Sometimes with the amount of clubs within an hour distance of your doorstep it’s easy to forget a few or leave it until too late to go and have a watch of them.
Picking the moment can be crucial as well, are you going to get a decent game to watch? Have you picked the time they’re not really in form? Are the opposition not quite up to it?
Well, one of those three were right for the Saturday football this week and although a bit of traffic took the journey time close to that hour mark coming home was well within the 40 minute marker.
Moneyfields might not be a club you’ve heard of too frequently and like so many others they’re in the shadows of a professional club in the shape of Portsmouth so that will give you some indication of where they’re based.
Indeed Pompey in the Community use the facilities there and it’s a small complex that isn’t quite finished yet but will give the current Step 4 club something to be proud of once completed.
They’re enjoying a decent season under Callum Glen and are firmly in the play-off places in the Isthmian South Central Division. With the sides above them having a few games in hand it’s unlikely they can lay claim to the title but will certainly see the season extended for them.
As I’ve previously said I try to pick out games that have something riding on them for one or both of the sides playing and this one ticked the boxes. Leatherhead are one of the two sides above the Moneys at the start of play, seemingly the title will be theirs or heading to Westfield depending on who holds their nerve in the next six weeks.
A rare sunny afternoon but chilly with the wind meant the sunglasses made an appearance rather than the thick coat for a change as we near the end of the campaign, the Tanners hoping that they would be the ones to grab themselves another win in front of a decent enough travelling support in the 357 crowd.
The opening 10-15 minutes were very scrappy, as if both sides were afraid of gifting the other something they would protect and not let go, it really needed a goal to settle it down and duly it arrived on 21 minutes.
A clumsy foul in the Moneyfields box on Jacob Breckon gave the visitors the chance to opening the scoring and Nathan Hogan did just that from the penalty spot.
It did settle the game down, but maybe a little too much so for the home side, the Tanners looking more threatening coming forward with the home side not able to move the ball around quickly enough.
When they did get into good areas one on one, the delivery into the box failed to find a yellow shirt and Leatherhead defended the half well to take a half time lead.
The second half certainly made it the proverbial game of two halves. Moneyfields controlled the possession for the entire half, Leatherhead happy to let them do so and when the pass failed they were quick to break.
Their finishing let them down, the chances were there to take a two or three goal lead and really kill off their opponents who despite having the big majority of the ball couldn’t fashion any chances for themselves.
But all the while the visitors only had a single goal to defend the hope was there for the home side right until stoppage time. They did come close hitting the bar and with Leatherhead supporters all around me, certainly a few hearts in the mouth moments.
A cheer went up before the end that their nearest challengers Westfield were losing and indeed went on to do so, the Tanners really hanging on by the end of the game but securing the three points and moving six points clear with both having played 32 games.
The Moneys have played three more than both sides hence their involvement in the title race would need a dramatic collapse from both sides and a seven game winning run themselves.
With Hayes & Yeading the closest club to the play off places but some 13 point off Moneyfields with just a single game in hand the Portsmouth based outfit are almost confirmed a top five finish.
They certainly do like to play on the front foot, keeping players hugging the touchline for one on one opportunities and while they created quite a few the balls into the box didn’t match that effort.
The Tanners were very comfortable in possession when they had it first half and a sure sign of their good defensive shape in the second half which is why only Hanworth Villa have conceded less than them this season.
For the visitors Cameron Black a strong rock at back, having seen him play previously at two or three clubs I’ve been impressed and even tried to get him somewhere else in the last couple of years when he was released but that didn’t pan out but he’s down well there.
Jacob Breckon gave the centre halves plenty of work all afternoon, a tall imposing lad who might not have had much service throughout the 90 minutes worked hard to bring others into the action, a very tidy game from Anas Igozouln.
For the hosts the width provided by Louis Gates and Faris Khallouqi was excellent, the delivery into the box when in good positions wasn’t however, Jack Farrier anchoring the midfield and getting about the pitch tried to make things happen but one of those afternoons they just came up a little short.
Great to catch up with Callum post-match, he and Connor Hoare did superbly at Petersfield Town last season at Step 5 before Callum made the move here in the summer. His remit, to stay up, he’s comfortably well in front of that as he predicted they would be and barring a huge miracle a stab at getting Step 3 football, not too shabby really.
