VWorthing 1 Leatherhead 3
A blistering first half display saw a rampant Tanners storm to victory at Woodside Road on Tuesday night against their fourth-placed hosts.
Tanners fielded an unchanged team from the side that started against Burgess Hill apart from Michael Corbett who started in place of the injured Iain Hendry, and Mick Sullivan’s men are now starting to reap the benefits of a settled side.
The writing was on the wall for Worthing as early as the eighth minute when Tommy Hutchings played in the diminutive Marc Elston but after beating the keeper he could only hit the outside of the post with the goal at his mercy.
However, this was soon forgotten as just 5 minutes later Greg Andrews curled an exquisite free kick from 25 yards into the bottom right corner of Alan Mansfield’s goal to put the Tanners 1-0 up, and moments after Chamal Fenelon had headed into the side netting for the hosts, Tommy Hutchings latched onto a through ball to lash home and send the Tanners fans wild.
Worthing then had a great chance to get straight into the game back as Colin Harris pulled off a superb one handed save to tip Ben Johnson’s 30 yarder onto the bar and over.
This scare merely served to send Tanners into over drive, and after Hutchings somehow fired over from Elliot Thompson’s pinpoint cross, they were soon celebrating again.
Another ball over the top saw Marc Elston sprint clear and this time he made no mistake, calmly lobbing the advancing Mansfield to give the Tanners a three goal lead.
The end to end action continued unabated as minutes later Elston and Hutchings got in each other’s way with the goal at their mercy, and then Harris saved from the dangerous Fenelon, before farmer wasted the host’s best chance just before half time by heading a left corner over the bar from 4 yards out.
Tanners could have buried the game shortly after the break when a Hutchings cut back saw Thompson produce a sublime chip which Mansfield somehow got a hand to and tipped just over the bar when he looked beaten.
Elston then took a knock and was replaced by Luke Pigden and on 65 minutes Tommy Hutchings, who had worked tirelessly all evening, was replaced by Dom O Shea.
Worthing were gradually forcing their way back into the game, and eventually their pressure told when on 75 minutes a right wing corner was flicked on and Evan Archibald threw himself at the ball to head home from close range.
Another corner shortly after almost set up a tense finale, but fortunately for Tanners the attempt was cleared off the line, and with late substitute Steve Barilli replacing Thompson they managed to shut out the hosts and claim a valuable three points.
Leatherhead: Harris, Coke, Boulter, Corbett, Goodwell, Thompson (Barilli), Simmons, Hill, Andrews, Elston (Pigden), Hutchings (O Shea)
Report by Lord Richard of Wilkinson