Leafe’s new year got off to a soggy start, with their away match against Redhill on 4 January cancelled due to heavy rain. The top of the table clash will have to wait for another day!
A week later, the game with Dareham Town, in the fourth round of the FA Vase, was also in doubt as snow covered Church Road in the run-up. Thanks, however, to the efforts of the club’s volunteers, fans and players, the pitch was cleared on the Friday and given the all clear on Sat morning.
A commanding Leafe display saw them run out 5-0 winners, thanks to a first-half brace from new boy Jamie Mascoll and second-half goals from Bennet, an unfortunate own goal and number five from Watson.
Next, a trip away to Jersey Bulls. They had yet to lose a game in the league this season and are firm favourites to go up. Such was the draw of this one, over 100 Leafe fans made the journey, bolstering the crowd to over 1,000, and royally entertained they were. Leafe had the better chances in the first half but couldn’t find a way through. The second half started in much the same way, but Leafe got their reward in the 66th minute when Mascoll coolly chested down a cross and hit a sweet left-footed volley past the despairing Jersey keeper.
This seemed to spark Jersey into life, and they started to string attacks together but Leafe defended heroically. Jersey missed several easy chances to level up and Dan Bennett had a great chance going into injury time, but miscontrolled it. 13 minutes were somehow then added on, but Leafe hung in there for a great result. There were a few sore heads in Jersey the following morning as players and fans celebrated into the night. Jersey fans were accommodating and friendly afterwards too and made us all feel very welcome: just how non-league should be.
Alton were next up, and Leafe struggled early on, going down to a Poynter penalty on seven minutes after the Leafe keeper had brought down their center forward. Leafe responded well and got their own penalty after 20 minutes, coolly slotted home by Gondoh. Alton re-took the lead just before half-time, Ajayi Obi finishing a nice move, but Leafe controlled most of the second half and ran out 4-2 winners, thanks to another Gondoh goal and one from Bennett late on.
(Credits: Richard Pearson – Instagram: @richypeafootie)
And so to the next round of the FA Vase. 775 people came to watch Leafe take on Egham Town at Church Road, and with Egham flying high in their respective league, this was always going to be cagey. And so it proved, with both teams wary of each other’s attacking prowess. The deadlock was broken shortly after half-time, with a delightful little clip from Watson over the keeper and in off the underside of the bar, sending the home fans into rhapsody.
This game could have gone either way and on another day Egham may have done better, but they came up against 17-year-old keeper George Hill, who performed a miracle triple save late on to give Leafe the win by the barest of margins. So Leafe are now within touching distance of Wembley, with a home quarter-final draw against Bourne Town from Lincolnshire on 1 March.
Guildford City were next at Church Road and Leafe had little difficulty in this one, running out 4-1 winners, with a Ryan Hall hattrick and a goal from skipper Helge Orome.
A long-awaited local derby then for Leafe as we travelled across the valley to old foes Chipstead. This rivalry goes back to the old Isthmian league, where the two clubs were friendly rivals for mid-table spots!
The Chipstead pitch was not great, but well done to the groundstaff for getting this one on, despite the weather and having to deal with a sinkhole, which opened up a few weeks earlier. Leafe, to their credit, played some really nice football but had to wait until 43 minutes to take the lead. Alton Leeward, who has been with AFC Whyteleafe since the club’s inception, was the unlikely scorer when his shot went low to the keeper’s right. Leafe scored three in the second half (Bennett, Gondoh and Watson) to run out 4-0 winners. This could have been more but for some fine saves from Chipstead reserve keeper Klevis Muca who denied Leafe a repeat of the 7-0 score when the teams met at Church Road.
18 February saw Leafe entertain Abbey Rangers in the League Cup. Two goals in a minute from Watson and Salami gave Leafe a comfortable lead in the first half, but after the break they seemed a bit lackluster and uncommitted. Abbey got one back on 81 minutes through Luke Robertson and then, three minutes into added time, Maxwell Hurst headed home from a corner to level things up, leaving a penalty shootout on the cards. But, with almost the last kick of the game, Hall fired a thunderbolt shot into the top corner to win it in the most dramatic style.
Leafe looked good for a while against Epsom and Ewell and went a goal up on six minutes, through Bennett. However, perhaps Leafe had one eye on the upcoming massive Vase game, as they seemed a bit hesitant and were punished late on in the first half, when Carl Oblitey latched on to a loose backpass to equalise on 37 minutes.
Bennet scored number two halfway through the second half, heading in a cross, and Watson finalised the scoring five minutes from time, securing a 3-1 win and top spot in the league.
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