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Whitstable 1-2 Leatherhead
(Vahid Penalty) (Francis, Agyei)
Leatherhead chalked up a second away win of the season with a hard fought victory at Whitstable on Saturday.
Mick Sullivan made one change to the team that won at Thamesmead on Tuesday, with Jon Coke replacing Dan Dean in defence. Yet in the opening 15 minutes the Leatherhead boss had to completely re-organise his side after watching two of his key players hobble off with injuries.
Creative midfielder Liam Collins, on a month’s loan from Kingstonian, lasted just eight minutes before coming off worst from a crunching tackle against a Whitstable defender. Collins was substituted by Hassan Nyang.
Five minutes later Julian Osuwu-Bekoe limped off after a 50/50 challenge against another home defender. Sullivan had to introduce Kwabena Agyei as the striker’s replacement.
With the new players settling in, Whitstable looked dangerous on the break and tested Tanners goalkeeper Craig Bradshaw with shots from Stuart Vahid and Dan Dolton.
On 30 minutes, The Oystermen were awarded a free kick on the edge of the Tanners box and Bradshaw did well to tip Dan Wisker’s shot over the bar for a corner.
But Leatherhead also looked threatening in attack and took the lead after 33 minutes. A Whitstable player pulled up with a leg injury while running back to defend, allowing the ball to go out of play for a Leatherhead throw in. With the defender receiving treatment, Coke’s quick throw found Matt Francis in an unmarked position on the edge of the box. Francis looked up and fired a shot past Kevin Fewell in the Whitstable goal.
The Oystermen almost scored straight from the restart but Bradshaw got down well to his right, pushing away a low shot for a corner.
Whitstable continued to keep the Tanners defence busy at the start of the second half. Their equaliser eventually came after 55 minutes.
The Oystermen’s attacking partnership of Wisker and Stuart Vahid worked the ball into the Leatherhead area, before Vahid was brought down by Adam Goodwell inside the box. Vahid hit the resulting penalty low to Bradshaw’s left and the keeper could only watch as the ball flew past him and into the back of the net.
At this stage it looked as though Whitstable would go on to grab the three points on offer. The nearest they came to taking the lead was after 62 minutes. Dean Powell fed the ball through to Wisker, but his shot struck the post and rebounded back into play.
But it was Leatherhead who were to score the decisive goal after 65 minutes. A defensive lapse from the Oystermen saw a stray pass find an unmarked Agyei just inside the Whitstable half. The big striker ran the ball up to the edge of the box before hitting a scorching shot past Fewell from twenty yards out.
With twenty minutes remaining Leatherhead’s Tommy Hutchings was replaced by Josh Smith in a wide attacking role. Whitstable continued to press forward and managed to get the ball into the Tanners net after 80 minutes, but the referee blew up for offside.
Leatherhead almost added a third goal after 85 minutes, when Hassan Nyang blasted a free kick from 25 yards which went just over the top of the bar.
There was a sense of relief for the Tanners players at the final whistle. They had ridden their luck and earned their second away win of the week with another solid, all round display.
Leatherhead: Craig Bradshaw, Jon Coke, Adam Goodwell, Chris Boulter, Iain Hendry, Dean Gunner, Matt Francis, Liam Collins (Hassan Nyang), Julian Osuwu-Bekoe (Kwabena Agyei), Tommy Hutchings (Josh Smith), Zak Graham