Leatherhead produced their finest performance of the season to date with an outstanding 4-1 victory against league leaders Tonbridge Angels at Fetcham Grove this afternoon. Following on from where they left off against Met. Police in midweek, ‘The Tanners’ played some exciting football straight from the word go, and saw them become the first side of the campaign to beat the Angels in the league. Due to a niggling injury, boss Tony Dolby relegated himself to the bench, with Darren Smith entering the starting eleven. Otherwise it was unchanged from the squad that bravely battled to earn a point at The Crabble in midweek.

The visitors began the game very promisingly indeed with the dangerous strike partnership of Ray Powell and Leroy Huggins looking especially potent. Powell had an effort straight at goalkeeper Tommy Dunn, whilst Huggins was adjudged to have been offside when put through by Nick Barnes. On 12 minutes, the hosts thought they had broken the deadlock as Richard O’ Connor hit a free-kick inches wide of the goal, following an unseen elbow on the edge of the area. Moments later it was Tonbridge’s turn to win a set-piece in dangerous territory. Luke Piscina’s run was eventually halted by a mistimed challenge and Barnes floated the free-kick high and wide. Midway through the opening period, Leatherhead were forced into a change in personnel following a clash of heads between O’ Connor and Tommy Moorhouse. The latter having to leave on a stretcher whilst the former bravely battled on with a bandage wrapped around his head. On the half hour mark, Dave Stevens laid an excellent cross to the unmarked Mark Charles-Smith who had seemingly acres of space to choose his spot, but fortunately for the Angels, the striker miss-cued completely.

The first of many controversial moments in the game came towards the end of the opening period as Leroy Huggins looked to have been clipped from behind. Instead of going down, he scrambled through only to be eventually blocked off by the onrushing keeper. While all of this was going on, Lew Watts was lying on the floor at the opposite end after a nasty clash with Stevens. The referee ran over to his assistant before giving both players a ticking off. Tonbridge were then forced into a substitution as the injured John Beales was replaced by Mike Cramp. Seconds before the interval, Leatherhead took the lead via an ugly goalmouth scramble. The linesman flagged for a foul on keeper Jerome John but the referee once again waved play on, only for Mark Smith to tap into an unguarded net.

The second half began in the same vein as the end of the opening period, with Leatherhead willing to soak up pressure before attacking on the break. They made it 2-0 on 49 minutes as Dave Stevens raced through to calmly finish. Steve Aris and Dave Harlow were both booked for yet another off the ball incident before Huggins flashed a superb effort against the crossbar. On the hour mark, ‘The Tanners’ made the game safe with a third goal, this time coming from recent recruit Scott Bennetts. Nick Barnes was hauled off to make way for the influential Tony Dolby, but it was already too little too late. With twenty minutes still remaining on the clock, a red card was brandished to Jon Heath for a two-footed lunge on Jamie Beer. Both sides had penalty appeals refused by the fussy Mr A. Slaughter before substitute Warren Waugh completed the rout with his first touch of the game. Tonbridge did bag a consolation in stoppage time as Danny Lye raced through to expertly lob the keeper in what was to be the only bright moment of an uninspiring Angels performance.

Report by: Gary Cornwell