Epsom & Ewell FC 1-2 Spelthorne Sports Combined Counties League – Premier Division. Saturday 2nd April 2024.

On a miserable night for football at the Madgwick in front of just 43 spectators, our season took a serious turn for the worse as we led fellow strugglers Spelthorne Sports at the half, only to get pushed back further and further before conceding twice to lose 2-1 with almost everyone in the ground thinking that they could see it coming.

This was a particularly disappointing second half performance and if I’m honest, our opponents had most of the ball in the first half too, but we had some chances and took one of them. However, they fought back, inspired by constant cajoling from the bench and frequent substitutions, while we remained mute and kept the same eleven on the field, despite looking desperate for fresh legs from the hour mark onwards.

Before the kick off our programme notes heralded the arrival of three players, yet one of them, Kevin Turbi wasn’t even in the line up! We did hand a start to Will Kendall, late of Redhill, Abbey Rangers and Merstham, while Luke Taylor from Sheerwater also came on late in the day. our opponents had former Salts Ade Batula and Tommy Williams on their registration list, but neither were on the team sheet for this encounter.

We started brightly but without forcing a save from Bob Honey, brother of Shay who had been in goal against us in the return match before joining us briefly; surely the only time in club history that we had faced two goalkeeping brothers in our two matches against the same club! Spelthorne were first to register a shot on target but Dan O’Donovan was alert at the near post to stop the shot from an angle.

There was very little going on in terms of goal threat but we had a real opportunity in the 24th minute when a high and deep cross from Luke Miller was not gathered by Honey, with the ball falling just behind Kendall who was unable to adjust to get any power on it from just a few yards out. Fifteen minutes later we took the lead from our best move of the match as Miller floated in another delivery to the far post where Thompson Adeyemi cushioned the ball back to Kendall who knocked the ball in for his first goal for our club from just five yards out.

Moments later we should have had a second goal after Miller’s ball in was sent over the bar by the incoming Adeyemi from just eight yards out. We didn’t realise it at the time, but this would prove to be our final real chance of the match. We went in at the half with the lead, although it was a precarious one and there was still a lot of work to do if we were to get the points.

The visitors started the stronger of the teams in the second half and somehow sent a header across goal from four yards when it was easier to score. We were struggling to get the ball out of our half and another good chance was clipped just wide of our far post from a good position on the hour. Maybe it would be our day after all.

But it was clear for all to see that we were tiring. The supply was not reaching Miller any more and Jaevon Dyer on the left wasn’t creating a threat. Yet we made no changes and almost appeared to hope that we would get away with it. That hope ran out in the 74th minute when a deep ball in from the right was knocked back across goal where Andrew Juett was waiting to force the ball in from close range. An inspired Spelthorne team kept pushing and scored again eight minutes later when a ball in from the left found Zach Scott just inside the penalty area and he guided his low shot into the far bottom corner past O’Donovan to give them a lead they would not relinquish.

Dyer was unfortunate not to see his powerful shot clear the bar by inches from twenty yards, but it would prove to be his final input. After going for 86 minutes with no substitutions, we then made four all at once, including Dyer, but it was far too late for them to make an impact and apart from a couple of dangerous looking corners from Adam Green the whistle blew shortly afterwards to confirm our fate.

I should make it clear that our players worked hard all night, but we were lacking in direction, both on and off the field and it looks to our supporters as though we are unable to see matches out on the rare occasions that we get a lead. This needs to change quickly. We are quiet and desperately needed a Zach Powell, or dare I say it, an Alex Penfold, who might have been able to raise the intensity of our game.

I rated our chances of relegation as “slim” going into this match, despite recent form, but that now needs to be updated to “entirely possible” after this contest, as it is looking more and more likely that our survival can only happen because the two teams currently below us fail to win sufficient points to overhaul us. This is a concerning time for our club and we now need to pick up some more points against much tougher opponents in Fleet Town and Abbey Rangers before our season ends at Guildford City. We do at least have eleven more days before those fixtures to try and sort this out, but confidence and belief need to change radically and this needs to come from our Management who might want to take a leaf out of the Spelthorne book for advice.

