LEATHERHEAD (0) 0

UXBRIDGE (2) 2 S.Bamford 17mins, G.Bamford 35mins.

A Bamford double strike ensured that Uxbridge maintained their recent run of form, and also that they notched up their first victory at Fetcham Grove since Leatherhead were promoted in the 1997/98 season. The conditions were far from ideal, with a boggy pitch and persistent drizzle conspiring to make the going tough for both sides. It was the home side who settled the quicker of the two sides, firing a number of long balls into the box in the opening ten minutes, which were dealt with well by Daryl Pelton and the defence. As the half progressed the Reds began to get more into the game and took the lead on 17 mins. Jamie Cleary floated over a free kick from the edge of the penalty area, and found the unmarked Stuart Bamford six yards out who volleyed the ball first time past the static Rob Hall in the Leatherhead goal. It was the defender's third goal in recent games, but this was the first he has not scored with a header. Leatherhead were almost level within four minutes however as Paul Harkness broke the offside trap and was clean through with only Daryl Pelton to beat, but he dragged his shot inches wide of the far post. The Reds doubled their lead fifteen minutes later though when Dean Clark broke through on the left hand side of the penalty area, he pulled the ball back to the onrushing Gavin Bamford who drilled a low shot into the corner of net via the upright. Chris Moore then picked up a slight knock and was replaced by youngster Stuart Goodall who worked hard to put the defenders under pressure for the remainder of the half. The conditions deteriorated as the second half got underway, and it was clear from the early exchanges that chances would be at a premium, as both teams struggled to adapt to the conditions. Goodall had a chance on 49 mins when he found space on the right hand side of the box, but he shot wide from a narrow angle. Long shots were then the order of the day as first Stuart Vaughn and later Paul Harkness tried their luck from 25 yards without either troubling Daryl in goal. The Tanners best chance of getting back into the game came on 75 minutes when a corner was floated over which evaded everyone and seemed destined to end up in the back of Uxbridge's net before Mark Weedon got back to clear the ball from right on the line. The game then drifted to the inevitable conclusion, but not before Leatherhead's last throw of the dice in the 90th minute when another corner was whipped into the near post, and somehow the balls was kept out by the mass of bodies on the near post. The final whistle meant that Uxbridge are now unbeaten in their last six games in all competitions and have kept clean sheets in the last four. As we seem to say every year at Honeycroft, If only the season had started at Christmas!

UXBRIDGE: Pelton, Mills, S.Bamford, K.Cleary, Weedon, G.Bamford, J.Cleary (Walters 85), B.Bamford (Granville 85), Tunnell, Moore (Goodall 37), Clark.

LEATHERHEAD: Hall, Garrood, Roberts, Oliver, Keeley, Hendry, Vaughn (Burton 75), McKay, T.Reid (J.Reid 75), Harkness, Jones.

Sub not used: Williams