Leatherhead 1 Dulwich Hamlet 0
Tom Kavanagh’s late second half penalty was all that separated Leatherhead and
Dulwich Hamlet in this tightly contested FA Cup First Qualifying Round replay at
Fetcham Grove on Tuesday.
Tanners displayed the same level of grit and determination as they showed at Dulwich
on Saturday in an evenly matched replay that ebbed and flowed from end to end
across ninety minutes without too many clear chances in front of goal.
Dulwich won a free kick within shooting distance outside the hosts’ penalty area on
23 minutes. But a training ground routine of two quick touches before a fierce drive
from a third player came to nothing, with Luke Wanadio’s final shot easily blocked.
Leatherhead had a similar opportunity early in the second half, with a free kick
awarded 25 yards out from the visitors’ goal. But while Kavanagh managed to get his
shot on target, it lacked power and precision and goalkeeper Dillon Barnes saved
comfortably.
Hamlet came close to taking the lead on 52 minutes. Wanadio’s corner was met by a
goal-bound header from a forward, but Tanners defender Jude Jeffrey was well
positioned at the far post to head clear.
Michael Chambers came close for Dulwich on 73 minutes, but his wide angled shot
was sliced wide in front of an open goal.
With the tie heading towards extra time, the referee intervened on 85 minutes by
awarding a penalty to Leatherhead. Tanners had worked the ball into the visitors’ area
and a scrambled Dulwich clearance caught the arm of a defender in front of the
watchful referee.
Kavanagh stepped forward and struck his spot kick low to the keeper’s right, finding
the corner of the net.
Dulwich made a couple of late attacking substitutions to no avail and after six nail-
biting minutes of added time the referee blew for the final whistle.
This hard fought win over two matches sets up an equally tough challenge for Tanners
in the next qualifying round of the FA Cup, with a trip to Isthmian Premier Division
front-runners Dartford on 14 September.
Leatherhead: Sonny Wheeler, Jude Jeffrey, Alfie Huckle, Niran Butler, George
Hedley, Trey Masikini (Kwesi Ntim 72), Tom Kavanagh, Seb Karczewski (Andre
Date 60) Kane Fitzgerald, Anuar Ceesay, Marco Haigh (Ollie Cook 90+2)
Dulwich Hamlet: Dillon Barnes, Max Hudson, Michael Chambers, Luke Wanadio,
Sean Bonnett-Johnson (Stefan Ilic 86), Danny Mills (James Collins 89), Anthony
Jeffrey, George Porter (Mark Marshall 72), Kreshnic Krasniqi, Ralfi Hand, Lorenzo
Lewis