Carshalton Athletic 1 Leatherhead 1
Leatherhead win 10-9 on penalties
Leatherhead advanced to the quarter finals of the Velocity Cup following a dramatic
10-9 penalty shoot-out win against Premier Division hosts Carshalton Athletic, with
the scores level at 1-1 after ninety minutes.
Tanners welcomed back Deondre Date into their starting eleven after a short spell at
Tonbridge Angels and the young striker made an immediate impact for the visitors.
With less than three minutes played Dontaye Whittaker broke clear for Leatherhead
and fed the ball forward for an advancing Date, who picked his spot to beat Robins’
goalkeeper Mackenzie Foley from the edge of the box.
Tanners faced two of their formers players who had made such a positive impact for
them at Fetcham Grove last season. Carshalton defender Fikayo Atewologun swept up
everything Leatherhead could throw at him while Fabio Saraiva was as assured as
ever in midfield for the hosts.
On 14 minutes Saraiva hit a fierce shot from distance which went straight to Tanners
keeper Sonny Wheeler. Five minutes later Saraiva tested Wheeler again with an in
swinging corner that had to be tipped over the bar.
Robins continued to pressurise the visitors’ defence and levelled on 28 minutes.
Striker Luke Cook was left unchallenged to beat Wheeler with a well-struck shot into
the corner of the net from 25 yards.
Mishael Konan missed a chance to put Robins ahead just before the interval, firing
well wide of the target from the edge of the Tanners’ penalty area.
Both sides resorted to pumping long balls forward in the second half, but
opportunities in front of goal were few and far between.
On 80 minutes, Jamarie Brissett fell heavily on the pitch after a challenge from a
Robins’ player and Leatherhead’s new signing was stretchered off after a lengthy
stoppage. Fortunately he was seen back on his feet after the final whistle.
Robins missed a couple of half chances to win the tie in the closing minutes. Wheeler
made a flying save to deny Cook on 88 minutes before another frantic scramble in the
Tanners penalty area saw the ball cleared off the line in added time.
Nine minutes of stoppage time failed to produce a winner so the tie went straight to a
penalty shoot-out.
Carshalton took the first spot kick and Saraiva stuck the ball firmly down the middle
to give Robins the lead. Date levelled for Leatherhead, although goalkeeper Foley got
his fingertips to the ball. Cook and Lukas Franzen-Jones made it two apiece before
David Smith fired over Carshalton’s third penalty.
Kane Fitzgerald put Tanners briefly ahead before Sanchez Ming restored parity for
the hosts. Alex Pearce took Leatherhead’s fourth spot kick but his goal-bound effort
was well saved by Foley, diving to his right to keep the scores level at three-all.
From there on each side’s penalty taker found his mark with pinpoint accuracy, as the
shoot-out progressed well beyond the standard five penalties apiece.
All of the outfield players on both sides scored from the following spot kicks, taking
the score line to nine-all after a marathon twenty penalties.
And so it came down to the two goalkeepers to face each other in the ultimate
showdown.
Foley’s effort was brilliantly saved by Wheeler, who then stepped forward to blast his
own spot kick into the back of the net for an unassailable 10-9 advantage for the
visitors.
Tanners are back in action on Saturday for a home league match against Badshot Lea.
Kick-off at Fetcham Grove is at 3.00pm.
Carshalton Athletic: Mackenzie Foley, Paris Hamilton-Downes (Luke Read 58),
Fikayo Atewologun (David Smith 90), Mishael Konan (Mason Saunders Henry 72),
Abdul Sankoh, Domonic Vose, Josh Koroma (Tommy Bradford 68), Fabio Saraiva,
Luke Cook, Sanchez Ming, Darnell Goather-Braithwaite (Sharon Ifeanyi 71)
Leatherhead: Sonny Wheeler, Kelvin Manuel Massango, Alex Pearce, Niran Butler,
George Hedley, Anuar Ceesay (Leo Hams 88), Alfie Huckle, Kane Fitzgerald,
Dontaye Whittaker (Lukas Franzen-Jones 46), Deondre Date, Jamarie Brissett (Tom
Kavanagh 85)