WELCOME, SALUT, HOWDY,WILLKOMEN

So we have just two games left in 2022, both here at the Whyteleafe Sports Arena. Tonight gives us a bit of a break from a league campaign that has seen the wheels come off in recent weeks.

At times we have bemoaned our luck and have not really picked up the points that we have deserved in matches. However that doesn’t really apply to the Northwood game. It has to be said that the first half was a tight affair and although on chances created Northwood will say they had the better of things, we were well in the contest and only a scramble in first half injury time saw us go in trailing. The less said about the second half, the better!

Onto brighter things, and tonight we find ourselves in the fourth round of the Velocity Cup, the furthest we have gone in the competition. Lets be honest though after our first round exit at Faversham last season we didn’t really have a lot to beat.

A bye in the First Round meant we came into the competition in Round 2 and had the short trip (Well 7 mile walk for one of us) to Three Bridges from the Isthmian South East division. A 2-2 draw, thanks to absolute screamers from Javin Dougan and Matt Surmon saw us go to penalties and a couple of Dan Purdue stops saw us through 4-3.

We followed that with a 1-0 win thanks to an early second half Tyrese Sutherland strike away at Binfield in a match that ended with players struggling to see the halfway line from the edge of the area as the fog descended.

Leatherhead are at this stage after an Ayuub Ali goal gave them a 1-1 draw away at East Grinstead Town, before they secured a 6-5 win on penalties.

In Round 3, they saw off Isthmian Premier side Kingstonian, thanks to goals from Jack Strange (an OG) and Lewis Pearch, which gave them a 2-1 win.

At stake tonight is a place in the Quarter Finals, and a trip to Isthmian Premier play off contenders Aveley.

Let’s try and get behind the lads tonight as they face a tough task to progress, against a Leatherhead side who have overcome a sticky start to the season and, odd result aside, are starting to pull themselves up the table.

After tonight’s clash, we host high flying Marlow on the 28th December for our final game of 2022. Obviously the Christmas period is a time for families and not travelling to far, so its great to see we have such a local derby that should really pull in the crowds...

Enough from me, enjoy the game, have safe trips home, and have a fantastic Christmas