Leatherhead 3 Kingstonian 2
Leatherhead boosted their play-off chances with a last minute winner against high-
fliers Kingstonian at Fetcham Grove on Saturday.
With the game moving into stoppage time and Tanners leading 2-1, the hosts
appeared to be heading for a hard fought three points. But Ks drew level with a
penalty in second minute of added time, after Palace Francis was fouled in the box
and Stan Flaherty dispatched the spot kick.
Yet there was still time remaining for a final dramatic twist. In the seventh minute of
added time Tanners sub Kelvin Massango took the ball to the edge of the Ks penalty
area before picking out Matt Everitt to fire home the winner.
Leatherhead made three changes to the starting line up from Tuesday’s 1-0 home
defeat against Uxbridge, with new signing Tyler D’Cruz in attack, returning winger
Alex Laing and Alex Pearce back in central defence.
Kingstonian dominated the opening exchanges, taking the lead after six minutes.
Flaherty’s wide angled shot took a heavy deflection off Leatherhead’s Cameron Black
on its way into the net for an unfortunate own goal.
Ks continued to press forward and won a succession of corners in the opening 20
minutes. Flaherty, Arsen Ujkaj and Junior Nkeng all tested Leatherhead keeper Sonny
Wheeler with shots on target before Rueben Duncan fired another effort just wide.
Tanners hit back, levelling on 25 minutes. An Everitt free kick was met by Black on
the edge of the Ks penalty area. Leatherhead’s tall central defender headed the ball
forward to Pearce, who nodded it across the goalmouth for an advancing Black to beat
keeper Liam Allen at the goal line with another decisive header.
Leatherhead almost snatched the lead a minute later with Everitt testingd Allen with a
fierce drive. The Kingstonian keeper did well to parry the ball onto the foot of the
post before he safely gathered up the rebound.
The visitors were stunned moments later when Tanners scored a second goal. Everitt
did well to dispossess a Kingstonian defender at the by-line. Ks tried to scramble the
ball away to safety but it ran only as far as Leatherhead’s Alfie Huckle, who calmly
stroked it into the net from ten yards out.
For the next five minutes Tanners created chance after chance in front of goal in their
attempts to extend their narrow lead. Laing set up a shot for Kareem Akinnibi, but the
ball sailed over the bar. Allen gathered up another long range shot from Akinnibi
before Huckle scooped another chance over the bar from close range.
Kane Fitzgerald set up an opportunity for Laing on 37 minutes, with his wide angled
effort running just past the post. And in first half added time Allen was tested once
more by Everitt with another rasping shot from the edge of the box.
In sharp contrast the second half was much more subdued. Tanners were content to
keep possession while Ks sought ways to get back into a match where they had
controlled most of the opening twenty minutes, only to find themselves on the back
foot for the remainder of the first half.
On 78 minutes Francis broke clear for a one on one with Wheeler, but the
Leatherhead keeper held his nerve to snatch the ball from the Ks forward’s feet.
Tanners missed a great chance to seal the win on 89 minutes, with shots from Ty
Butler and Everitt blocked out by the Ks defence.
But as the match moved into added time, Kingstonian were awarded a penalty after
Fitzgerald made contact with Francis on the edge of the box. A glancing touch on a
shoulder was enough for the referee to blow his whistle and point to the spot.
Flaherty stepped up and buried the penalty in the corner of the net for what Ks and
their supporters thought would be a share of the points.
But there was still sufficient time remaining for Leatherhead to press forward to find a
winner.
In the seventh minute of added time Fitzgerald picked out Massango on his left. The
Tanners wing back worked the ball into the box, but instead of opting to shoot he
cleverly picked out Everitt, who steadied himself before smashing the ball into the
roof of the net.
The result sees Tanners move up two places in the table to sixth on 63 points, two
points behind fifth placed Ascot United, while Kingstonian slip down to third place on
goal difference behind Uxbridge on 69 points.
Leatherhead have a week to recover before facing another tough challenge next
Saturday when they visit Uxbridge. Kick-off at Honeycroft is at 3.00pm.
Leatherhead: Sonny Wheeler, Cameron Black, Niran Butler, Alex Pearce, George
Hedley, Alex Laing (Marco Haigh 70), Alfie Huckle, Matt Everitt, Kane Fitzgerald,
Kareem Akinnibi (Kelvin Massango 81), Tyler D’Cruz (Ty Butler 70)
Kingstonian: Liam Allen, Arsen Ujkaj, Reuben Duncan, Joe Hicks, Stan Flaherty,
Junior Nkeng, Eddie Simon (Palace Francis 62), Brad Wilson (Rocky Williams 62),
Ben Parkinson (Dan Rowe 83), Joe Pratley-Jones, James McShane (Jake Lawrence
75)