IT WAS a case of 'After the Lord Mayor's Show' on Tuesday, as Tanners bowed out of the FA Trophy with a two goal defeat at Bath. The replay was never likely to live up to the exhilaration of Saturday's 4-4 draw at Fetcham Grove. And so it proved.
Danger-man Aaron Brown delivered Bath's first corner after 36 minutes for Charlie Griffin to head the hosts into the lead and a fine finish from Chris Allen after 72 minutes sealed City's victory.
While Tanners boss Richard Brady picked the same starting 11, City dropped Glyn Garner in favour of Jason Mellor in goal, with the first choice keeper largely at fault for failing to deal with three set pieces on Saturday.
The replacement keeper was never really tested on Tuesday but he did have a few shaky moments in the opening 20 minutes, with clearances landing at the feet of Leatherhead strikers on more than one occasion.
"Tommy Hutchings and Tom Bradbrook had a couple of half chances early on but, apart from that, we never really tested them", said a disappointed Brady.
Bradbrook had half a chance in the second minute but, closely marked by a much sharper Bath defence, the Leatherhead forward fired wide of the post.
Griffin had the first shot on target for Bath after nine minutes but hit the ball straight to Gareth Williams from the edge of the area.
City were guilty of giving the ball away far too easily in defence in a tentative opening 20 minute period where it was very hard to tell that Bath and Leatherhead were separated by two divisions.
Sam Blackman looked very nifty for Leatherhead in midfield. He set up the visitors' best chance of the match after 20 minutes, picking up possession deep in his own half before laying off to Elliott Thompson in midfield.
Thompson's pace took him past his marker before he found Hutchings in space down the middle, but the Leatherhead striker's rasping shot from 20 yards was well covered by Mellor.
Bath looked very dangerous on the break. Luke Cummings and Griffin combined well after 22 minutes before Griffin's sweeping cross from the right was headed over by Allen. Liam Pestle won the first corner of the match for Leatherhead after 24 minutes. Mark Simmons drilled the ball into the area and Chris Boulter headed over.
City didn't win their first corner until 36 minutes but they capitalised on Leatherhead's inability to defend a set piece, as Griffin headed Aaron Brown's in-swinger past Williams.
Tanners rarely threatened City in the second half and the tie was effectively killed off by a cool finish from Allen after 72 minutes, as he latched onto a through ball from Noah Keats before dispatching his shot past Williams.
Leatherhead: Williams, Pestle, Mathias, Nnamani, Boulter, Blackman (Holness 64), Elliott Thompson (Chin 80), Simmons, Bradbrook, Hutchings, Terry (Andrews 55). Unused subs: Palfrey, Brady.