Leatherhead boss Richard Brady is wrapping his star striker in cotton wool ahead of the Ryman Division One South play-offs.

Second placed Tanners can no longer win automatic promotion after a 2-0 defeat at Herne Bay on Saturday presented the title to Peacehaven & Telscombe.

One name missing from the starting line-up in north Kent was 30-goal striker Tom Bradbrook, and the hitman is also unlikely to feature in Saturday’s trip to Crawley Down Gatwick.

Brady said: “Bradders has a tight hamstring, and we’ll be assessing it on Thursday.

“We don’t think it is a pull, but we need to protect him between now and the play-offs.”

After 11 games in five weeks, the Tanners have enjoyed a week off, but with just four games remaining and a play-off berth guaranteed, Brady wants total concentration to ensure a home semi-final.

He said: “It was March madness, and we had to change the team round to cope with the amount of games, but now it is all about finding some momentum going into these last four games, and taking that into the play-offs.”