Leatherhead 2 Horndean 1
Leatherhead came from behind to beat Horndean 2-1 in a tense encounter at Fetcham
Grove on Tuesday.
The attack-minded visitors grabbed the lead on 59 minutes through an Adam Payce
header, before two late close range finishes from Ruben Bartlett-Antwi sealed the win
for Tanners.
In sharp contrast to the attacking flair and positivity shown in their last two matches
against Knaphill and Kingstonian, Leatherhead produced a largely underwhelming
performance against Horndean.
Tanners lacked movement and creativity in their attacks while their defence, missing
the organisational skills and experience of Alex Pearce and Nyren Butler, were
repeatedly threatened on the break by their skilful opponents.
Leatherhead missed a chance to open the scoring on nine minutes with Rhys Murrell-
Williamson firing a tame shot straight to Deans’ keeper Cameron Scott.
Zachary Willett went close for the visitors on 16 minutes with a long range shot flying
just wide of the post.
On the half hour mark Horndean’s Rudi Blenkison forced a smart save from Sonny
Wheeler, with the Tanners’ keeper diving low to his left to turn the shot behind for a
corner.
Further efforts from Willett and Ryan Keates almost found the target for Horndean,
before Keates was shown a yellow card for a cynical shirt-pull challenge on Jamarie
Brissett, as the Leatherhead player advanced towards the visitors’ penalty area.
Tom Kavanagh’s subsequent 25-yard free kick for Tanners struck the foot of the post
before the ball was eventually cleared to safety.
Horndean continued to press forward in the second half. Willett forced an excellent
close range save from Wheeler on 47 minute before the visitors deservedly took the
lead twelve minutes later.
Willett delivered a deep cross into Leatherhead’s penalty area from the right, finding
an unchallenged Payce at the far post to head home past Wheeler.
Tanners made a subtle change in their method of attack. Instead of repeatedly
pumping high balls into the visitors’ penalty area, the short ball along the floor proved
to be far more effective.
Leatherhead equalised on 77 minutes when Lukas Franzen-Jones played a low pass
through a crowded Horndean box for Bartlett-Antwi to fire home from close range.
And as the clock ticked into stoppage time, Tanners repeated the same move with
Franzen-Jones once again picking out Bartlett-Antwi with a low cross into the penalty
area to score the winner from six yards out.
Tanners return to league action on Saturday when they entertain Metropolitan Police
at Fetcham Grove. Kick-off is at 3.00pm.
Leatherhead: Sonny Wheeler, Kelvin Massango, George Hedley, Cerny Ando, Tom
Kavanagh, Alfie Huckle (Ruben Bartlett-Antwi 53), Anuar Ceesay, Kane Fitzgerald,
Lukas Franzen-Jones, Jamarie Brissett (Ty Butler 67), Rhys Murrell-Williamson
(Marco Haigh 60)
Horndean: Cameron Scott, Rob Taw, Casey Bartlett-Scott, Liam Webber, Harvey
Rew, Ethan Robb, Rudi Blankson (Billy Allcock 83), Ryan Keates (Liam Callaghan
88), Sam Ashton, Adam Payce, Zachary Willett (Dan Sibley 60)