Leatherhead 3 - 0 Chatham Town

(Simmons, Hill, Smith)

Leatherhead returned to winning ways with a comprehensive 3-0 win against Chatham Town on Saturday.

Tanners boss Mick Sullivan made significant changes to his starting line up. Club captain Iain Hendry sat out the match on the subs bench, Elliott Thompson came straight into the starting eleven from the reserves while Leon Simpson and Rico Morris were both released from the club following Tuesday’s defeat against Horsham YMCA.

Leatherhead began brightly, adopting a quick tempo style with short, crisp passing movements across the floor. The players’ determination to get stuck in right from the start was in sharp contrast to their lacklustre performance against YM.

Chatham keeper Dean Ruddy was regularly tested throughout the first half as Leatherhead launched a wave of penetrating attacks spearheaded by Tommy Hutchings and Marc Elston.

Hutchings created a great opportunity after 15 minutes as he bore down on the visitors’ goal but he rushed at his shot from outside the box and could only watch as the ball flew over the bar.

Mid way through the first half the Chats had half a chance to open the scoring when Leatherhead’s defence failed to clear their lines. Chats captain Richard Avery pounced on the ball but fired his shot wide of the post.

For all the pressure they exerted in the Chatham half, Leatherhead were unable to apply the finishing touch that would have given them a first half lead.

Despite having the majority of possession in the opening half Leatherhead almost went a goal down after 40 minutes. Chatham moved the ball around in the Tanners box and Adam Goodwell was well positioned to make a goal line clearance to keep the scores level at half time.

Leatherhead stepped up a gear at the start of the second half. In the opening minute Rob Hill got the ball down to the by line and crossed back to Hutchings whose shot went narrowly wide.

It was only a matter of time before the Tanners opened the scoring and their patience was rewarded with a goal after 48 minutes. Hutchings broke away from his marker on the edge of the box and fired a blistering low shot which Ruddy could not hold. The ball rebounded to the feet of Mark Simmons who calmly placed his shot past the despairing keeper.

It was one-way traffic from then on as Matt Francis, Hutchings, Elston and Hill bombarded the Chatham goal with shots from all angles.

Leatherhead’s second goal came after 58 minutes. Elston won the ball in midfield and fed it out to Hutchings on the right. The striker took the ball down to the by line and drove a cross into the heart of the Chatham box where Hill was well placed to blast his shot into the back of the net.

Francis was injured in a crunching tackle and had to be replaced by Josh Smith after 70 minutes. Smith got his name on the score sheet with another well worked goal after 77 minutes. Clever footwork from Simmons saw the ball played out to an unmarked Smith on the edge of the box and the winger beat the keeper from a wide angle.

Chatham began to push forward following the introduction of substitute Justin Ascari but the nearest they came to scoring was when a spectacular 30 yard effort from substitute Matt Rowe hit the crossbar after 81 minutes.

The Chats miserable afternoon was completed when John Wilfort was dismissed five minutes from full time for an off the ball incident seen by referee Mark Tweed.

This one of Leatherhead’s best all round performances this season and the players left the field with the applause of the home crowd ringing in their ears.

Leatherhead: Colin Harris, Jon Coke, Adam Goodwell, Chris Boulter, Dan Dean, Rob Hill (Jamie Beer), Matt Francis (Josh Smith), Mark Simmons, Marc Elston, Tommy Hutchings (Greg Andrews), Elliott Thompson.

Chatham Town: Dean Ruddy, Michael Scott (Matt Rowe), Ashley Probets, Matthew Solly, Richard Avery (Ben Payne) John Wilfort, Bradley Potter, James Lyons, Brendon Cass (Justin Ascari), Lee Barnett, Rob Denness

Match Report by Rod Ellis