Leatherhead 3 Frimley Green 0
Leatherhead eased their way into the Quarter Finals of the Southern Combination Challenge Cup with an emphatic 3-0 win against Frimley Green at Fetcham Grove on Thursday.
With a much altered side from Tuesday night’s outing against Hanworth Villa, Tanners boss Hayden Bird gave starts to some of Leatherhead’s first team fringe players.
The unfamiliar Tanners line up was almost caught out twice in the opening ten minutes, as Frimley Green were given room to press forward unchecked. Finnlay Aherne missed a golden opportunity to put the visitors ahead in the fourth minute when his tame shot was cleared off the line. And five
minutes later a through ball to Zechariah Walker split the Tanners defence before the Frimley Green forward fired wide.
Leatherhead soon settled into their stride and the hosts took the lead on 17 minutes. Frimley Green keeper Chris Harris parried a fierce drive from Lewis Pearch into the path of an advancing Fikayo Atewologun, who tapped in unopposed from close range.
Tanners added a second goal just before half-time when Louie Rodgers brought down Leatherhead’s Jerry Puemo on the corner of the visitors’ area. The referee immediately blew his whistle and
pointed to the penalty spot. Archie Burnett gathered up the ball and drilled his spot kick firmly into the back of the net.
It was all over as a contest within a minute of the second half restart, as the advancing Tanners added a third. Burnett did well to pick out an unmarked Pearch in the box, who shook off his marker and scored with ease.
Thereafter it was one way traffic as Leatherhead took full control of the tie. Olly Allen combined well with Paul Chalobah after 62 minutes, with the latter forcing a fine save from Harris. Further efforts from Alpha Diallo, Adam Neal and Jay Barton all produced good saves from the overworked Frimley Green keeper.
And it could have been a lot, lot worse for the Combined Counties League visitors. Shots from Burnett and Neal struck the crossbar, before Fransisco Fernandes fired another effort wide for the hosts in the final minute.
Tanners will face Virginia Water away in the next round at a date to be decided.
Leatherhead: Toby McKimm, Jerry Puemo, Maxwell Mullins (Louis Collins 45), Ben Frempah (Alpha Diallo 45), Essa Janneh, Olly Allen, Lewis Pearch, Luke Phair (Jay Barton 62), Fikayo Atewologun (Francisco Fernandes 45), Archie Burnett (Adam Neal 62), Paul Chalobah
Frimley Green: Chris Harris, Jordan Kokoua, Tyler Pink, Hudson Friday, Max Cunningham, Louis Brooks, Liridon Daka, Karim Kamhouri, Zechariah Walker, Louie Rodgers, Finnlay Aherne (Subs – Scott Finlay, Mack Varley, Jordan Joseph, Angelo Domingo)