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Surrey Senior Cup Final

6^th May 2008

Whyteleafe ended the season with the disappointment of losing the final despite being twice ahead in a closely contested match.

The first of the first half chance fell to ex Leafe striker Kevin Lock who fired over the bar after a poor back pass failed to reach Robert Tolfrey. 'Leafe forced a number of corners but never seriously threatened the goal but Sam Clayton forced Ian Chatfield to punch clear from a couple of dangerous crosses.

Chris Boulter had a good chance in the 31st minute when Hill found him in the box from a corner but he headed wide and a mistake by Moses Spencer let in Lock in the 44th minute but he shot straight at Tolfrey. A minute later Callum MacLean put Sean Rivers through but his shot was blocked.

Whyteleafe had a scare early in the second half when Tolfrey let a cross slip through his fingers and he will have been relieved to see Ali Reeve clear off the line. Merstham's Mark Simmons put a 25 yard free kick just wide in the 52nd minute after Robbie Smith conceded a rather harsh free kick. A great move between Lock and Greenhouse in the 54th minute ended with Kwabena Agyei heading wide.

Dave Swindlehurst made a couple of changes and were immediately rewarded when they went in front in the 64th minute. MacLean's inswinging corner was well met by Reeve's head that guided it into the net for a rare goal.

Merstham pushed forward in search of an equaliser and after a spell of dominance, Agyei headed home a corner in the 76th minute to level the scores.

Two minutes later Tolfrey made a great save with his feet to deny Michael Morgan and 'Leafe had a couple of good chances just before the end of normal time to clinch the tie. First Alhajie Jabbie saw his 86th minute effort cleared off the line by Francis, then a minute later they were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box when Clayton was brought down but O'Flaherty fired it high over the bar.

Merstham were the first to threaten in extra time when Tolfrey made a great save to tip round a 25 yard free kick from Simmons. But again It was 'Leafe who took the lead this time in the 8th minute of extra time when O'Flahert found Daniel Platel in the box who was trippedup and the penalty given. Sam Clayton struck it well sending Chatfield the wrong way.

But 'Leafe's joy was short lived and in the 104th minute Rob Hill scored from close range to level the scores again. The second period of extra time was quite frantic with play switching from end to end, but it was Merstham who got the winner with a well taken shot from Francis with just six minutes remaining.

Whyteleafe: Tolfrey, Jabbie, O'Flaherty, Reeve, Broomhead, Spencer, MacLean, Smith (Cartledge 115), Rivers (Greaves 60), Clayton, Riley (Platel 64).

The end of season awards went to:

FIRST TEAM

Manager's Player of the Year: Sam Clayton
Supporters' Player of the Year: Robert Tolfrey
Players' Player of the Year: Robbie Smith
Young Player of the Years: Chris "camera-shy" O'Flaherty
Special one-off award for top scorer presented to keep him happy: Sean Rivers

RESERVE TEAM

Manager's Player of the Year: Dan Donegan
Young Player of the Year: Jack Stafford
Players' Player of the Year: Leigh Douce

YOUTH TEAM awards

Billy Manning and Jack Stafford

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Ryman League Division 1 South
Saturday 26th April 2008

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Ryman League Division 1 South
Monday 21st April 2008

Whyteleafe suffered their fifth consecutive defeat since beating Woking and winning through to the Surrey Senior Cup Final, but felt that they did enough at high flying Kingstonian to deserve at least a point.

The match started slowly with the first real chance after 10 minutes falling to K’s Lodge, but he was judged offside.  A teasing shot from Williams skirted the top corner of the goal and at this point Kingstonian were on top but creating few real chances.

For ‘Leafe Clayton worked hard up front but was receiving little support at this stage.  Whyteleafe’s first real chance came after 28 minutes when Causon sent in a long ball from deep on the right to Spencer whose shot was deflected to Cartledge and the resulting shot went narrowly over the bar.  Leafe’s best chance of the half came on 36 minutes when an O’Flaherty free kick put Broomhead through, but Garrard saved well.

