THIS AFTERNOON’S MATCH PREVIEW – LEATHERHEAD (AWAY)

Last Bank Holiday before Christmas takes the Hamlet on the road as they venture down to Fetcham Grove to take on Leatherhead.

The Tanners have made a solid start on their return to the Premier Division via a penalty shootout win in last season’s Division One South playoff final at Folkestone Invicta and, after a few yo-yo campaigns of late will be looking to reinforce their place at the Isthmian League’s top table.

Perversely promotion cost the Tanners dear player wise with seen several players from that side opting to leave Fetcham Grove the club for pastures new, leaving manager Richard Brady having to rebuild his squad virtually from scratch of the new campaign.

A number of key players upped sticks among them including leading scorer Tom Bradbrook, experienced central defender Jamie Coyle and skipper Darren Smith. Midfielder Tom Parkinson and shot stopper Deren Ibrahim also left the club during the close last season, though influential midfielder Matt Smart chose to delay his retirement.

However, the manager was quick to recruit new faces including lethal forward Carl Rook from AFC Hornchurch, well-travelled central defender Joe Bruce, late of Dunstable and a host of Conference clubs as well as goalkeeper Louis Wells who was a mainstay between the sticks for Basingstoke Town last term.

Quoted way out at 40/1 for the title ante post, Tanners fans must have feared a season of struggle but an opening day draw at home to last season’s Division One South Champions, Peacehaven & Telscombe, in a game that swung both ways, must have assuaged some of those fears.

They followed that up with a good win away to another side in transition, Bognor Regis, before sharing the points in a 1-1 draw away to Grays Athletic. The visit of Kingstonian to Fetcham Grove four days later looked to be heading the same way, Andre McCollin’s 23rd minute screamer cancelled out two minutes thanks to a goal from Vasileios Karagiannis, but a stoppage time penalty smacked home by Nat Pinney ended the side’s unbeaten run.

Before the weekend, Brady delved into the market once more, adding former Charlton Athletic and Stevenage midfielder Stacy Long. Having spent a decade at Charlton Athletic without making a first team appearance, Long was something of a late bloomer in footballing terms. When at Stevenage he was a key member of the side that won back-to-back promotions to League One and also lifted the FA Trophy when at Ebbsfleet from whom he joined the Tanners after being released in the summer. He did not have so long to wait to make his debut in green and swiftly endeared himself to the home fans as bagged the match-winning goal in Saturday’s narrow win over pointless AFC Hornchurch. That second win of the season lifted Leatherhead into 10th spot ahead of today’s encounter.

This afternoon's game kicks off at 3.00 pm at Fetcham Grove, Guildford Road, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 9AS.

ADMISSION PRICES

• £10 for Adults
• £7 for Concessions