The Advertiser Trophy.
Match Report by Rod Ellis.
Dorking Wanderers 5 Leatherhead 1
Dorking Wanderers retained the Advertiser Trophy with a comfortable 5-1 win against Leatherhead at Meadowbank Stadium on Tuesday.
The powerful and quick paced Wanderers raced into an unassailable three-goal advantage inside the opening half hour, adding two more in the second half before Jacob Breckon nabbed a late consolation goal for the Tanners.
Dorking opened the scoring on nine minutes with Alfie Rutherford latching onto a cross from Jimmy Muitt for a simple tap in.
Leatherhead’s Anas Igozouln almost struck back four minutes later, but the former Ascot United striker fired into the side netting from a tight angle. Rutherford almost doubled Dorking’s lead a minute later, firing just wide of the post. Wanderers added a second goal on 17 minutes when the Tanners defence failed to clear Frank Vincent’s cross from the left. Rutherford stole in at the far post to fire
home at the second attempt, after his initial effort was well blocked by Leatherhead
keeper Sonny Wheeler.
Dorking skipper Charlie Carter produced a fine touch from twelve yards out to divert the ball past Wheeler for the hosts’ third on 29 minutes. Carter linked up with Bobby Joe Taylor and Muitt in another quick break in the
Tanners’ half, with the latter’s shot just going wide of the post.
In the opening minutes of the second half Leatherhead’s Kareem Akinnibi linked up well with Lukas Franzen-Jones, but the Tanners’ front man’s shot from the edge of the box lacked sufficient power and was comfortably gathered up by Dorking keeper Harrison Foulkes.
Any hints of a Tanners revival were quickly squashed. New signing Dennon Lewis struck Dorking’s fourth goal of the night on 50 minutes, with the former Woking wing back guiding the ball into the corner of the net.
Leatherhead continued to create chances going forward. Fitzgerald cleverly picked out Breckon with a looping cross over the Wanderers defence, but the former Westfield striker fired wide from a seemingly offside position in front of goal, although the referee’s assistant’s flag stayed down.
Wheeler made a couple of fine blocks to prevent Wanderers from extending their lead before Tanners almost pulled a goal back on 80 minutes. Igozouln fed the ball through to Nathan Hogan, but the former Redhill striker’s fine effort hit the post.
The best goal of the night came two minutes later as Dorking’s ‘Trialist B’ struck a powerful shot past Wheeler from the corner of Leatherhead’s penalty area into the opposite corner of the net.
Breckon grabbed a consolation goal for Tanners on 84 minutes. The ball was played across the hosts’ six yard box with the new striker firing home from a wide angle.
Seb Tautua-Cabellero almost added a sixth goal for the hosts in the dying minutes when his fine effort struck the post. But the final result was an emphatic 5-1 win for Dorking Wanderers, who retain the Advertiser Trophy for a third consecutive year.
Wanderers continue their pre-season build up away to Sholing on Saturday, while Leatherhead host Tonbridge Angels at Fetcham Grove. Kick-off is at 3.00pm.
Dorking Wanderers: Harrison Foulkes, Brennan Camp, Niall McManus, Jimmy Muitt, Alfie Rutherford, Charlie Carter, Bobby Joe Taylor, Luke Moore, Frank Vincent, George Francomb, Louie Annesley (Subs: Dan Pybus, Tony Craig, Dennon Lewis, Trialist A, Trialist B, Seb Tautua Cabellero, Gabriel Jades, Chris Ewen, Jack
Saunders)
Leatherhead: Sonny Wheeler, Alfie Huckle, Niran Butler, Lukas Franzen-Jones, Kane Fitzgerald, Anas Igozouln, Kelvin Massango, Ross Stepney, Nathan Hogan, Kareem Akinnibi, Louie Paget (Subs: Rodney Dos Santos, James Richmond, Isaac Olaniyan, Ty Butler, Jacob Breckon)
