On the Terrace: Game Day 2

A Night to Forget

Game 2

Leatherhead 4 – 1 Welling United

Venue: Fetcham Grove

Scorers: Leatherhead –  Anas Igozouln (15, 19), James Dickson (40), Mark Waters (44). Welling United – John Ufuah (90+1) 

Match Day Experience

A short 40 minute train ride from central London, Leatherhead is suburban little town situated on the right bank of the River Mole in Surrey. The walk from the station to the ground is a straight forward and pleasant walk through a park and down a main road. Once you reach the stadium you will be greeted by lots of friendly faces selling programs, raffle tickets and entry. The stadium has plenty to offer before the start of the game with a fan zone equipped with a bar and a food stall selling burgers, award winning wings and more. For a small suburban team recently promoted to the Isthmian Premier Division they were well back and well supported for a Tuesday night game, although the beautiful weather may have played a small part in some of this.

Match Report

A night to forget for the Wings, as their unbeaten start to the season ended at the hands of Leatherhead, who were deserved winners.

Welling United could have argued that they started the better of the two teams, as some early pressure led to a sequence of corners that they were unable to capitalise on. However, this early pressure would soon be forgotten as a strike from Igozouln started what was to become an unforgettable night for the Tanners, as his effort from the edge of the box curled into the top corner. It wouldn’t take long for Igozouln to double his tally for the night, as three minutes later he scrambled home a long throw from Barrington.

Just as the Wings were starting to play their way back into the game, James Dickson’s cross-cum-shot found itself looping over Foley (Welling GK), who could do nothing to stop it reaching its destiny in the back of the net. Moments later, things went from bad to worse for Welling as Mark Waters drove forward with the ball before finishing smartly low into the bottom-right-hand corner.

It was a strange half, as Leatherhead were deservedly in front, but Welling will feel themselves a touch unfortunate, as everything the Tanners touched turned to gold.

The second half was a much more positive showing from the away side, who battled hard until the very end. Subs Melvin-Lambert (who scored last week), Jamie Reynolds and Ryan Blackman certainly made a difference when they entered the fray, as Melvin-Lambert struck the post after a good bit of “good old centre-forward’s play”. Blackman and Reynolds would also have efforts towards goal in the second half, but unlike the Tanners, the Wings didn’t have the same luck in front of goal, with Leatherhead keeper Sonny Wheeler pulling off some smart stops.

Welling did eventually get on the scoresheet with a John Ufuah consolation effort late in the second half. After good work down the left-hand side from Fumnaya Shomtun and Kaan Bennet (also both substitutes), the ball found itself at Ufuah’s feet, whose deflected effort gave the travelling Wings fans something to celebrate.

Overall, it was a night to forget for Wings fans, and there will be many who will feel disheartened with the result and scoreline. But, as Jimmy Greaves once said, “it’s a funny old game”, and this is something I think we can attest to here. Although Leatherhead deservedly won, there were still plenty of positives for Welling to take, and on another night, with a different bounce of the ball, it could have been a whole other story.