K’s lively Hodge was proving a handful but despite their greater possession they did not produce a direct shot on goal until just before half time, when Traynor tested Leafe keeper Tolfrey.  It would be tactful to describe the first half as uneventful.

The game needed a goal and, immediately after the interval it got one, but unfortunately for Leafe, it was the Ks who scored straight from the kick off when a high centre resulted in a goalmouth scramble in which Tolfrey was bundled off the ball and Lodge somehow poked it into the net.

K’s probably deserved the lead at this point but Leafe then managed to raise their pace and determination to pull themselves back into contention.  Cartwright blatantly handballed, but from the resulting free kick, Causon lobbed the ball harmlessly straight to Garrard.  Seconds later the Ks keeper was being tested again, this time more seriously when he tipped over a fierce Clayton shot.  Leafe favourite Reeve, back in the team in a midfield role, was making telling interceptions and one of his passes resulted in a long mazy run from Clayton which was only halted at the last minute.

A foul by ex-Leafe player Neil Lampton, produced a chance from the resulting Clayton free kick, which the keeper only just managed to clear with Broomhead pressuring him.  

Clayton and MacLean were now harrying the K’s defence and three of their defenders were booked as signs of desperation were appearing.  In this spell, midway through the second half, a superb O’Flaherty free kick produced another fine save from Garrard and another Clayton chance flew just inches wide.

Greaves coming on for Platel had little impact, and towards the end, the Leafe effort began to peter out.  With four minutes to go Rivers came on for Jabbie, with Reeve dropping back to his traditional defensive role.  It was too late, even if Sobihy, had to head off the line in the dying minutes.  

Leafe’s second half performance owed much to effort and speed and it is probably true that K’s were despondent after almost certainly failing to make the play-offs.  However, it was a gutsy performance and Whyteleafe should still be confident for the Surrey Senior Cup Final in early May.  Leafe’s best players were Clayton and the consistently improving O’Flaherty.

Whyteleafe: Tolfrey, Jabbie (Rivers 86), O’Flaherty, Reeve, Cartledge, Spencer, MacLean, Broomhead, Causon, Clayton, Platel (Greaves 68).  Unused Subs: Méité, Hackett

Ryman League Division 1 South
Tuesday 15th April 2008

This was one of Whyteleafe's best performances against a local rival for some time and still they managed to lose it.  Chipstead had just four efforts on goal all match and scored two of them. Inevitably, the two goals came from former Whyteleafe players rubbing salt into the home fans' wounds.

The visitors first chance came in the opening minutes when Rob Tolfrey was forced into making a spectacular reaction save from them then on it was almost all Whyteleafe possession and goal opportunities.

Sam Clayton had more chances than anyone all night and started off by seeing and 8^th minute shot blocked by team-mate Danny Platel. A Steve Causon long range free-kick evaded everyone in the box, Chipstead keeper Daryl Dennehy could only flap at the ball which went narrowly wide of the far post. A strong run down the right from Clayton ended in a great shot which Dennehy just fingertipped away and Sean Rivers arrived a fraction of a second too late to follow up.

On 19 minutes Clayton saw good shot go wide after some excellent Whyteleafe build up play and shortly afterwards Chris O'Flaherty ran a good 40 yards with the ball but just ran out of steam before hitting a shot.

Dennehy had to contend with another Clayton shot on the half hour and then, two minutes later, totally against the run of play Chipstead made an unlikely breakthrough. They won a corner down the right and former 'Leafe left-back  Chris Head knocked it over to his onrushing team-mate Danny Oakins who headed firmly home at the near post.

Six minutes later, Whyteleafe had a gilt-edged opportunity to get back on terms when Sean Rivers was upended in the box but Sam Clayton's penalty effort, for all its power, was at a height that Dennehy found easy to parry away.

'Leafe continued to press for the equaliser and Callum MacLean saw a good shot go high an wide before the break.

Whyteleafe were still well on top in the second half. Chris O'Flaherty shot just wide on 55 minutes and two minutes later a Maclean corner was met by Jon Cartledge just yard from the goal-line but somehow he headed the ball back passed the near post and away for a goal kick.

