Match Report by Rod Ellis
Westfield 0 Leatherhead 3
Leatherhead made the perfect start to the new season with a comprehensive 3-0 win against Westfield at Woking Park on Saturday.
In six previous league meetings, home and away, Leatherhead had never beaten Westfield. So this dominant winning display was all the more satisfying for the large contingent of Tanners supporters in the crowd.
Leatherhead had the lion’s share of opportunities in a one sided opening half, with Westfield heavily reliant on goalkeeper Lewis Gallifent in restricting the visitors to a single-goal lead at half-time.
Leatherhead pressed Field from the opening exchanges and went ahead on 13 minutes. It was fitting that summer signing Jacob Breckon scored on his Tanners league debut against his previous club, chesting the ball down on the edge of the area before picking his spot and firing home from close range.
Another new Tanners signing came close to getting a second goal for the visitors on 29 minutes. Mark Waters firmly struck the ball from thirty yards out, but Gallifent made a spectacular diving save to turn the former Farnham Town midfielder’s goal- bound effort over the bar for a corner.
The Field keeper was kept busy in the run up to half time, with the visitors creating further chances to extend their lead. Gallifent made a great block to deny Leatherhead skipper Kane Fitzgerald before Nathan Hogan was also denied by another fine save.
Westfield stepped up the pace in the second half and came close to levelling on 59 minutes. Ellis Orsborn rounded a Tanners defender before pumping a probing diagonal cross through the heart of the six yard box. But Field were unable to finish and the ball raced harmlessly behind for a goal kick.
Leatherhead continued to press players forward and added a second goal on 64 minutes. A free kick was pumped into the hosts’ penalty area and headed away by a defender, but only as far as Fitzgerald, who struck the ball hard and low through a crowded box and into the corner of the net.
Tanners almost added a third goal four minutes later when Lucas Franzen-Jones delivered a curling cross into the hosts’ box. Waters met the ball, heading it down towards the inside of the post. But Gallifent somehow managed to get a hand to the ball on the goal line before scrambling it away.
Leatherhead sealed the three points with a decisive third goal on 72 minutes. Gallifent did well to block a wide angled shot from Kareem Akinnibi, but once again Fitzgerald was well positioned to latch onto the loose ball to fire home from twelve yards out.
Westfield came close to pulling a goal back on 79 minutes when Sekou Toure broke clear to shoot from the edge of the box. But Tanners keeper Sonny Wheeler came off his line to narrow the angle and made a fine block.
Following this confidence-building win, Leatherhead face a home league fixture on Tuesday against South Park (Reigate) before Westfield make a return trip to Fetcham Grove next Saturday for an FA Cup Preliminary Round tie.
Westfield: Lewis Gallifent, John Adebiyi, Adam Aziz (Sekou Toure 58), Lui Edwards
(Isaac Brown 64), Finlay Evans (Devonte Swack 72), Manolis Gogonas, Dylan
Merchant-Simmonds, Billy Nutbeam (Thomas Smith 72), Ellis Orsborn, Nathan
Rogers (Michael O’Connor 76), Andrew Crossley
Leatherhead: Sonny Wheeler, George Hedley, Niran Butler, Ross Stepney, Kelvin
Massango (Ronnie Spink 83), Kane Fitzgerald (Tyrell Butler 77), Nathan Hogan
(Alfie Huckle 79), Anas Igozouln (Sam De St Croix 54), Lukas Franzen-Jones, Mark
Waters, Jacob Breckon (Kareem Akinnibi 76)
