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Ryman League Division One South
Leatherhead 2 - 0 Metropolitan Police
Leatherhead maintained their push for a play off spot with two second half goals from Kev Terry to take them back to fifth place in the League table.
Tanners boss Mick Sullivan made three changes to the side that had won at Ashford on Saturday with Kev Terry, Rob Hill and Greg Andrews making way for Jack MacLeod, Mark Simmons and Matt Francis in the starting line up.
The match began slowly with neither team creating many chances in the opening exchanges. Former Tanners striker Phil Ruggles distributed the ball well for the Police and always looked a handful for the Leatherhead defence. Ruggles was held back by Dan Dean just outside the Tanners box after 13 minutes but the subsequent free kick was well blocked and then cleared from danger.
Police kept the Tanners pegged back in their half for long periods but rarely troubled Colin Harris in the Leatherhead goal. Gary Drewett and Elliott Taylor hit a couple of long range efforts which Harris did well to collect.
Leatherhead skipper Chris Boulter made a rare defensive slip after 30 minutes which allowed Police’s Nicky Humphrey through on goal, but his weak shot was well gathered by Harris.
With half time approaching the Police looked the more threatening of the two sides, as shots from James Greenaway and Ruggles went wide of goal.
At the start of the second half the Tanners brought on Terry in place of Francis. It turned out to be an inspired substitution by Sullivan, as Terry injected some much needed pace into Leatherhead’s attack.
The Police had their best chance of the match after 60 minutes when Humphrey broke clear in the Tanners goalmouth and hit a powerful shot at goal from close range. Harris got down well to block and saw the ball cleared before Police could follow up.
From here onwards Leatherhead looked the side more likely to break the deadlock. Tommy Hutchings stole clear of his marker on 70 minutes, producing a tight-angled shot that struck the foot of the post before being cleared.
The Tanners eventually took the lead after 73 minutes following a free kick down by the right corner flag. Luke Pigden floated the ball across the Police goalmouth and found Terry well positioned at the far post to nod it across the goal line.
Leatherhead sealed their win with a second goal after 85 minutes. Hutchings broke clear deep down the left side before pulling the ball back into the box. MacLeod made a neat step-over, leaving Terry ideally placed to fire home from close range.
Leatherhead now go into the final two and a half weeks of the season as the League’s top form side, having taken maximum points from their last six matches. If they continue to grind out results like this one, then last month’s distant play off hopes should be firmly realised by the end of the season.
Leatherhead: Colin Harris, Jon Coke, Adam Goodwell, Chris Boulter, Dan Dean, Luke Pigden, Jack MacLeod, Mark Simmons, Matt Francis (Kev Terry), Tommy Hutchings (Gabriel Odunaike), Elliott Thompson
Met Police: Mo Maan, Lee Gledhill (Craig Wilkins), Nathan Simpson (James Cottee), Steve Sutherland, Nicky Humphrey, James Greenaway (Rob Smith), Craig Brown, Vernon Francis, Phil Ruggles, Gary Drewett, Elliott Taylor
Match Report by Rod Ellis