FOR 40 minutes on Saturday Leatherhead played some lovely football and looked more than capable of picking up a victory against their high-flying opponents.

For the proceeding 50 minutes though, Richard Brady's men were totally humiliated and the fans were left wondering just how the club would find a way out of the relegation mire they are in.

It turned out to be an embarrassing defeat for the men in green as they failed to regroup after conceding two goals in the space of three minutes right before half-time.

Up until then, Leatherhead had strung together some fine moves, with new signings Ryan Dolby, from Welling United, and Thomas Brunt, on loan from Gillingham, particularly impressive.

It was the former who had Leatherhead's first opportunity, stepping away from right-back Russell Short with consummate ease before firing a low shot into the side netting. He might have done better.

Good interplay between Tommy Hutchings, Kev Terry and Mark Simmons ended with the Tanners captain ballooning an effort high over the top, before Hutchings got into a good position on the left hand side of the box, but HE could only drill a shot across the face of goal and eventually out for a throw-in.

Sam Reed was fortunate to only receive a yellow card for leading with an arm in an aerial challenge with Jerry Nnamani, while Short also had his name taken for a terrible sliding tackle on Adam Gross deep in Leatherhead territory.

Kieron Leabon gave the Tanners a warning of what the visitors could do on 36 minutes when he brought a fine save out of Chico Ramos with a shot from 25 yards and two minutes later Sam Reed tried to loop a header over Ramos, but the keeper was in the right place to claim.

Then came the period that finished the game as a contest for the home side.

Bury netted twice in three late first half minutes, though there was a hint of offside for both.

In the 41st minute Lee Reed was allowed too much time and space on the edge of the Tanners box and he let fly with a rasping effort that Ramos did well to beat away. John Sands was the first to react though, completely free in the box, to slot home the rebound.

No flag was forthcoming for the Tanners.

They were left infuriated once more in the 43rd minute when Lee Smith was slipped in behind the defence and shot past Ramos.

An uphill task became a mountain to climb early in the second half.

The visitors were awarded a ridiculous penalty seconds after the break when Sands was eased off the ball by Gross.

Why the referee pointed to the spot is anyone's guess, but Sands stepped up and sent a wretched effort high over the top.

That should have signalled a response from the home side, but just eight minutes later the game was well and truly up after a catastrophic error from Ramos.

A free-kick from the left hand side was floated in and Sam Nunn rose to flick on. There appeared to be no danger as Ramos waltzed across his goal and looked to shield the ball out of play. He got his angles all wrong though and the ball trickled over the line inside the post.

It was a terrible mistake and sucked any fight there might have been left out of Leatherhead.

Smith scored the goal of the game just after the hour mark when he smashed home from 25 yards and he completed his hat-trick in the 77th minute, tapping home a Connor Hall cross as the Tanners defence capitulated.

Terry had a shot from a tight angle saved and Brunt connected beautifully with a volley at the back post from a corner, but saw it fly just over, but in truth, the Tanners fight was gone.

Leatherhead: Ramos, Richmond, Gross, Coyle, Nnamani, Brunt, Francis (Thompson 64), Simmons, Terry, Hutchings (Thomas 73), Dolby (Manners 73). Unused subs: R Hill, Lambu.