Leatherhead 2 Walton and Hersham 4
Leatherhead bowed out of the Surrey Senior Cup against a fast-paced and well
organised Walton and Hersham side.
With scores level at 2-2, Swans struck two late goals to seal their place in the final
where they will face either Dorking Wanderers or Carshalton Athletic.
With regular first team keeper Sonny Wheeler out injured and his deputy Harvey
Keogh cup tied, Tanners fielded new signing Ryan North in goal in an otherwise
familiar starting line-up.
Following a tentative opening the tie exploded into life on five minutes when
Walton’s Mason Obeng tested North with a long range effort from the edge of the
box.
Swans opened the scoring on 14 minutes. With a quick burst of pace, Ralph Vigrass
latched onto a long ball played over the top and coolly slotted home past the keeper.
Tanners equalised from a free kick on 24 minutes after a Swans player was penalised
for handball just outside the visitors’ penalty area. Skipper Kane Fitzgerald’s fierce
wide angled shot evaded everyone on its way to the opposite corner of the net.
Leatherhead pressed players forward as they sought ways to unsettle the Walton
defence. Niran Butler went close from a Fitzgerald corner. But his goal-bound header
was well saved by Swans keeper Jos Barker.
And when Ruben Bartlett-Antwi was bundled over just outside the visitors’ box on 29
minutes, Kareem Akinnibi was inches away from latching onto and converting Matt
Everitt’s piercing free kick.
Walton restored their advantage on 36 minutes. Another quick burst of pace caught
out Leatherhead’s defence, as Alex Body broke through the back line to plant the ball
past North.
But Tanners were level again three minutes later. Fitzgerald’s corner picked out Alfie
Huckle, whose powerful header flew into the opposite corner of the net.
Swans missed a chance to retake the lead just before half time. Lucas Defise was
through on goal but Leatherhead centre back Cameron Black made a fine block to
deny the Belgian midfielder.
Walton looked more likely to score the next goal in the second half, but they were
repeatedly denied over the next forty minutes by a well organised Tanners defence.
Thabo Kuaho went close on 55 minutes, firing into the side netting. And North did
well to turn behind Eoin Bolger low shot on the hour mark.
Swans sub Johl Powell had the ball in the net on 71 minutes, but clearly controlled it
with his arm before firing past North from the edge of the box. No goal.
North did well to deny Powell in the closing minutes as he tried to flick the ball over
the Leatherhead keeper’s head.
But the Swans’ superior pace put the tie firmly in the visitors’ favour on 89 minutes.
Another quick break from the half way line involving Obeng and Powell was
brilliantly finished off by Dawid Rogaliski, whose powerful curling shot from the
edge of the box would have beaten most keepers at any level.
Tanners pressed players forward in stoppage time, in a vain attempt to claw their way
back into the tie. But moments later, and with all ten of their outfield players in the
Swans’ half, Leatherhead were caught out by another swift counter-attack.
Obeng collected the ball just inside his own half, took it forward unchallenged and
calmly slotted home from the edge of the box to make it 4-2 to Walton.
There was still time remaining for one final push forward from the hosts. Lucas
Franzen-Jones tried to pick out Tyler D’Cruz in the visitors’ box, but Leatherhead’s
newly signed striker was unable to produce a shot on target.
Tanners can now concentrate on their final three remaining league matches. They
make the short trip to South Park (Reigate) on Saturday, knowing they need three
points to keep their play-off prospects alive. Kick-off at Whitehall Lane is at 3.00pm.
Leatherhead: Ryan North, George Hedley, Kelvin Massango, Alfie Huckle, Niran
Butler, Cameron Black, Marco Haigh (Rodney Dos Dantos 60), Matt Everitt (Lukas
Franzen-Jones 60), Ruben Bartlett-Antwi (Tyler D’Cruz 79), Kane Fitzgerald,
Kareem Akinnibi (Rhys Murrell Williamson 46)
Walton and Hersham: Jos Barker, Paul Field (Elliott Bolton 79), Thabo Kuaho, Anis
Nuur (Joey Jones 72), Riley Horan, Lucas Defise (Johl Powell 59), Ralph Vigrasse
(Ryan Danso 87), Mason Obeng, Alex Body (Dawid Rogalski 59), Kai Jennings, Eoin
Bolger