Marlow 3 Leatherhead 1
Leatherhead lost their Isthmian League Division One South Central play-off final 3-1
against Marlow in front of a season-best crowd of 1,589 at the Alfred Davis Memorial
Ground on Sunday.
Tanners produced a dominant attacking display in a goal less first half. But any hopes
of promotion were quickly extinguished after the visitors conceded three goals from
successive Marlow corners midway through the second half.
Trevan Robinson reduced the arrears late in the match. But his goal was scant
consolation for Leatherhead and the sizeable contingent of Tanners supporters
situated around the ground.
With less than two minutes played Marlow had a strong penalty appeal waved away
after Dawid Rogalski went down in Leatherhead’s box.
Six minutes later, Tanners front man Ibrahim Olutade fell to the ground after a heavy
challenge in the hosts’ penalty area. But this time the referee blew for a Marlow free
kick.
Leatherhead tested the hosts with the first corner of the match on 16 minutes. Fabio
Saraiva picked out Fikayo Atewologun in the middle of the box but the Tanners
centre back headed straight to Blues goalkeeper Aaron Watkins.
Jamie Splatt tested Watkins with a fine long range effort three minutes later as
Tanners continued to press forward.
Leatherhead had the ball in the Blues’ net on 24 minutes but only after the referee had
blown for a foul on Marlow skipper Chris Ovenden.
Despite a series of crunching challenges from both sets of players in a fiercely
competitive opening half, the remarkably lenient referee allowed the game to flow,
showing a solitary yellow card after Marlow’s Jordi Ndozid brought down
Leatherhead’s Omarr Lawson with a bruising tackle.
Tanners missed a chance to break the deadlock on 35 minutes. Saraiva delivered
another probing corner, but the ball was cleared off the line by Marlow’s Josh
Masters.
With five minutes of the opening half remaining, Olutade won a free kick wide on the
right near the corner flag. Saraiva lofted it high into the penalty area but Watkins
outjumped everyone to punch the ball to safety.
In first half stoppage time Daniel Hector was hauled to the ground by Masters, but
once again the referee saw nothing untoward and waved play on.
Splatt missed another chance to put Tanners ahead in the opening minutes of the
second half, volleying high over the bar from the edge of the box.
The match turned firmly in Marlow’s favour after they won a corner on 56 minutes.
Masters picked out Ndozid lurking unmarked around Leatherhead’s penalty spot and
his diving header evaded everyone as it flew into the corner of the net.
Worse was to follow for Tanners four minutes later, when they conceded an almost
identical second goal after another Blues corner. This time Masters picked out Louis
Rogers and the unchallenged midfielder sent a powerful header firmly into the back of
net from twelve yards out.
Any remaining hopes of a Leatherhead comeback were firmly dashed when the
visitors conceded a third goal on 65 minutes, after former Tanners favourite Dave
Tarpey won another corner for Marlow.
Masters delivered another out-swinger from the left. The ball dropped invitingly for
Rogalski to power home from the edge of the box, giving Leatherhead keeper
Amadou Tangara no chance.
Tanners rallied briefly with Tyler Cox setting up a good opportunity for Trey
Masikini on 83 minutes. And with five minutes remaining, Hector tested Watkins
with a fierce long range shot which the keeper did well to save.
Leatherhead’s persistence finally paid off with a consolation goal on 87 minutes.
Ghas Sow did well to win possession at the by-line, squaring the ball into the heart of
the six-yard box for Robinson to stab home from close range.
Ollie Cook almost grabbed a second goal for Tanners deep in stoppage time, with a
turn and shot that went just wide of the post.
But at the final whistle Leatherhead were left to reflect on some woeful defending
midway through the second half, as Marlow comfortably held out through seven
minutes of added time to win the South Central promotion play-off final.
Marlow: Aaron Watkins, Elijah Olundunjoye, Josh Masters, Louis Rogers, Jordi
Ndozid, Chris Ovendon, Dawid Rogalski, Ben Mulley, Kai Hamilton-Olise (Naheer-
Omar Nawaf 76), Rhys Harper (Brandon Curtis 80), Dave Tarpey (Josh Boorn 71)
Leatherhead: Amadou Tangara, Jerry Puemo, Fikayo Atewologun (Trey Masikini 67),
Jamie Splatt (Alpha Diallo 59), Ollie Cook, Fabio Saraiva, Omarr Lawson (Trevan
Robinson 67), Ghas Sow, Ibrahim Olutade, Daniel Hector, Tyler Cox