Disaster struck for the home side on 65 minutes.  A defensive howler let in Scott Simpson who made no mistake firing past Tolfrey to double his side's score.

Dennehy made an excellent save on 74 minutes to deny O'Flaherty from a free-kick and, such was the keeper's activity all night, play was held up for several minutes as he was treated for cramp. 

A corner immediately followed this treatment and, as Chipstead failed to clear, Chris Head made a nasty late lunge which resulted in a yellow card and a free-kick 25 yards out for 'Leafe.  Maclean took it and his shot went through the wall but Dennehy did well to smother it.

Whyteleafe eventually scored six minutes from time when Joel Greaves reacted quickest to a ball played forward. He met the ball before Dennehy could get there and lifted it high over the keeper and it looped into the net.

As 'Leafe pushed on looking for the equaliser, Chipstead had their fourth chance of the game when Aaron Cole-Bolt found himself in space and shot from some distance. It evaded Tolfey who was relieved to see it rebound off the post and away.

Adam Broomhead had the last chance of the evening but his shot from a Sam Clayton cross was blocked and the visitors celebrated an unlikely victory when the final whistle arrived.

Whyteleafe: Tolfrey, Causon (Riley), Jabbie, Spencer, Broomhead, Maclean, Platel, Cartledge (Méité), Rivers (Greaves), Clayton, O'Flaherty. Unused subs: Hackett, Dilley.

Ryman League Division 1 South
Saturday 12th April 2008

This match promised a great deal early on in the match for the travelling Whyteleafe supporters but the early goals were soon forgotten as Walton & Hersham punished their visitors with a string of goals which led to their heaviest defeat of the season.

Manager, Dave Swindlehurst decided upon an entirely new defensive formation for this match. Alhajie Jabbie, already having shown his versatility this season playing at left back, at left sided midfield and right wing, this time played in the middle of a three man defence.

Alongside Jabbie were Ali Reeve, back from a three-match suspension, and John Cartledge returning from an injury sustained in February.  The match also saw a return to the recently out-of-favour front pairing of Sean Rivers and Daniel Platel.

The new look line-up couldn't have had a better start going two goals up in the first ten minutes. The first came within just two minutes of kick off as Rivers headed home a Sam Clayton cross from close range.

Rather than subdue them, the home side sprang into action and Rob George and Jon Neal both had chances that the 'Leafe defence did well to clear.  But on ten minutes, Walton were stunned again when a Chris O'Flaherty corner resulted in Rivers once again pouncing to head in from a yard out.

Despite the deficit Walton & Hersham knew they had time to turn things around and proceeded to play the better attacking football with pacey forward Julien Thompson posing the greatest threat to Jabbie down the middle.

But the composed Whyteleafe defence generally looked comfortable throughout the half until its dying minutes. Walton knew they needed to score before the break if they were to get back into it and score they did.

A ball from the left was played into the box, it was met by the rising Julien Thompson and just bounced wide of the far post. However, the referee sort some kind of infringement, presumably a push from goalkeeper Rob Tolfrey and awarded a penalty.  Tolfrey's protest earned him a yellow card. Jon Neal stepped up for the kick and Walton had managed to get a grip on the match.

The second half was punctuated with torrential rain showers which saw the pitch become treacherous by the latter stages. But Whyteleafe started well as they tried to take the momentum away from the home team. Michael Riley had a good opportunity to get a cross in but mis-kicked his effort behind the goal and Callum Maclean had a powerful shot well saved by Walton's keeper Rob Webb on 51 minutes.

As the half wore on Walton started to get the upper hand again. They won series of corners that Tolfrey and his defence were doing well to keep out but eventually Thompson managed to get the breakthrough poking home through a crowd of green shirts to equalise on 54 minutes.

With Walton once again in the ascendancy, Swindlehurst made a couple of changes but they did little to stem the flow.  On 66 minutes, Rob George's slightly awkward overhead kick met a free-kick from the left. Although there wasn't much power in the shot, Tolfrey saw it late and the ball bounced beyond him into the net. Now in front, the home side never looked back.

