Blues stage fightback to keep unbeaten record intact

Metropolitan Police came back in style after a lack lustre first half performance to snatch a deserved win and maintain their unbeaten record in Ryman League One South this season.

The Police however started confidently and in the opening minutes Stuart Harte was unlucky when his 22-yard right-footed volley was just wide of the far post.

Steve Sargent was then rather crudely brought down by Leatherhead's Ryan Palmer just outside the penalty area.

Sargent took the free-kick, only to see a defender clear the ball.

Craig Carley, last season's leading goal scorer for the Police, seized on a long Harte cross but his volley went straight into the hands of the Leatherhead keeper Neal Etheridge.

Leatherhead did not have their first goal scoring opportunity until 29 minutes.

Mo Maan, the Police goal keeper, fisted a high cross out of the area straight to the feet of Billy Marshall, who chose to drive it wildly back over the bar.

Two minutes later and the home side were one up. A long free-kick was headed forward by Michael Cobden a Police defender directly to Leatherhead striker Will Jenkins.

He swivelled and hit the ball with his right foot sweetly on the volley from about 16 yards out straight into the top corner of the net.

Maan did not even have time to react. A well taken goal.

Blues boss Jim Cooper's half-time talk appeared to have livened up his players as they came out the second half a changed team.

On 64 minutes, an attacking Police move resulted in Rob George picking up a cross, moving forward a couple of yards before driving a right-footed shot into the far corner of the Leatherhead goal from all of 18 yards for the deserved equaliser. The Police were in control.

Saheed Sankoh drove forward passing three defenders and his shot was forced around for a corner.

Leatherhead may have been down but they were far from out of it.

A rare mistake by the Police defence gifted Will Jenkins the ball just inside his own half. He drove forward unmarked for 45 yards but finished with a very soft shot straight into the arms of Maan. A let-off for the Police. With just seven minutes remaining a great one-two movement involving Rob George and Scott Forrester split the Leatherhead defence wide open.

Forrester finished in great style to drive the ball home from 16 yards out to put the Police deservedly 2-1 up. There was still time however for a equaliser, with the game well into stoppage time.

Jenkins was guilty of a blatant push on a Police defender inside the area to win the ball from a cross, but followed that with a shot which fortunately hit the cross bar and bounced out of play. That would have been an undeserved equaliser.