SUTTON COMMON ROVERS 2 – 2 LEATHERHEAD FC [VELOCITY CUP 4TH ROUND ]
LEATHERHEAD WIN 4-3 ON PENALTIES
Leatherhead advanced to the Quarter Finals of the Velocity Cup 4-3 on penalties, following a 2-2
draw against Sutton Common Rovers at a mist-shrouded Whyteleafe on Wednesday.
With a number of Tanners players either cup-tied or unavailable through injury or illness, manager
Hayden Bird was forced to make some key changes to his starting line-up, with a debut handed to
former Kingstonian midfielder Omarr Lawson and Fikayo Atewologun moved up from defence to
attack as a makeshift striker.
SCR took the lead after eight minutes. Liam Holden was picked out by a short free kick from the left,
guiding the ball past Leatherhead keeper Slav Huk with a glancing touch at the near post.
Tanners drew level on 19 minutes. Max Mullins whipped in a cross from the right and fellow
Aldershot Town loanee Keane Anderson stroked the ball home from twelve yards.
Leatherhead almost took the lead moments later, with SCR keeper Endurance Johnson doing well to
tip Louis Collins’s long range dipping effort over the bar for a corner.
Tanners continued to press forward and grabbed a second goal in first half stoppage time. SCR failed
to clear Anderson’s shot which struck the foot of the post before Lawson stole in to fire home from
close range.
Tanners were rarely troubled in the second half. Leatherhead looked to extend their lead on 75
minutes when SCR struggled to clear Olly Allen’s thunderous free kick, with the ball skittling around
the hosts’ penalty area before finally whizzing just wide of the post and out for a goal kick.
But within minutes the hosts had equalised, with Tanners caught out at the back. Huk
uncharacteristically spilled a looping SCR corner and Brian Testolin stabbed the ball across the line
from close range.
With the scores level at 2-2 after ninety minutes, the tie was settled through penalties. It was the
third penalty shoot-out of the season for both SCR and Leatherhead – with neither side having lost
before now.
Tanners stepped up first and scored with their first four penalties courtesy of Anderson, Allen, Archie
Burnett and Lawson. Huk saved SCR’s second sot-kick, making it 4-3 to the visitors after four pens a
piece.
Luke Phair sent Leatherhead’s next penalty high over the bar, before Huk dived low to save SCR’s
fifth and final effort to ensure the visitors’ advance to the next round.
Leatherhead’s reward is a Quarter Final trip to Aveley in the New Year.
SCR: Endurance Johnson, Rhamar Garrett-Douglas, Kelvin Mabango (Courtney Swaby 60), Kyron
Richards, Liam Holden, Hugo Odogwu-Atkinson, Tyrese Sutherland, Shawn Lyle (Franklin Nzeh 63),
Connor French (Brian Testolin 56), Shakeel Morris, Tyler Cox
Leatherhead: Slavomir Huk, Max Mullins (Rob McGowan 76), Louis Collins, Michael Elechi, Harry
Osborne (Jake Eales 38), Olly Allen, Adam Neal (Luke Phair 75), Keane Anderson Fikayo Atewologun,
Omarr Lawson, Archie Burnett