South Park (Reigate 1) Leatherhead 1
Gus Sow scored a late equaliser for Leatherhead to force a replay against South Park
in this FA Cup Preliminary Round tie at Whitehall Lane.
Sparks took the lead against the run of play with a headed goal after 68 minutes
before Sow equalised with a well struck shot for Tanners.
Leatherhead commanded possession in the opening half hour, demonstrating a fine
level of pace and fluidity, but shots from Fabio Saraiva and Dan Hector failed to test
Sparks’ goalkeeper Danny Bracken.
Tanners came close to opening the scoring midway through the half, with Tyler Cox
feeding the ball through to Trevan Robinson. But the young striker was thwarted by
the former Corinthian-Casuals custodian who saved bravely at his feet.
Bracken denied Hector with another good save on 35 minutes, turning the ball behind
for a Leatherhead corner.
Sparks had a rare chance in front of goal three minutes before half-time after winning
a free kick on the edge of the visitors’ penalty area. But Brendan Murphy-McVey was
unable to test Leatherhead goalkeeper Mikey Allen, his shot clipping the top of the
visitors’ defensive wall before being cleared away.
Another Sparks break in first-half stoppage time came to nothing, with Ethan Ford’s
initial shot blocked by a Tanners defender before Sam King blasted over the bar from
eighteen yards.
Robinson had the ball in South Park’s net on 65 minutes, but only after the referee
had blown for a foul on a Sparks’ defender.
The hosts soaked up everything Leatherhead threw at them and took the lead from a
corner midway through the second half. Murphy-McVey floated the ball across the
Tanners penalty area and it powerfully headed home by an unchallenged player.
Leatherhead manager Hayden Bird made what turned out to be three inspired
substitutions late in the second half, with all three subs involved in the visitors’
equaliser on 83 minutes.
Michael Elechi broke clear at the half-way line, feeding the ball through to Trey
Masikini. The attacking midfielder took the ball to the by-line before laying it off to
Sow, who drilled home with a low shot through a crowded penalty area.
Tanners missed a chance to win the tie late in stoppage time, with Robinson just
failing to connect with Saraiva’s floating cross into the box.
.And so it’s back to Fetcham Grove on Tuesday to determine the outcome of this tie,
before the two sides face each other again at Whitehall Lane next Saturday in a
League match.
South Park: Danny Bracken, Jack Tucker, Jude Molloy, Ryan Healey, Ethan Kaiser,
Joe Bell, Ethan Ford, Brendan Murphy-McVey, Keiran Lavery, Craig McGee, Sam
King. Used Subs: Ollie Twum, Aiden Brown, Kevin Manuel Massango
Leatherhead: Mikey Allen, Alpha Diallo (Gus Sow 77), Tyler Cox (Michael Elechi
81), Fikayo Atewologun (Trey Masikini 77), Ollie Cook, Jamie Splatt, Fabio Saraiva,
Kenny Beaney, Trevan Robinson, Dan Hector, Omarr Lawson