Epsom & Ewell: Dan O’Donovan, Ayran Kugathas, Ethan Nelson-Roberts (c), Adam Green, Reece Tierney, Callum Wilson, Luke Miller, Matt McGillivray, Will Kendall, Thompson Adeyemi, Jaevon Dyer

Subs: Jerry Antwi for Kugathas (86), Sirak Negassi for Dyer (86), Zach Ingham-Wright for Miller (86), Luke Taylor for McGillivray (86)

Report Source: www.eefconline.co.uk

Old Colfeians 22 – Sutton and Epsom RFC 31. Saturday 23rd March.

In bygone years this was a regular league fixture and Saturday bore witness to the
sixteenth such encounter between the clubs. Old Colfeians is a club to be mentioned in
whispered tones whilst in the company of James Clark’s title-winners of 2006-07. That Black and
White celebrated side saw their perfect record spoiled on the club’s last venture to Horn Park
in January 2007. The 2023-24 vintage may not have won this league but they headed home
with a 31-22 victory and replaced the hosts in eighth place in the league table.

The revolving door of selection meant that only Messrs Lennard and Bunting were in
the same shirts in a reshuffled Sutton back division following the culling of Cobham. For the
pack it was a minor disruption that saw Tom Boaden elevated from the bench in the absence
of Alex Mount. Sutton played with the significant advantage of the elements in the first period
as a strong wind tore down the pitch. Despite this handicap Colfeians started on the front
foot. A sublime moment of legerdemain by Tom Chapman put Ollie Burkett into space and the
full back was only denied by an eleventh hour cover tackle by Tom Lennard. The wind
hampered the Sutton lineout and led to an OCs scrum. The set piece wheeled and the alert
home Number 9 Jed Wylie wriggled free to score from 5 metres out. Chris Harris added the
conversion for a most valuable 7-0 lead in less than advantageous conditions.

Sutton replied instantly as the Horn Park XV struggled to deal with the restart gifting
the visitors with a prime attacking penalty position 5 metres from their line. The initial surge
from the set play failed to secure the score but a couple of phases later Josh Pulvirenti forced
his way over in the corner. The touchline conversion was blown wide and the Black and Whites
trailed 5-7. Moments later a counter by Kyren Ghumra ended in an SandE penalty that was
drilled into the corner by Freddy Bunting. From the 5-metre lineout the Sutton pack went
through multiple phases inching not only closer to the try line but also the uprights. Robust
Colfeians’ defence was finally ended by Mr Tobias Whinney awarding Sutton another 5-metre
penalty. Once more the attacking tapped option was taken rather than a kick at the posts.

Again the forwards took control and ushered hooker Chris Farrell over the line. Normal service
resumed for the Bunting boot and the visitors led 12-7 after a dozen minutes.

From the restart Sutton’s counter was penalised for crossing and it was Colfeians turn
to put the ball in the corner and attack from a 5-metre lineout. The Black and White line held
but infringed. Playing the advantage a Colfeians deft chip just sailed over the head of Chris
Harris but the winger punished SandE by adding the three points when play was brought back
for the penalty. OCs trailed 10-12 in a game of fluctuating fortunes in the first quarter.

Approaching the half hour Sutton secured their third try. With their best passage of play of the
match so far the backs and forwards combined through several phases before Ellis Rudder
was stopped deep in the 22 but the cover infringed on the deck. On this occasion it was
Callum Gibson who was the beneficiary with a try from the forward effort from the tapped
penalty. Freddy Bunting’s touchline conversion was even more impressive as he made it at the
third attempt having aborted his first two approaches as the wind blew the ball off the tee.
Sutton had extended their advantage to lead 19-10.

The visitors were soon threatening another score. A wonderful break by Tom Lennard
from his own half released fullback Ciaran Mohr who stepped inside the cover, took the last
tackle before passing to Alfie Baker but the ball was not gathered and a wonderful score was
denied. In addition Ciaran Mohr injured his ankle and was replaced by Austin Bell. A rampant
Sutton did not dwell on this missed opportunity and shortly afterwards had their bonus point
try. The impressive Josh Pulvirenti made a break and marauded into the 22 and passed to
Angus Findlay who was rewarded for his excellent support play with the try. Bunting moved to
the ball with his familiar constabulary stroll and converted with a laconic air for 26-10. Ten
minutes later and SandE added a fifth try from a precise lineout routine that saw Rob Hegarty
burst through a gap to score. Though the conversion failed Sutton had a healthy 31-10 lead.