Tolfrey made a good save on 75 minutes to keep out a good effort from Matt Martin but they had to wait until the 82nd minutes to get their two goal cushion when an unmarked Rob George headed home an Adam Moriarty free-kick.

Whyteleafe's misery was completed in injury time when another Moriarty free-kick was this time met by Jack Watkins whose light touch was enough to earn him the credit for his side's fifth.

Whyteleafe will have to perform a great deal better than this for the remainder of the season if the players and manager are to come out with the great credit they sometimes think they deserve.

Whyteleafe: Tolfrey, Jabbie, O'Flaherty, Reeve, Cartledge (Causon), Riley (Méité), Maclean, Broomhead, Rivers, Platel (Greaves). Unused sub: Hackett.

Ryman League Division 1 South
Saturday 5th April 2008

Whyteleafe lost to a Worthing side that looked much hungrier for the game, with victory making them favorites to take the last play off place after other results went in their favour.

The first half was a dull affair with little attacking from either side. Chris O'Flaherty had one or two good runs down the left, putting in some dangerous crosses, but with Joel Greaves fighting a lonely battle up front, no real chances were created. In fact both sides each had only one attempt at goal in the first half and both of those were way off target.

First of all for 'Leafe, Sam Clayton created a bit of space for himself on the edge of the box, but shot well wide. Ben Andrews, at the other end, had Worthing's only shot of the half at goal in the 45th minute but hit it high over the bar.

The second half started in more promising fashion and 'Leafe started to open up the visitors' defence. Clayton found Alhajie Jabbie in the 51st minute, but his shot was blocked, the ball came out to Joel Greaves whose goal-bound header was headed behind by Andy Alexander for a corner. O'Flaherty took the corner which was partially cleared to Callum Maclean whose fierce shot was blocked.

Andrews had a good chance in the 68th minute, heading just wide from a Ben Johnson free kick. Worthing took the lead in the 57th minute when a flick on from a Johnson corner found Alexander in the box. His header hit the bar but came back to him and he bundled it into the net from close range.

Greaves came close to an equaliser on the hour when his header was brilliantly tipped over the bar by Rikki Banks. A minute later Greaves was again close, tipping just over  from an O'Flaherty cross.

Worthing made the game safe when they scored their second in the 80th minute, when Jamie Brotherton, who had a successful loan spell at 'Leafe earlier in the season, fired the ball home from a cross from Andrews. The home side's only chance in the closing stages came when Maclean had a free kick from 25 yards, but his shot was blocked.

Whyteleafe: Tolfrey, Jabbie, O'Flaherty, Causon (Rivers 84), Spencer, Broomhead, MacLean, Smith, Clayton, Greaves, Riley (Platel 69).

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Ryman League Division 1 South
Saturday 29th March 2008

Whyteleafe seemed to lack the cutting edge that they had shown in the semi final at Woking in the week, and although they had many good chances and dominated parts of the game, they were unable to peg back a Leatherhead side who took a first half lead. They thought they had equalised right at the end, only for the linesman to rule it offside.

The first twenty minutes were bogged down in midfield with Leatherhead creating the few chances that were made on a very heavy pitch. A Steve McNamara free kick in the 16th minute was grabbed at the second attempt by Rob Tolfrey and three minutes later, Chris O'Flaherty did well to head away a Dave Stevens cross under pressure from Carl Gibbs.

McNamara then hit another free kick in the 24th minute that Tolfrey saved, after O'Flaherty was booked for a late challenge. 'Leafe's first good chance came in the 27th minute when they won a free kick 25 yards out. O'Flaherty's well struck kick clipped the bar.

Two minutes later Robbie Smith sent Alhajie Jabbie clear down the right but his shot went across the face of goal.

Leatherhead scored what proved to be the winner in the 32nd minute. A free kick found Stevens unmarked in the box and the former 'Leafe striker picked his spot leaving Tolfrey no chance.

The visitors then had a good spell, with Jabbie finding Daniel Platel in the box in the 34th minute, his header going just wide. Two minutes later, Jabbie put Sam Clayton through. His shot was deflected into the path of Joel Greaves who put it over the bar from close range. Five minutes later a long clearance from Tolfrey set Platel away down the right. He cut inside the defender and hit a shot across the face of goal just beyond the far post.

