VLeatherhead 3 - 0 Bedfont Green
(Hutchings, Terry, Gunner)
Leatherhead’s FA Cup campaign got off to a great start with a 3-0 win against Bedfont Green.
Manager Mick Sullivan made a number of changes to the side following the midweek draw against Eastbourne Town. Michael Morgan was rested following a recurrence of an ankle injury, while Iain Hendry and Kwabena Agyei were named as substitutes. Kev Terry took Morgan’s place on the left, Tommy Hutchings returned in attack and Dan Dean made his first appearance of the season, partnering Chris Boulter in central defence.
The tie began quietly with neither side managing a meaningful shot in the opening exchanges. But the game burst into life after 20 minutes, as Leatherhead launched a wave of attacks on the visitors’ goal. Terry, O’Shea and Hutchings all went close but their efforts were either wide of the mark or safely dealt with by Lee Pearce, the Bedfont Green goalkeeper.
Yet Pearce was to take full responsibility for Leatherhead’s opening goal after 26 minutes. A Bedfont Green defender returned the ball to his keeper from the edge of the penalty area. But instead of quickly booting the ball up field, Pearce tried to shimmy his way past an advancing Tommy Hutchings. This was a big mistake. The Leatherhead forward won the ball, dribbled past the keeper and stroked his shot into an empty net.
Moments later Terry almost added another goal for the Tanners. This time the keeper redeemed himself, as an outstretched boot turned the Leatherhead player’s goal bound shot away for a corner. But by now the Tanners were in full control and it was just a matter of time before they chalked up a second goal.
With half time fast approaching, Terry hit a speculative shot through a crowded penalty area, low to the keeper’s right. Either Pearce saw it late or the ball took an awkward bounce, but the shot evaded the keeper’s desperate dive and whistled into the corner of the net.
The Tanners continued to dominate the game at the start of the second half. But in a rare attacking move, Bedfont Green were given the opportunity to reduce the arrears on 50 minutes, when the referee awarded them a penalty following an innocuous challenge in the Leatherhead box. But the moment of danger soon passed, as Craig Bradshaw dived to his left and pushed the penalty away for a corner.
Leatherhead killed the game off with a third goal after 52 minutes. Josh Smith fed a pass to Dominic O’Shea in the box and his shot was put behind for a corner. Tony Cuff directed his kick to the far post and Dean Gunner rose unopposed to head home.
With a three goal cushion the Tanners substituted Cuff for Agyei and then a few minutes later brought on Marc Elston for Hutchings. But by now it was a case of running down the clock towards the final whistle. Hendry came on for the last few minutes after Boulter received a knock on the head before the referee blew for full time.
This was Leatherhead’s best performance of the season to date. The side kept its shape and discipline and worked extremely well as a unit. It can only be hoped that this level of performance becomes the norm as the season heads into September.
The Tanners now face Ashford Town at Fetcham Grove in a fortnight in the next round of the FA Cup.
Leatherhead: Craig Bradshaw, James Hancock, Luke Adams, Chris Boulter, Dan Dean, Hassan Nyang, Kev Terry, Tony Cuff (Kwabena Agyei), Dominic O’Shea, Tommy Hutchings (Marc Elston), Josh Smith