VLeatherhead 2 - 0 Worthing
Hutchings, O’Shea
Leatherhead’s Ryman League season got off to the best possible start with an emphatic 2-0 win against Worthing. Tanners’ boss Mick Sullivan introduced no fewer than eight new players to his line up, with only Iain Hendry, Tommy Hutchings and Tony Cuff making the starting eleven from last season’s squad.
The game began quietly with neither side able to break down the opposition’s defence. Sullivan played new signings Josh Smith and Michael Morgan out on the wings and their pace was used to good effect, feeding crosses to the new strike partnership of Hutchings and Dominic O’Shea.
Leatherhead had the better of the opening exchanges although efforts from Hutchings, Smith and O’Shea failed to trouble Alan Mansfield in the Worthing goal. At the other end, captain Hendry calmly marshalled the Tanners defence to deal with any threats from Worthing.
The breakthrough came on 26 minutes. As Leatherhead advanced into the visitors’ half, O’Shea fed a cross into a crowded penalty area that fell to the feet of Hutchings. The striker cleverly dribbled the ball away from the Worthing keeper then paused for a moment, before calmly stroking his shot into the net from an acute angle.
Worthing had the ball in the Leatherhead goal just before half time, but with the referee audibly blowing for a Tanners free kick, the player who needlessly fired the ball across the goal line was shown a yellow card for his troubles.
Leatherhead missed an opportunity to increase their lead on 54 minutes when O’Shea fed the ball out to Morgan on the left. The former Merstham midfielder ran with the ball and forced the Worthing keeper into parrying his goal bound shot away for a corner.
Worthing continued to pound the Leatherhead goal in search of an equaliser, but Axten and Treleaven squandered the Rebels’ best chances.
Mid way through the second half Leatherhead brought on Kev Terry in place of Smith and moments later man of the match Hutchings was substituted for another former Merstham player, Kwabena Agyei.
Worthing then fell foul of the referee for a second time in the game for the same offence – kicking the ball away after play had been stopped. This time it was Axten who was cautioned for his indiscipline.
Leatherhead finally doubled their lead in the 87th minute when a hurried Worthing clearance re-bounded into the path of O’Shea, who found himself with enough space to take the ball around the keeper and shoot into an empty goal.
Mick Sullivan will be delighted that his new team have got off to a winning start without losing any more players to injuries. What must be particularly pleasing for Tanners fans is that this result somewhat makes up for the 6-0 thrashing received at the hands of Worthing when the two sides last met in February.
Leatherhead: Craig Bradshaw, James Hancock, Luke Adams, Chris Boulter, Iain Hendry, Hassan Nyang, Michael Morgan, Tony Cuff (Dean Gunner), Dominic O’Shea, Tommy Hutchings (Kwabena Agyei), Josh Smith (Kev Terry).