On a day when Iain Hendry made his 400th appearance for the Tanners, it was Tommy Hutchings who stole the headlines with a superb hat-trick to power Leatherhead to a vital three points at basement side Chipstead.

Tanners started brightly and in the fifth minute when Hutchings fed Chico Morris the diminutive winger cut inside but saw his shot deflected behind, then from the resulting corner Dan Dean climbed highest but sent his header narrowly wide.

Chipstead came back into the game and in the twelfth minute the lively Reggie Savage forced a fine from Leatherhead keeper Colin Harris, then moments later Sean Rivers sent a free header sailing over with Harris beaten.

The game was swinging from end to end, with the aerial presence of the towering Leon Simpson, making his debut for the Tanners, complimenting the direct pace of the ever dangerous Hutchings.

It was no surprise then when in the 22nd minute Hutchings opened the scoring, swivelling inside the box to lash home a throw from Rob Hill, with home keeper James Wastell left clutching at thin air.

Hutchings then went close with a free kick which Wastell did well to tip round the post, but on 40 minutes he doubled Tanner’s lead when he unleashed a thunderous strike from 35 yards that swerved into the bottom left corner with Wastell left rooted to the spot.

Seconds before half time Chipstead had a great chance to get back into the game, but once gain Harris saved the Tanners, this time with a point blank save from Savage’s free header.

As the second half got underway the conditions worsened and Leatherhead tightened their grip with Chipstead left reeling under a double barrage of driving rain and incessant Tanner’s attacks.

Hutchings tested Wastell from 20 yards, and Morris should have done better with the rebound but headed straight into the grateful keeper’s arms, and then the outstanding Mark Simmons saw a long range shot fly just wide.

It was all Leatherhead now, with Simmons dominating the midfield and the wing play of Kev Terry and Morris continually stretching the Chips as Tanners threatened to run riot.

Hutching’s hat trick soon followed, when in the 62nd minute he cut in from the right and buried a low drive past the hapless Wastell to make the points safe.

Such was the Tanner’s dominance that even Hendry went on a jaunt down the right wing, rolling back the years as he sprinted past the full back, but his cross was just too high for the Leatherhead forwards.

A flurry of substitutions did not affect Tanner’s control, and it was against the run of the play when Rivers pulled back a goal for the home side in the 85th minute, neatly heading home a left wing corner.

However, Leatherhead comfortably saw out the remainder of the match to ease to a much needed three points.

Leatherhead: Harris, Coke, Hendry, Boulter, Hill, Morris, Dean (Nyang), Simmons (Williams), Terry (Smith), Hutchings, Simpson