Leatherhead extended their unbeaten run to six matches with an impressive 2-1 win against East Thurrock United on Saturday.

Goals from Mark Nwokeji and Kiernan Hughes-Mason gave Tanners a two-goal advantage before Sam Higgins pulled one back for the Rocks in the dying minutes.

The result lifted Tanners to 11th in the table, nine points off the play-offs..

Leatherhead started brightly and dominated the opening exchanges - on nine minutes Vasileios Karagiannis delivered a probing cross from the right and Josh Gallagher sent a glancing header just wide of the post.

Tanners had a strong shout for a penalty waved away in the next minute when Karagiannis was bundled over in the box by a Rocks defender.

Leatherhead continued to pressurise East Thurrock’s defence, with goalkeeper David Hughes making a fine save to turn Matt Smart’s long range effort over the bar after 13 minutes.

Emmanuel Osei had the Rocks’ best chance of the opening half on 37 minutes, but the fast-paced striker was denied by the legs of Leatherhead keeper Louis Wells, who spread himself out to deflect the ball away for a corner.

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Leatherhead shot-stopper Louis Wells

Tanners seized the initiative to take the lead in first half stoppage time.

Adam Green whipped a free kick into the heart of the visitor’s penalty area - the ball dropped at the feet of Nwokeji and, with his back to goal, the Leatherhead forward spun around quickly before driving it firmly past Hughes.

There was a hint of offside for Tanners’ second goal on 66 minutes - Hughes-Mason latched onto a long clearance out of Leatherhead’s defence and with the opposition appealing in unison for offside the Tanners striker calmly rounded the keeper and planted the ball in the net.

The referee briefly spoke to his assistant, but despite continued protests from the visitors the goal was allowed to stand.

Rocks pulled one back on 88 minutes after Jerry Nnamani obstructed Higgins 22 yards from goal.

The Ryman Premier’s leading scorer added another to his tally as his firmly driven free-kick flew past an unsighted Wells and into the corner of the net.

Tanners return to action on Tuesday night when they visit AFC Hornchurch in a rearranged league fixture (kick-off is at 7.45pm).

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