Leatherhead 0 Raynes Park Vale 1
Daniel Hector returned to Fetcham Grove to score the only goal of an evenly
contested match as Raynes Park Vale beat Leatherhead 1-0.
The former Tanner took his chance on 78 minutes, winning possession in a wide
position before cutting inside a Leatherhead defender to drill a low shot into the
corner of the net from the edge of the box.
Vale had the better of the few chances at either end in a tense opening twenty
minutes. But neither Seanan McKillop nor Kyen Nicholas tested Leatherhead keeper
Rileigh Hebditch with long range efforts going wide and high.
Tanners went close on 24 minutes. Kane Fitzgerald won possession at the half way
line and the ball was quickly played forward into the path of Lukas Franzen-Jones.
Leatherhead’s recent signing drove a powerful shot at goal, forcing a good save from
Vale keeper Billy Bishop as he turned the ball behind for a corner.
Leatherhead were ineffective going forward, lacking in the creativity and fluidity of
recent matches as they failed to penetrate the well organised Vale defence.
Changes came early in the second half. Tanners made a double substitution on 53
minutes with Alfie Huckle and Seb Karczewski replaced by Alex Laing and Deondre
Date.
Laing almost made a breakthrough for the hosts on 63 minutes, curling a looping shot
through a crowded Vale penalty area but the ball just squeezed over the top of the bar.
Nicholas missed a chance to put the visitors ahead on 69 minutes, but the former
Hanworth Villa striker hit a tame shot straight to Hebditch for a comfortable save.
Leatherhead’s hopes of a breakthrough became increasingly restricted to set pieces.
On 75 minutes Date was brought down just outside the visitors’ penalty area, giving
Tom Kavanagh the chance to hit a direct free kick towards goal. The Leatherhead
skipper’s effort cleared the wall of defenders but failed to Bishop, flying narrowly
over the bar.
The match turned decisively in Vale’s favour three minutes later. Leatherhead centre
back Alex Pearce lost possession wide on the left. Hector saw his chance. Keeping the
ball on his favoured left foot, the midfield maestro worked his way into the middle
before finding the corner of the net with a powerful shot from eighteen yards.
Tanners’ response was less than effective. Vale’s defence dealt with everything the
hosts threw at them in the closing minutes, clearing up at the back and comfortably
dealing with a series of late corners and free kicks to hold on for the three points.
Leatherhead return to league action on Tuesday when they welcome Guernsey to
Fetcham Grove. Kick-off is at 7.45pm.
Leatherhead: Rileigh Hebditch, Kelvin Manuel Massango, Alex Pearce, George
Hedley, Anuar Ceesay, Kane Fitzgerald, Tom Kavanagh, Alfie Huckle (Alex Laing
53), Matt Everitt (Rhys Murrel Williamson 81), Lukas Franzen-Jones, Seb
Karczewski (Deondre Date 53)
Raynes Park Vale: Billy Bishop, Archie Harland-Goddard, Seanan McKillop,
Cameron Black (Nathan Lewis 85), Jordan Gallagher (James Dickson 61), Jermaine
Green, Tom Richards, Daniel Hector, Aaron Moody, Kyen Nicholas, Jake Goodman