Leatherhead 2 Southall 1
Leatherhead overcame Southall in a tight game at Fetcham Grove on Saturday with
Deondre Date grabbing a late winner for the hosts.
Tanners were altogether tighter and sharper going forward than in recent
performances and with only three minutes played Lukas Franzen-Jones forced a smart
save from Southall keeper Kojusoluwa Abayomi.
Leatherhead continued to press and were rewarded with a goal from Franzen-Jones on
11 minutes. A quick delivery through the middle found the former Lancing striker
who fired wide of Abayomi, with the ball crossing the line off the inside of the post.
Tanners almost doubled their advantage on 26 minutes. Tom Kavanagh struck a long
range effort which Abayomi did well to tip over the bar for a corner.
Southall immediately made a quick counter-attack, with Makael Scott outpacing two
Leatherhead defenders in a race for the ball. But Tanners keeper Sonny Wheeler came
off his line to block the young striker’s effort.
Rhys Murrell-Williamson posed a major threat to the visitors with his frequent runs
down the right. But he was equally matched by the ‘All’s powerfully built skipper
Azeez Alabi who stuck by the Leatherhead winger throughout the match.
Anthony O’Connor missed an opportunity to level for the visitors on 39 minutes. The
former Hendon striker took the ball wide of Wheeler, but Leatherhead defender
George Hedley raced back to make a fine block to turn the ball behind for a corner.
There was plenty of goalmouth action at both ends in the opening minutes of the
second half. Date was put through on goal on 48 minutes but fired over the bar in his
effort to lob the keeper. O’Connor then missed another good chance, again beating
Wheeler to the ball before firing wide into the side netting from a tight angle.
Kavanagh forced another fingertip save from Abayomi before the visitors levelled on
55 minutes. Tanners failed to close down Zak Joseph and the Southall midfielder
broke clear before shooting into the corner of the net.
Two yellow cards for Kyron Richards over the next ten minutes saw the ‘All reduced
to ten men.
Leatherhead felt they had a strong appeal for a penalty on 83 minutes when Ruben
Bartlett-Antwi appeared to be pulled down by Alabi in the box, yet the referee saw
nothing wrong and play continued.
But Date was not to be denied a worthy winner for Tanners. On 88 minutes Murrell-
Williamson twisted and turned inside his marker before working the ball back from
the by-line for a clinical one-touch finish from the young striker.
The result sees Leatherhead move above Southall into tenth place, their highest
position in the league so far this season.
Tanners will be keen to consolidate that position when they host Westfield at Fetcham
Grove on New Year’s Day. Kick-off is at 3.00pm.
Leatherhead: Sonny Wheeler, Kelvin Manuel Massango, Alex Pearce, Niran Butler,
George Hedley, Tom Kavanagh, Kane Fitzgerald, Alfie Huckle, Deondre Date, Lukas
Franzen-Jones (Ruben Bartlett-Antwi 74), Rhys Murrell-Williamson
Southall: Kojusoluwa Abayomi, Kyron Richards, Azeez Alabi, Ryan Hope, Christian
Mulindwa (Jordi Ebanda 78), Lanseny Traore, Jaden Thompson-Brissett, Anthony
O’Connor, Zak Joseph (Noah Hay 70), Brendan Matthew, Makael Scott