With the first half near completion SandE ran the ball from their 22 from the restart
looking to maximise their advantage from the windy conditions. They were brought back for a
forward pass and there began a lengthy final play. It was a rugby version of ‘Groundhog Day’.
The teams scrummaged, the hosts were awarded a penalty, the visitors prevented a score and
the referee brought them back for the penalty and Colfeians chose to scrummage again.
Finally, after 52 minutes in the first period, and a yellow card for Sutton’s Dan Jones, winger
Tom Chapman squeezed in at the corner. A very challenging conversion fell short and the first
half ended with the Black and Whites 31-15 ahead.

The interval had comical overtones as Sutton stayed out on the pitch whilst their hosts
enjoyed the warmth of their dressing room. With a sable sky, a hailstorm swept the pitch and
Sutton players took shelter behind their bulkier colleagues. Perhaps it was the reward of the
Gods for braving the weather as the game restarted in sunshine and becalmed as cruelly the
Colfeians were to be denied the strong wind enjoyed by Sutton. The second half was a curious
affair. With excellent tactical acumen and pragmatism the numerically inferior visitors spent
their punishment time in the opposition 22. This benevolent occupation was then extended to
practically the entire second half. Old Colfeians adopted the mantle of Horatio and Rorke’s
Drift in heroic defence whilst Sutton became a hybrid of Sisyphus and Tantalus.

With the game approaching full time Old Colfeians finally made it into the Sutton and
Epsom half and won a penalty. The ball was drilled into the corner for a 5-metre lineout. The
throw was secured and the mountainous figure of captain Andy O’Malley powered over to
score. Chris Harris then reduced the arrears to 22-31 and the crowd awoke from their slumber
at the prospect of a thrilling climax. After their prolonged territorial dominance Sutton’s
character was now put to the test as an element of doubt over the outcome entered into the
equation. If the first period was inordinately lengthy the second period was unbelievably time
consuming as it racked up 57 minutes. There were several stoppages with the physios in
attendance but once again it was last play that endured. Sutton were again reduced to 14
when Rob Hegarty departed following a high tackle but Colfeians could not force another
score to garner any points. The game ended with the hosts defending and frustrating SandE
who failed to add to their score in the second period. The match finally concluded with the
Black and Whites victorious by 31-22.

There may be aficionados who love nothing more than a reset scrum and a catalogue
of infringements as frequent stoppages deny free-flowing rugby as with this second half.
However, that seems as likely as someone preferring the brutalist architecture of a housing
estate in Stalinist Russia to the Taj Mahal. It was a shame as a sizeable crowd had gathered
for Past Players’ Day adding greatly to the occasion and superlative bonhomie in the
clubhouse after the game. Sutton were the deserved winners but Old Colfeians failed to
exploit their superiority at the scrummage as discipline and errors undermined their
performance. In the lineout and the loose the SandE pack played with great control.

Angus Findlay, starting for the first time in his preferred Number 9 shirt, gave an assured
performance releasing the back division that showed moments of fluency and quality. The
Black and Whites failure to convert pressure into points in the second half was more down to the
courageous Colfeian defence than the inadequacies of the Sutton attack.

The Easter weekend offers a rest for the teams before the league season concludes on
Saturday 6th April. Old Colfeians will be taking a trip to relegated Cobham and have the
prospect of ending the campaign with a thumping victory. Meanwhile at Rugby Lane Sutton and
Epsom will host Reeds Weybridge aiming to make amends for a 27-12 loss on the opening day
of the season.

Sutton and Epsom
Mohr, Baker, Rudder, Bunting ©, Ghumra, Lennard, Findlay, Boaden, Farrell, Gibson, Glanville,
McTaggart, Jones, Pulvirenti and Hegarty.
Replacements: Al Khaldi, Tame and Bell.