At the other end Tommy Hutchings had a great chance to increase Leatherhead's lead. He beat Tolfrey with his shot but O'Flaherty was alert to the danger and managed to clear the ball off the line. A minute later O'Flaherty was in action at the other end when following a run down the left, his dangerous cross was cleared as far as Callum MacLean, whose volley hit the post. A minute later another O'Flaherty cross just eluded Platel and MacLean in the box.

Whyteleafe started the second half strongly, creating chances right from the off. Platel found Greaves in the box but his header was cleared away and minute later Robbie Smith hit a 25 yard effort just too high. A Sam Clayton effort was then deflected for a corner and then in the 50th minute, MacLean's 20 yard effort was saved.

'Leafe had their fifth effort in the first six minutes of the half when a good move involving Platel and Greaves ended with MacLean having a shot well saved.

But the early pressure was not sustained and was followed by a messy period in which both sides received a number of cautions, the most worrying for 'Leafe being Smith who will now have to appear before the FA for reaching 15 cards for the season and will face a ban of at least three games.

Leatherhead gradually began to get on top with Stevens having two excellent chances, one of which he shot against the post in the 58th minute. Dave Swindlehurst made several changes in an attempt to inject fresh legs as some of the players were tiring after two games in three days on heavy pitches played in pouring rain. His side however never really threatened to score until in stoppage time. Adam Broomhead headed home an O'Flaherty cross, but in what must have been a very close call, the linesman ruled it offside and the hosts went home with the points.

Whyteleafe: Tolfrey, Jabbie (Causon 69), O'Flaherty, Spencer, Greaves (Rivers 68), Broomhead, MacLean, Smith, Clayton, Platel, Riley (Méité 85).

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Ryman League Division 1 South
(Good) Friday 21st March 2008

Whyteleafe secured a fine away victory under testing conditions with goals from Sam Clayton and Adam Broomhead.

A bitterly cold gale blew across a heavy wet pitch and it was never likely to be a feast of football. It was the visitors who started the brightest and after only seven minutes they opened the scoring when Michael Riley dribbled across the Ashford goal and wide of the advancing keeper, leaving Sam Clayton to tap the ball in to the empty net.

The first half was short of incident, although Leafe keeper Rob Tolfrey needed to be smartly off his line to bravely dive at the feet of the advancing Michael Sherwood on twenty minutes. Shortly before the break Adam Broomhead and Ashford’s Ryan Briggs were involved in an altercation that surprisingly brought stern words but no cards from referee Mr O’Brien.

The second half proved livelier, Sam Clayton making an early jinxing run, his shot well gathered by keeper Sam Moore. On the hour Ashford squandered an open goal when a Moses Spencer slip allowed Mark Lovell to cross leaving Jimmy Bottle to finish from ten yards out, but he somehow managed to drag the ball wide of the goal. At the other end Sam Clayton, in confident form at the end of an impressive season, fired a 30 yard free-kick narrowly wide.

The 75th minute saw an ugly incident when Ashford defender Danny Lye inflicted a late and high tackle on midfield playmaker Robbie Smith who was lucky to escape serious injury whilst Lee escaped with just a yellow card, despite a disgraceful volley of abuse at the prostate Smith.

Shortly after, Alhajie Jabbie made a vital interception, stealing the ball from Bottle’s boot as he was about to shoot. With Ashford growing stronger there was relief for the visitors when a Chris O’Flaherty free-kick was bundled in by Broomhead in the 82nd minute. Rob Tolfrey then produced the save of the match turning a fierce Bottle drive around his post, but Ashford did reply in injury time when substitute Walid Matata finished a tremendous run with an unstoppable shot.

Whyteleafe held out to secure a second successive victory and retain faint hopes of a late surge to the last play-off place.

Whyteleafe: Tolfrey, Jabbie, O’Flaherty, Causon, Boxall, Spencer, Smith, Broomhead, Greaves (Platel 77), Clayton (Rivers 77), Riley. Subs not used: Méité, Hackett, Dille

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