Leatherhead 1 Chipstead 1
Leatherhead’s push for the play-offs was blunted by a less than satisfactory 1-1 draw
against lowly Chipstead at Fetcham Grove on Tuesday.
Tanners were caught napping as Jordy Ndozid opened the scoring for Chips after 12
minutes before Trevan Robinson equalised for the hosts on 40 minutes.
Leatherhead made one change to the side that produced a hard-fought win at Raynes
Park Vale on Saturday, with Michael Elechi returning to the starting eleven at left
back.
Tanners made a ponderous start to the match and struggled throughout to find gaps in
the well organised Chips defence.
On seven minutes Robinson latched onto a loose ball 25 yards from goal before
ballooning a shot high over the bar.
But the young Chipstead side stunned the hosts with an opening goal five minutes
later.
The Tanners defence failed to clear a Chips first corner and Ndozid’s fierce drive
from the edge of the box was deflected past Leatherhead keeper Amadou Tangara and
into the corner of the net.
Play was briefly held up after 20 minutes when Leatherhead centre-back Luther
Williams sustained a head injury, leading to an enforced early substitution for the
hosts.
Chips belied their lowly league position, defending in numbers and showing a
confident ability to break forward effectively.
Tanners won a corner on 27 minutes, but the ball was quickly cleared out of the Chips
defence and up to Daniel Berry, who raced forward and fired a rasping shot just wide
of the goal.
Leatherhead should have done better after winning a free kick on 33 minutes. Omarr
Lawson’s probing delivery ran all the way through a crowded Chips penalty area and
out for a goal kick.
Robinson missed a chance to equalise for Tanners on 39 minutes, heading down a
cross from the right. But Chips keeper Harrison Firth made a comfortable low save.
But Robinson made no mistake in Leatherhead’s next attack, latching on to Elechi’s
well delivered cross from the left to nod home past Firth from six yards.
Tanners upped the tempo with the introduction of Kenny Beaney on 59 minutes.
Beaney delivered a number of long balls into gaps, stretching the Chips defence and
opening up a largely static game.
Yet there were few scoring opportunities at either end until the match moved into four
minutes of added time.
Ibz Olutade missed a great chance for Leatherhead when put through on a one-on-one
against Firth but drove the ball wide.
And Berry could have won it for the visitors in the last minute of added time, forcing
a fine save from Tangara.
There were contrasting scenes at the final whistle. Leatherhead players trudged off the
pitch, heads bowed and generally dejected, while the Chipstead squad congregated in
the centre circle, to receive feedback from their management team and acknowledge
the achievement of a well-earned point.
Tanners must regroup ahead of Saturday’s match at Ashford Town (Middx) with a
clear understanding that, whatever their opponents’ position is in the league table,
there are no easy matches to be won at this level.
Leatherhead: Amadou Tangara, Tyler Cox, Michael Elechi (Kenny Beaney 59),
Luther Williams (Gus Sow 22), Jerry Puemo, Fikayo Atewologun, Trey Masikini,
Jamie Splatt, Ibrahim Olutade, Trevan Robinson, Omarr Lawson (Emarjay Campbell-
Jones 83)
Chipstead: Harrison Firth, Jaden Edwards, Alfie Young, Robbie Spain, Syed Irtiza-
Ali, Khalid Babikir, Lanseny Traore, Jordy Ndozid (Charlie Moore 46), Timothy
Obisanya, Danyaal Iqbal, Daniel Berry