Leatherhead v Sutton Common Rovers
Isthmian South Central Division
Fetcham Grove, home of Leatherhead, is a ground that’s been on my list to visit since I started this project without quite getting around to. This all changed when I couldn’t get to my scheduled fixture (long distance to travel and needed to be back for an event early evening) so a quick scan through the fixtures found this match and hey presto, I’d finally get the chance to make the visit!
The journey, three train connections looked to give plenty of chances for a delay somewhere along the line but thankfully it didn’t turn out that way, trains ran like a dream and I arrived at Leatherhead station around 1.15pm. The ground is an easy ten minute walk from the station over the River Mole and I was in the ground just before 1.30pm. Entry was £12 for an adult and it’s £3 for an excellent printed programme.
As I usually do when visiting a new ground, I had a walk around the perimeter of the pitch before heading to the tea bar. Following a message on social media from the club I already knew what I was going to have, their Tanners Burger, a quarter pounder, bacon, cheese, sausage all topped off with fried onions. It was also served in a toasted bun that doesn’t disintegrate on you as you’re eating which is always a bonus! They have an excellent choice on their menu otherwise including pies which you don’t see anywhere near enough in the non-league.
I took my Tanners Burger and a generous portion of chips (£10 for both) and wandered into the Fanzone at the back of the main stand. Their drink selection is good and varied; I had a bottle of Timothy Taylors Landlord (£4.50) which, like a growing number of clubs, they serve in a reusable club crested beaker. It costs £1 but you get that refunded if you return it to the bar. I didn’t and handed it to an enterprising young man who asked if he could have mine later in the day, obviously a supplement to his pocket money!
The burger was delicious, big enough to mean you didn’t get the munchies later on but also not too big that you have to deconstruct it to eat it! They use good quality ingredients as well so it would probably rate in my top five burgers of the season so far, and washing it down with a pint of Landlord just topped it off. The ladies in the fanzone bar are lovely and very friendly and we chatted about food and drink at different grounds for quite a while.
Now I needed to have another wander to walk off the effects of the meal and on the way around I met Tim, one of the many volunteers, and we chatted for a while about all things non-league football and Leatherhead. Thanks for the souvenir pen and badge btw Tim! I then took part in the club’s raffle and I’m pleased to say I kept up my 100% record of never winning anything in any raffle I’ve ever taken part in. I think I’d collapse in shock if I ever did win!
I was a fairly blustery day and with the wind chill in the shadows it felt a tad on the fresh side (I’d been lured by the the sunshine into just wearing a hoodie rather than a coat, a schoolboy error) so I decided to head to the sunshine on the far side and wait for the game to start.
It was a cagey old start, the hosts passing the ball around but without really looking like breaking through the high back line of the visitors. A good run down the right by Rhys Williamson was knocked away for a Tanners corner. Williamson sent the set piece into a dangerous area where keeper Kacper Orlowski got a punch on it but only to the edge of the area where Kareem Akinnibi saw his shot charged down and the visitors managed to clear.
Next, captain Kane Fitzgerald floated a free kick towards the far post where it was headed back across the six yard box and finished by Ruben Bartlett-Antwi only for it to be ruled out by a flag for offside from the official on the far side.
In the 21st minute the hosts did take the lead and it came from an attack down the right by Sutton. Torin Ntege had the ball and tried to thread a pass through the home defence but Fitzgerald got a foot on it to direct it to Bartlett-Antwi. He ran into the Rovers half before playing a pinpoint pass into the path of Akinnibi running into the area. Orlowski came rushing out to shut him down and Akinnibi got there first, knocked it around him and stroked the ball into the empty net. 1-0
The hosts looked for a second, Akinnibi picked up the ball outside the box and fed it on to Williamson who in turn found Alfie Huckle on the edge of the box. His first time strike was well saved by Orlowski low to his right. Williamson was involved again moments later, cutting inside from the right before firing a shot towards the far top corner but it was just too high, grazing the roof of the net.
Rovers first real chance in the game came after a good Darren Esuka run saw him slide a shot across Sonny Wheeler from just inside the box with the keeper saving well low to his left. They then won a free kick on the edge of the box inside the D which Frankie Maciocia sent goalwards but Wheeler was well positioned to gather.
One final chance in a scrappy first half saw Williamson turn the defender inside out on the right before cutting inside and hitting a shot which again flew over the bar.
H-T: Leatherhead 1 Sutton Common Rovers 0
The second half started in a similarly disjointed fashion but this time it was the visitors that were pushing forward. An early chance came after Esuka won the ball on the left and found Christian Adugyamfi. The striker delayed his shot which allowed the defence to block the ball back out to Esuka who fired wide from a tight angle.
It was a slow start by the hosts to the second period and with both sides guilty of giving the ball away too cheaply.
Akinnibi found himself in space just outside the box only to fire over the bar without working Orlowski.
The game meandered on in a pretty nondescript fashion until the visitors were appealing for a penalty. Harvey Maudner picked up a headed clearance from Alex Pearce midway in the Leatherhead half before winding his way past three defenders into the corner of the six yard box where he went down under a challenge from Wheeler. The referee wasn’t interested and waved away their appeals for a spot kick.
Second half substitute Matt Everitt found space down the right and drifted past two challenges before being felled on the right corner of the box. The free kick summed up much of the second half when it didn’t beat the first defender and was cleared easily.
Rovers came close when good work again from Esuka, winning the ball on the right before cutting back inside and firing across the goal but just wide of the far post.
As the game went into added time Sutton made one last play to level. A succession of corners were all dealt with by the home side and they nearly got caught on the break with the keeper well advanced. A clearance was picked up on halfway by Ty Butler who in turn fed onto Everitt, he advanced into the box but Orlowski had managed to get back to save his shot.
F-T: Leatherhead 1 Sutton Common Rovers 0 Att: 376
Not the best game by any stretch of the imagination but a vital three points for the Tanners in their chase for a play-off position. The visitors stayed in 21st place in the table and have work to do to escape the relegation places.
A great day out at a very friendly club and it’s definitely somewhere I’ll revisit in the future. This won’t be the last time I’ll be seeing a Tanners side this season as I’m down to see their ladies youth side play at Farnham next month.
It was also wonderful to catch up with David Warren who I’ve got to know on social media. His first Tanners match was back in 1974 so a longstanding connection with the club and his company were sponsoring this match. It’s always good to put a face to a name!
Best of luck to both sides for the remainder of the season.