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
Whyteleafe ended the season on a bright note, coming back in an entertaining match to take all three points. With both sides in a comfortable mid-table position, there was always a danger that it would be a dull match, but both sides provided good entertainment for the fans.
Early exchanges were even and the game flowed from end to end. 'Leafe's first threatening move came when Daniel Platel put in a dangerous cross to the well placed Callum MacLean who was just unable to get his head to it.
After 17 minutes, Ian Pulman put Dave Cory through but Moses Spencer did well to block the shot and turn it behind for a corner which Liam Quinn headed straight at Rob Tolfrey. Two minutes later Sam Clayton sent MacLean clear, his deflected cross was well caught by Robert French under pressure from Platel.
Three minutes later Adam Broomhead put an excellent ball behind the hosts' defence to send MacLean clear, but French was quickly out to avert the danger. Tolfrey made a great save in the 39th minute to deny Cory. MacLean got into a running battle with Jake Gess and Gary Sayer that needed the referee's intervention, but whilst this diversion was carrying on, Smith took advantage of the lack of attention of the defence and, spotting French off his line, hit a wonderful chip from the edge of the box to give the visitors the lead.
In the 44th minute a dangerous cross from Chris O'Flaherty was turned behind for a corner. This found Clayton who laid the ball back to John Cartledge whose shot was deflected for another corner. This time the corner was met by O'Flaherty who headed over.
Whitstable came out the stronger side in the second half and were rewarded rather controversially with a 56th minute penalty. First of all the referee waved play on and Tolfrey made a fine save. He then went to the linesman and decided to award a penalty, despite the challenge that was deemed to be a foul taking place outside the box. Pulman took the spot kick well, leaving Tolfrey no chance.
Two minutes later Marcus Perona's deflected shot was well saved by Tolfrey. Gess played an excellent lobbed pass over the 'Leafe defence in the 68th minute to Pulman who hit the ball well on the volley with the ball dropping over his shoulder, but his effort went just wide. With Whitstable slowly taking control of the game, Whyteleafe made some changes. The hard working Platel had battled on his own up front, and was replaced along with Broomhead, for Joel Greaves and Sean Rivers to give 'Leafe two strikers, however before either of them had a touch, Gess headed the hosts into a 2-1 lead.
Clayton sent a through ball for Greaves in the 73rd minute. He beat keeper French to it but couldn't keep the ball in and it went safe. A minute later a mistake by Moses Spencer set up an easy chance for Cory but he shot wide with just Tolfrey to beat. Then later another long clearance sent Greaves clear, he beat the defender but French saved his shot.
Greaves was sent clear again and as French came rushing out Greaves lobbed him, but his effort was just off target. 'Leafe continued to pile on the pressure as they looked for an equaliser and were rewarded in the 86th minute when Greaves sent Rivers clear and he slotted the ball under the advancing French into the corner of the net.
With their tails now up, 'Leafe continued to attack and Clayton fired just over the bar in the 88th minute. But then, a minute from normal time they scored the winner when Clayton ran down the right wing and put over a precision cross that saw Rivers head home with glee into the net. This sparked off a tussle between Lloyd and Smith, both men being cautioned. Whyteleafe had to hold on for six minutes of stoppage time as Whitstable forced a series of corners, but held on for the three points.
Whyteleafe: Tolfrey, Causon, O'Flaherty (Riley 96) Reeve, Broomhead (Greaves 69), Spencer, MacLean, Smith, Cartledge, Clayton, Platel (Rivers 69).
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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
8th 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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