Southall 1 Leatherhead 3
Tanners came from behind to beat Southall in an evenly contested FA Trophy second
qualifying round tie played at Burnham on Saturday.
Despite dropping to ten men late in the first half – following Joshua Green’s dismissal
for two yellow cards – Southall took the lead after 55 minutes. Gus Sow levelled the
scores from the penalty spot, before late goals from Jamie Splatt and Daniel Hector
secured Leatherhead’s place in the next round.
Mikey Allen returned in goal for Tanners after a month’s absence through a wrist
injury. The young keeper, on loan from Fulham, had little to do in the first half as
early efforts from Southalls Darreon Mark and Bill Montague went wide.
Leatherhead came close to opening the scoring on 32 minutes after Hector was fouled
outside the hosts’ penalty area. Stand-in captain Fabio Saraiva curled a well struck
free kick round the defensive wall, but the ball squirmed just wide of the post.
Tyler Cox forced a fine low save from Southall keeper Michael Edegbe on 40 minutes
before the hosts were abruptly reduced to ten men. Green received a second yellow
card for a bruising high tackle on Saraiva that could just as easily have been adjudged
a straight red.
The hosts frustrated the visitors with a tight defensive back line, with Tanners
resorting to playing long balls into the hosts’ half and too often getting caught out
offside.
Southall withstood the visitors’ attacks and took the lead on 55 minutes. Jaden
Thompson-Brissett found a gap in Leatherhead’s defence, receiving the ball 30 yards
from goal and firing home unchallenged from the edge of the box.
Tanners missed a good chance to equalise on 64 minutes. Robinson got hold of the
ball on the edge of the box before rounding the keeper and squaring to Omarr Lawson
for what should have been a simple tap in. But the Leatherhead midfielder somehow
mistimed his shot and Southall were able to scramble the ball away to safety.
Leatherhead’s disappointment was short-lived, however, as less than a minute later
Lawson was pulled down in Southall’s area and the referee blew for a penalty. Sow
stepped forward and calmly scooped the spot-kick into the roof of the net.
Tanners made a triple substitution on 66 minutes with Kenny Beaney, Michael Elechi
and Trey Masikini replacing Lawson, Jerry Puemo and Alpha Diallo.
Leatherhead continued to press forward with their one-man advantage and took the
lead on 78 minutes. Robinson received the ball in the area and laid it off to an
unmarked Splatt, who fired home from ten yards out.
Robinson came close to adding to the visitors’ lead on 84 minutes, heading Saraiva’s
well-struck corner against the post.
As the tie moved into stoppage time, things went from bad to worse for Southall.
Head Coach Max Howell had an altercation with the referee and was summarily
dismissed to the dressing room.
There was still enough time remaining for Leatherhead to add a late third goal. A
cross came over from the right and Hector was well placed at the far post to bundle
the ball over the goal line.
Robinson almost added a fourth for the visitors just before the final whistle, but his
firmly driven shot was well saved by the goalkeeper.
Southall: Michael Edegbe, Dimitris Savva, Azeez Alabi, Ryan Hope, Abdulrahman
Nurein, Joshua Green, Jaden Thompson-Brissett, Darreon Mark, Anthony O’Connor,
Bill Montague (Kevin Songolo 72), Frankie Taylor
Leatherhead: Mikey Allen, Alpha Diallo (Trey Masikini 66), Tyler Cox, Jerry Puemo
(Michael Elechi 66), Ollie Cook, Jamie Splatt, Fabio Saraiva, Gus Sow, Trevan
Robinson, Daniel Hector, Omarr Lawson (Kenny Beaney 66)