Old Colfeians:
Burkett, Harris, Hepden, Jones, Chapman, Smith, Wylie, Whichello, Newins, Rameaux, O’Malley ©,
Cunningham, Walker, Carter and Smith.
Replacements: Orubo, Greatorex-Sanderson and Nagel.

Epsom & Ewell FC 1-4 Horley Town. Combined Counties League – Premier Division. Saturday 23rd March 2024

A strange contest took place at the Madgwick on Saturday as we hosted Horley Town in our latest League match. We created most of the chances over the ninety minutes, yet didn’t take them and our opponents took full advantage of our generosity to win the match 4-1.

We fielded our sixth goalkeeper in just ten matches as Faebian Witter had been injured recently and with former keeper Shay Honey already departed for Staines & Lammas, Dan O’Donovan came in between the posts, although he was advertised as David! It never fails to amaze me how our club continues to get our player names wrong so often and wonder what sort of message this sends out to them. In other changes it was good to see the return of Carl Oblitey up front, as he provides us with a greater attacking threat; something we were sorely lacking at Balham in our last match. At the back, we also saw the return of Reece Tierney and Callum Wilson, although the absence of Ayran Kugathas meant that Nick Wilson had to play in the right back position, although he was restored to the Captain’s position once again, while Matt McGillivray moved into midfield. Zach Ingham-Wright and Tijani Eshilokun moved to the bench, although the latter would join the action in the second half.

There was a minute’s silence before the match for former Banstead Athletic Chairman Terry Molloy, who passed away this week. Our club had an awkward relationship in our time there as tenants from 1993-2010, so it was a little surprising to see us hold a tribute, particularly when our club elected not to do so for recently departed prolific strikers Gerry O’Rourke and Ben Forey. Not that anyone knew at the time exactly who the silence was for, as it wasn’t announced by the club and I had to ask an official.

We opened up fairly brightly and an early Luke Miller ball into the danger area was just ahead of Thompson Adeyemi, before a similar cross from Ethan Nelson-Roberts also just missed the incoming strikers. McGillivray was the first to pull a decent save from George Hyde the long-serving Horley keeper, with a low shot from the edge of the area with Adam Green seeing his own shot deflected for a corner shortly afterwards.

It then came as a bit of a shock when Horley took the lead in the 15th minute with their first real attack. Adeyemi appeared to be brought down in midfield, but play was allowed to continue and a pass forward reached former Salt Lewis Pearch who cut inside Wilson and drilled a low shot beyond O’Donovan from 15 yards.

We almost responded immediately after Oblitey robbed Hyde out wide in the area, although he then chose to go for goal from an extremely narrow angle and was only able to hit the post. We were then denied by an excellent save after Wilson had made progress on the right, sending a shot in from about eight yards that took a wicked deflection off a defender, yet despite Hyde going to his right by this point, he somehow stuck out an arm in the opposite direction to claw the deflected ball away from the goal.

We continued to push forward and Nelson-Roberts sent in a left wing cross that Oblitey headed just wide from around twelve yards out. Moments later Horley midfielder Lewis Taylor found himself in the sin-bin for comments to the referee, but we weren’t able to take advantage of the extra man. We had chances during that period though, with Adeyemi somehow getting a Miller delivery stuck under his feet just three yards out and Oblitey striking wide from 15 yards. Jaevon Dyer also struck at goal, but Hyde was equal to it, and to add insult to injury Horley went straight up the other end once they were back to eleven men and scored again with Scott Walker putting the hosts 2-0 up from close range in the 43rd minute.

Hyde tipped an Oblitey piledriver over the bar from twenty yards and the question at the break was how we had managed to go in with a two goal deficit after a decent enough attacking showing in that first half.

However, the second half was a very disappointing one and we appeared to be completely flat, as if we already knew we wouldn’t be able to retrieve anything from the position we had found ourselves in. This became apparent to me as early as the 47th minute when Tierney got his foot to the ball before being brought down in the Horley area by Rylan John, yet there wasn’t even an appeal for a penalty from an Epsom player. I was questioning my own eyes and even had to check with people around me that I had actually seen the incident correctly and was assured that I had, yet it wasn’t until there was a break in play while Tierney received treatment before the question even asked of the referee, who understandably hadn’t given anything! If we had appealed for this, maybe the game would have turned in our favour, but of course that is just conjecture on my part!

