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Godalming 1 Leatherhead 0
The Tanners made the short trip to Wey Court to face surprise early League Leaders Godalming, only to be edged out by a single goal in a poor match, which was not helped by a rock hard uneven pitch and an over fussy referee.
Tanners started brightly, as set pieces became the order of the day, but despite an early flurry of corner kicks were unable to make any count, and the game quickly descended into an attritional battle, with Godalming’s direct uncompromising style leaving little to please the football purist.
On 24 minutes a Hutchings free kick was deflected wide for another corner, which again came to nothing, and Godalming punished this profligacy when in the 32nd minute the pacey Phil Williams raced into the left hand side of the area and was brought down by a back tracking Kev Terry.
Glen Stanley, who had scored in both previous encounters between these teams at Wey Court, duly sent Bradshaw the wrong way to maintain his record.
Shortly after, a Tony Cuff free kick from the right just evaded an onrushing Dom O Shea, and then on 37 minutes a Dean Gunner shot was deflected for another corner which again was well defended by the home side.
Godalming were continually frustrating the away team with a series of niggly fouls which went unpunished by the referee, and when Tommy Hutchings clearly had his shirt pulled whilst advancing in the area, his frustration boiled over and he received a yellow card for his protestations, with Cuff following him into the book moments later for a similar indiscretion.
Godalming nearly doubled their lead on the stroke of half time with a free kick deep on the right wing which was curled dangerously past the far post, with Stanley stretching in vain to get on the end.
The second half saw little improvement as a spectacle, and it was no surprise after 70 minutes when Mick Sullivan brought on Marc Elston for Tommy Hutchings and then Kwabena Agyei for Tony Cuff.
Elston created the clearest chance of the game when he played a neat one two and saw his cross shot shinned just past the post by a defender, and from the ensuing corner, home keeper Gary Aulsberry missed his punch but Iain Hendry’s fierce drive was well blocked and the defence hacked to safety.
Godalming had chances to increase their lead when the ever dangerous Williams broke through on the right and shot across Bradshaw but wide of the far post, and they missed an even better opportunity when Bradshaw failed to hold a skimming drive, but Boulter’s challenge ensured Stanley’s follow up dribbled just wide.
In the 85th minute Tanners had their final chance when O Shea raced clear of the defence, but as the Godalming keeper advanced he scuffed a left foot shot across the goal and wide of the far post.
Despite several more late corners but there was to be no dramatic late equaliser and Godalming defended grimly to hold on for the three points.
Leatherhead: Craig Bradshaw, Dean Gunner, Chris Boulter, Iain Hendry, Luke Adams, Kev Terry, Hassan Nyang, Tony Cuff, Josh Smith, Dominic O’Shea, (Kwabena Agyei), Tommy Hutchings,( Marc Elston).
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