Leatherhead waved goodbye to another three points on Saturday, losing 1-0 to a last minute header against play-off contenders Hornchurch.

It was a case of déjà vu for Tanners, as for the second week running they lost at home to a solitary goal from opponents in a top five position.

Richard Brady was given further difficulties before the match, as Chris Boulter and Kev Terry joined Mark Simmons and Gary Drewett on a growing list of injured players.

Tanners started brightly enough. Vernon Francis created a good chance for Billy Manners and Greg Andrews fed a through ball to Tom Hutchings, but on each occasion the finishing touch evaded Leatherhead.

Hornchurch had a golden opportunity to open the scoring after 19 minutes when Frankie Curley found himself in a shooting position in front of goal, but the Urchins player sent the ball over the bar in his attempt to lob Chico Ramos.

Tanners captain Liam Pestle had to be substituted midway through the first half after receiving a blow to the head while challenging for a high ball. Manners slotted into the back four, while substitute Elliott Thompson went into midfield.

Leatherhead showed promise going forward in the first half but, more often than not, their final pass let them down. A well worked move between Jack Macleod, Andrews and Rob Hill came to nothing after 37 minutes, as the ball was put behind for a corner.

Tanners created better openings in the second half. Andrews got a good cross into the box from the right, but Colin Richmond headed it straight into the arms of Urchins keeper Joe Woolley, who held onto practically everything Leatherhead could throw at him.

Manners was fortunate to stay on the pitch after making a cynical late tackle on Andy Tomlinson, denying the Urchins winger a goal scoring opportunity, albeit from just inside the Tanners half.

The referee decided that a yellow card was sufficient punishment for Leatherhead’s stand in right back.

Manners fed a ball through to Andrews after 59 minutes and the striker whipped in a shot from the edge of the box which caught the side netting.

Leatherhead had another good chance to take the lead four minutes later when a corner from Andrews was headed wide by Francis.

Further good goalkeeping from Woolley kept the scores level, after Jamie Coyle got his head to another well struck corner from Andrews. The ball looked to be going in just beneath the bar until Woolley tipped it behind for another corner.

Tempers were frayed after 77 minutes, when Hornchurch’s Curley appeared to step on Richmond’s ankle after the Leatherhead man went down near the half way line.

Thompson took great exception to this, shoving the Hornchurch player in the back, before having his Leatherhead shirt ripped open at the neck by another Urchins’ player. The referee dealt with the two players at the centre of the fracas, showing a yellow card to each of them.

Hornchurch had a great chance to win three minutes from the end when Jonathan Hunt sent in a cross from the right. Tuohy completely miscued his header five yards out. The ball fell kindly to Tomlinson, who fired wide from in front of an open goal.

With the match moving into stoppage time, Hornchurch launched another attack down the left, which had looked increasingly vulnerable since the departure of Pestle in the first half.

Joe Anderson launched a dangerous cross into the box and Tuohy got his head to it, nodding it past Ramos at the far post.

Leatherhead have now gone four weeks without winning a league match, scoring once and taking a solitary point from their last four League outings.

Richard Brady and Jamie Coyle will be all too aware that their side needs to start winning league matches again quickly if they are to avoid relegation this season.

Leatherhead: Ramos, Pestle (Thompson), Hill, Coyle, Dean, Francis, Macleod, Richmond, Andrews, Hutchings, Manners