It was unclear how many matches O’Donovan has played recently, but of course he was a virtual stranger to our defenders, and maybe unimpressed with the standard of defending he had seen to this point, he chose to come out of goal to chase a clearance himself, yet found himself almost 40 yards out from his goal. Fortunately the long range attempt from the visitors went over the bar or it might have proved to be a rather embarrassing afternoon for him! Regrettably he would be picking the ball out of the net shortly anyway as a near post corner was headed past him from close range by Matt Rapson on the hour to make the score 0-3.

Dyer took advantage of John misjudging the bounce of the ball to break through, but drove his shot wide from 18 yards and he was replaced not long afterwards. Our flying winger was superb last season, but looks to be lacking confidence since he has returned to our club and there appeared to be a lack of belief across the playing ranks as this match petered out. Even when Green sent in a lovely flat free kick which was met by an Adeyemi bullet header just inside the far post from twelve yards to pull a goal back in the 83rd minute, there was little by way of celebration of any kind and the remainder of the match was equally disappointing with Green, Callum Wilson and then substitute Jerry Antwi all receiving yellow cards for lunges at Horley players. Fortunately, none of the challenges were severe enough for red cards, but we then conceded a fourth goal in the sixth minute of injury time despite O’Donovan standing up well to make a good save, but no one reacted to the loose ball that was then knocked in from close range. A 4-1 defeat was only marginally better than our 4-0 defeat there, exactly three months previously.

I believe that our players are good enough to get us out of trouble this season, but we really need to pick up a few more points before we can be assured of safety and aren’t playing very well right now. On paper our fixtures are favourable, particularly when compared to those around us, but as we know football isn’t played on paper and a home match against a team that started the day just three places above us, should have been enough motivation. Instead, we fell away in the second half again, and whilst we did make a lot of chances in this match, which was a notable improvement on the previous Saturday, we are going to need to take some of these if we are not to get caught by the clubs below us. We now have a ten day break before we reconvene at the Madgwick for the visit of Spelthorne Sports; one of the clubs in the bottom five. We absolutely cannot afford to be flat for that one.

Epsom & Ewell: Dan O’Donovan, Nick Wilson (c), Ethan Nelson-Roberts, Adam Green, Reece Tierney, Callum Wilson, Luke Miller, Matt McGillivray, Carl Oblitey, Thompson Adeyemi, Jaevon Dyer

Subs: Tijani Eshilokun for Oblitey (63), Jerry Antwi for N.Wilson (77), Sirak Negassi for Dyer (77)

_{Report Source: www.eefconline.co.uk}

When five girls from Rosebery School, Epsom formed the school’s first ever squash team just six months ago with a view to entering the England Squash National Schools Championships 2023/24, little did they know how far they would go in this tough and prestigious tournament.  Being a state school with no on-site squash facilities, they knew they would be competing against a lot of private schools around the country, many with their own squash courts and dedicated coaches. They were, however, all keen squash players and junior members of Ebbisham Sports Club in Epsom where they trained on a regular basis.

By dint of their considerable success in Stages 1 and 2 of the Championships, held respectively at Limpsfield Club in November 2023 and Epsom College in January 2024, the Rosebery School Girls Squash Team were delighted to learn that they had done enough to qualify for the Finals held in Birmingham on 14^th March. One of the top eight teams from around the country to reach the Finals, the Rosebery Squash Team battled hard through three very tough matches during the course of a long day, with some excellent individual match wins and some very close losses. Whilst they came extremely close to beating one of the other schools, in the end the Rosebery team had to settle for final place, but did so with a smile on their faces and knowing they had given the Championships their all.

Gillian Mead

Sutton & Epsom RFC 49 Cobham 13. Saturday 16th March.

