Sevenoaks Town 1 Leatherhead 2
Leatherhead completed an FA Cup and Trophy double against Sevenoaks Town on
Saturday, securing a comfortable 2-1 win at the Bourne Stadium.
Five weeks after knocking them out of the FA Cup Tanners returned to Sevenoaks,
scoring twice to win this FA Trophy tie after falling behind to an early goal from
Jefferson Aibangbee.
Deondre Date levelled from the penalty spot before half-time for Leatherhead and
George Hedley secured the visitors’ place in Monday’s Third Qualifying Round draw
with a well-directed second half header.
Oaks started the tie strongly with Aibangbee firing just wide on seven minutes.
Two minutes later Tanners keeper Sonny Wheeler had to race off his line to collect
the ball on the edge of his area ahead of an advancing Warren-Hughes Mfula.
Leatherhead’s defence were caught out by a well-worked Sevenoaks break on 19
minutes. The ball was pumped forward from the half-way line to Aibangbee, who
broke clear of his marker before firing low past Wheeler from the edge of the box.
Tanners steadily clawed their way back into the game. Matt Everitt went close with a
header that skirted just wide of the post before Kane Fitzgerald tested Oaks keeper
Jordan Perrin with a low shot on the half-hour mark.
The tie moved decisively in Leatherhead’s favour when the visitors were awarded a
penalty on 39 minutes.
Everitt cleverly turned his marker at the half-way line, sending the ball forward to
Date. The former South Park and Tonbridge striker picked out Kwesi Ntim in the
Sevenoaks box, whose goal-bound effort was blocked on the line by the outstretched
arm of defender Ryan Sawyer.
The referee obviously didn’t have a clear line of sight of the incident. But after briefly
consulting with his assistant he reached into his back pocket and drew out a red card.
Following Sawyer’s uncontested dismissal, Date stepped forward and calmly struck
the ensuing penalty low to the keeper’s left and into the corner of the net.
With their one-man advantage, Leatherhead pressed forward in the second half in
search of further goals.
The decisive breakthrough came on 56 minutes. Perrin was forced to make a couple
of low saves before Ntim delivered a probing cross into the box and Hedley was well
positioned at the far post to head home.
Tanners had the ball in the hosts’ net again five minutes later. But the referee saw that
an Oaks defender had been bundled off the ball in the build-up and the goal was
disallowed.
In the final half-hour Leatherhead squandered several chances to increase their lead
after winning a series of direct free kicks outside the hosts’ penalty area, within
striking distance of the goal.
Three Fitzgerald attempts were saved comfortably by the keeper before Everitt failed
to clear the defensive wall another free kick.
Those misses could have proved costly for Leatherhead. In the closing minutes
Sevenoaks missed a difficult chance to draw level, with Josh Wisson firing over from
the edge of the box.
Looking ahead, Tanners will be desperate for a home tie in the next round of the
competition after receiving four successive away draws in their FA Cup and Trophy
campaigns so far this season.
Leatherhead return to league action at Fetcham Grove on Saturday when they host
Hayes & Yeading United. Kick-off is at 3.00pm.
Sevenoaks Town: Jordan Perrin, Ryan Sawyer, Salim Futa, Jack Bath, Jahmal
Howlett-Mundle (Oliver Gray 21, Liam Northwood 74), Josh Wisson, Jefferson
Aibangbee, Ayomide Majekodunmi, Warren-Hughes Mfula (Gael Kileba 64), Rodney
Eruotor (James Jeffrey 64), Sammie McLeod (Michael Sarpong 49),
Leatherhead: Sonny Wheeler, Jude Jeffrey (Marco Haigh 34), Kelvin Manuel
Massango, Ollie Cook, George Hedley, Niran Butler, Kane Fitzgerald, Alfie Huckle,
Matt Everitt (Leo Hams 90+1), Kwesi Ntim (Rhys Murrell-Williams 75), Andre Date