Leatherhead 0 Marlow 2
Leatherhead succumbed to a tame defeat against a physical Marlow side with the
visitors scoring twice in a dominant first half attacking display.
Dave Tarpey returned to Fetcham Grove for the first time since leaving Leatherhead
last autumn and opened the scoring for the Blues after eleven minutes.
Dawid Rogalski, who had torn the Tanners defence to shreds in the reverse fixture in
October, rubbed salt into Leatherhead’s wounds with a well taken penalty on the
stroke of half time.
With regular starters Kenny Beaney, Alpha Diallo and Michael Elechi all out injured and
striker Trevan Robinson not one hundred per cent fit, Tanners boss Hayden Bird was
left with a team selection headache ahead of this important fourth versus third encounter.
From the outset Leatherhead knew they were in for a demanding match against the
high-flying Blues. Going into the game Marlow were unbeaten in 2024, with eight
wins and a draw from their last nine outings and were the division’s top scorers with
74 goals from 26 league matches.
Leatherhead started well. Omarr Lawson tested goalkeeper Aaron Watkins with a
long range shot on six minutes. But Marlow pressed and harried for every ball and
never allowed the hosts to settle.
Five minutes after Lawson’s effort, Tarpey robbed the ball from a hesitant Tanners
defender on the edge of the penalty area before calmly slotting it past goalkeeper
Marco Underwood to give the Blues a lead they were never likely to relinquish.
Knowing the high level of respect and goodwill towards him from his former club and
its supporters, Tarpey’s goal celebrations were suitably muted.
But there was no goodwill between Marlow’s Louis Rogers and Leatherhead’s Tyler
Cox on 22 minutes when both players were shown yellow cards for some pushing and
shoving off the ball after the referee had awarded the visitors a free kick in the
Tanners’ half.
Marlow’s pressing physicality saw four of their players receive yellows cards (to
Leatherhead’s two) in a game that increasingly appeared likely to boil over in
frustration with a subsequent red card or two, but it never quite did reach boiling
point, as Leatherhead’s attacks gradually dissipated as the game progressed.
Luther Williams came close to levelling for Tanners on 44 minutes, but his long range
effort flew over the bar.
Deep in first half stoppage time, Marlow grabbed a second goal following the award
of a controversially penalty. Jordan Hamilton-Olise made a run from the touchline
with the ball to the edge of the Tanners penalty area. The Blues midfielder ran into
Leatherhead skipper Fabio Saraiva and dramatically went to ground.
The referee was close by and showed no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Rogalski
stepped up to plant the ensuing penalty into the bottom corner of the net.
Marlow almost added a third goal on 48 minutes. Rhys Harper floated a cross deep
into Leatherhead’s box from the left, but ball was just too high for the advancing
Hamiton-Olise to finish at the far post.
Tanners introduced Robinson after 54 minutes, and while there were brief glimpses
of a threat from the hosts, they rarely tested Watkins in the second half as Marlow
were content to sit back and defend in numbers.
Jamie Splatt and Lawson hit long range efforts wide before Robinson forced a save
from Watkins with a low shot after 86 minutes, but it was all too little and too late to
deny the Blues a well-earned three points
Tanners now have a week to prepare for their next stern test, away to fifth placed
Raynes Park Vale next Saturday. Vale will be keen to avenge their 4-1 defeat at
Fetcham Grove in January. Kick off at Prince George’s Playing Fields is at 3.00pm.
Leatherhead: Marco Underwood, Luther Williams, Tyler Cox (Trevan Robinson 54),
Jamie Splatt, Ollie Cook (Callum Morris 81), Fabio Saraiva, Daniel Hector, Ghas
Sow, Fikayo Atewologun, Trey Masikini, Omarr Lawson (Emarjay Campbell Jones
75)
Marlow: Aaron Watkins, Elijah Oladunjoye, Josh Masters, Chris Ovenden, Louis
Rogers,Ben Mulley, Nathan Jones (Brandon Curtis 77), Rhys Harper, Jordan
Hamilton-Olise (Naheer-Omar Nawaf 71), Dave Tarpey (Josh Boorn 84), Dawid
Rogalski