Leatherhead 2 Metropolitan Police 1
Leatherhead moved up to third place in the league table with a narrow 2-1 win against
Met Police at Fetcham Grove on Saturday.
Tanners’ striker Ibrahim Olutade tucked the ball away to give the hosts any early lead.
Police equalised with a blistering Benjamin Mendoza free kick on 28 minutes before
Tyler Cox sealed the points for Leatherhead with a deflected goal after forty minutes.
Tanners began the match at a forceful pace and took the lead in the fourth minute.
Olutade received a long through ball down the middle, level with the last defender.
The Police defence all stopped playing as the referee’s assistant raised his flag for
offside. But the referee over ruled his assistant, waving play on and allowing Oultade
to calmly take the ball around goalkeeper Liam Beach and fire home into any
unguarded net.
Olutade almost grabbed a second goal for the hosts on 18 minutes, chesting down
another long delivery before seeing his shot deflected onto the post and out for a
corner.
Tanners continued to press forward and on 20 minutes Olutade squared a pass through
to an advancing Fabio Saraiva. But the Leatherhead midfielder rushed his shot, firing
wide from the edge of the box.
Police became more assertive as the half progressed and on 25 minutes were denied a
chance in front of goal by a well-timed tackle from Leatherhead’s Gus Sow.
Cox got the better of his marker on 27 minutes, delivering a dipping cross into the
visitors’ penalty area which just evaded Trevan Robinson at the far post.
Police levelled in the next minute after being awarded a free kick 25 yards from goal.
Mendoza stepped up and hit a magnificent strike beyond the reach of Tanners keeper
Amadou Tangara and into the corner of the net.
Leatherhead restored their lead on 40 minutes. Once again Cox managed to slip past
his marker to deliver a probing cross into the heart of the visitors’ penalty area. But
this time the ball was deflected low past Beach by a Police defender and into an
unguarded goal.
Tanners missed a chance to increase their lead on 47 minutes. Fikayo Atewologun
pumped a fine delivery across the Police goalmouth which just evaded an advancing
Cox at the far post.
Kenny Beaney, back in Leatherhead’s starting line-up following a lengthy absence
through injury, tested Beach with a fierce drive on 60 minutes which was put behind
for a corner.
As the match wore on, Tanners became more tentative, slowing the overall pace and
allowing their opponents opportunities to drive forward on the counter-attack.
Towards the end of the match Police centre half Ryan Davey threatened the Tanners
goal with a series of long throw-ins into the heart of the hosts’ penalty area.
But goalkeeper Tangara and the makeshift back four of Atewologun, Saraiva, Jamie
Splatt and Jerry Puemo heroically dealt with everything the Police threw at them to
protect the hosts’ lead to the final whistle.
Leatherhead face a difficult trip to a resurgent Guernsey next Saturday, with the
Green Lions in confident mood following successive high-scoring away wins against
Marlow and Corinthian-Casuals. Kick-off at Guernsey is at the earlier time of
2.00pm.
Leatherhead: Amadou Tangara, Fikayo Atewologun, Fabio Saraiva, Jamie Splatt
(Junior Savane 82), Jerry Puemo, Kenny Beaney, Daniel Hector, Gus Sow (Omarr
Lawson 67), Ibrahim Olutade (Michael Elechi 75), Trevan Robinson, Tyler Cox
Met Police: Liam Beach, Izunna Ikebuasi (Igor De Oliveira Souza 83), Kjonte
Gillfillan-Waul, Isaac Nkosi, Ryan Davey, Kynan Kirlew-Wright, Rudy Appiah-
Allen, Benjamin Mendoza, Noah Amissah (Jamal Andrew Sharpe), Shekinah Reid
(Alfie Walters 72), Charlie Brown