxbridge on Saturday...