Witley Club FC 1 vs 3 Leatherhead FC

<p>Surrey Intermediate Cup 3rd Round<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" />WITLEY 1 LEATHERHEAD 3<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" />H-T: 0-2<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" />Leatherhead marched into the last 16 of The Surrey Cup on Sunday with a sound performance in very difficult conditions, a heavy pitch and strong winds restricting both sides who attempted to play a passing game.<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" />It took Leatherhead 15 minutes to settle into a pattern of play that suited the conditions, having the advantage of the slope and the wind in the first half, with the emphasis on quick passing and avoiding too much short passing out of defence. Nick Bennett opened the scoring on 24 minutes with the best move of the game involving a fast interchange between Steve John, Scott Coppin and Bennett who slipped the ball past the advancing Witley keeper to give the visitors a deserved lead. Coppin headec Leatherhead into a 2-0 lead on 31 minutes after Tom Ashdown and Bennett had opened up the Witley defence.<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" />The introduction of debutant Matt Alcoe as well as Will Ashdown imposing himself on the game helped Leatherhead gain better control as the first half wore on. In defence Matt Sime and Mark Farr were dominant winning most aerial challenges and when required, the ever reliable Joe Peak was a safe pair of hands in goal.<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" />Witley came out strong in the second half, missing an early header from close range when they really should have hit the target, before winning a dubious penalty when Farr was adjudged to have brought down the Witley winger. Witley made it 2-1 from the spot on 50 minutes.<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" />Alcoe scored a deflected goal for Leatherheads 3rd after 55 minutes, following a jinking run and cross from Coppin was set up by Tom Ashdown.<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" />Despite a late flurry of activity around the Leatherhead goal, the second half was very well controlled by the visitors who saw themselves through to another away tie in the next round on 13 January<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" />Team; Joe Peak, Steve Fitzgerald, Matt Sime, Mark Farr, Martyn Buchannon, Will Ashdown, Tom Dale, Tom Ashdown, Nick Bennett, Steve John, Scott Coppin. Subs: Matt Alcoe, Alex Leyland, Justin Holman