Having lost to the basement boys of London Cornish, the Exiles gaining their first
win on the road for over a year, Sutton and Epsom supporters arrived at Rugby Lane with a sense of
mild trepidation. Could the proverbial lightning revisit with the arrival of eleventh-placed
Cobham who had lost their last eleven matches. For those fearing that the wheels had
come off the Black & White charabanc it appears, on Saturday’s evidence, to have passed
its MOT and was in perfect working order as the team ran in a magnificent seven tries for
an emphatic 49-13 triumph. The victory mathematically secured Sutton & Epsom’s position
in Level 6.

Freddy Bunting kicked off into the breeze and initiated a period of high tempo
attacking rugby that saw his team living in the Cobham 22 for the majority of the opening
15 minutes. The visitors defended impressively none more so than when from a tapped 5-
metre penalty Josh Glanville was held up over the line by a superb tackle. Having had all
of the game Sutton & Epsom conceded the first points when, on their first sortie into the S&E half,
Jonathan Holmes kicked a penalty for a 3-0 lead. A few minutes later and the Black &
Whites received a second dose of unpalatable medicine as Holmes made it 6-0.

It was at this stage the classic debate of whether to kick for points or seek greater
rewards was raging amongst the crowd. The hosts approach was to turn down every kick
at goal and seek the higher tariff score. In the course of the first period they were to
reject many kicks with several in front of the uprights. Finally on the half hour their
bravery was rewarded. The ball went wide and Lawrence Elliott, running a superb line,
broke through and using all of his strength powered over. Freddy Bunting splendidly
bisected the uprights for a 7-6 lead. Cobham’s attempt to regain the lead with a third
penalty failed as the first period neared its conclusion.

Approaching time added on Cobham were reduced to 14 when Mr Priddle issued a
yellow card to blindside Max Hales who departed as a result of the cumulative effect of
infringements in the 22. Sutton & Epsom went for the tap penalty and it was the redoubtable Alex
Mount who stretched out to secure the try. Freddy Bunting added the simple conversion
for a 14-6 lead. The restart is often the most dangerous moment and the Black & Whites
conceded a penalty but the visitors attempts to secure a platform to attack the Sutton line
faltered and the referee blew for half-time. S&E had a vital 14-6 lead with a man
advantage to take into the second period with the wind behind them.

The Rugby Lane team pressed hard to extend their lead in the opening exchanges
of the second half attempting to benefit from their numerical and meteorological
advantages. The Bunting boot put his team in the 22. Cobham survived for ten minutes
before hooker Chris Farrell collected his sixth try of the campaign. Captain Bunting made it
three out of three as Sutton led 21-6. The visitors then showed the fighting spirit one
would expect from a team teetering on the brink of relegation. Awarded a penalty in the
22 they tapped and went. Sutton & Epsom had failed to retreat and they repeated the option with
captain and scrum-half Ryan Saunders scoring. Jonathan Holmes converted to put
Cobham back in the hunt trailing 13-21.

Barely had the inspiring words of encouragement of a comeback drifted on the
wind and Cobham were standing behind their posts awaiting another Sutton & Epsom conversion.
From the restart Dan Jones gathered the ball from a ruck outside the visitors’ 22 and
exploited a gap to streak away for the try. With the extras S&E led 28-13 and had secured
their try bonus point. That score thoroughly demoralised the men from the Memorial
Ground as it inspired the Rugby Lane XV. The game entered the final quarter and the
hosts provided their faithful fans with their most exhilarating rugby seen at home this
season.

Sensible tactical kicking by half-backs Munford and Lennard kept the hosts on the
attack. A wonderful break from Tom Lennard at 10 looked certain to lead to a try but he
was felled by a tap tackle close to glory. The crowd did not have to wait long for try
Number 5. The ball went to the opposite flank and a training ground routine was executed
to perfection from a lineout. The ball was secured, the line-break made and the overlap
exploited as Ciaran Mohr strolled in at the corner. Freddy Bunting made light of the testing
conversion for 35-13.

Try number six again owed its success to repetition on cold winter nights. A 5-
metre lineout was secured and the pack advanced forward to provide Rob Hegarty with
his eighth try of the season. It was a fitting reward for the quality of the lineout from the
triumvirate of McTaggart, Pulvirenti and Glanville who had given Sutton & Epsom an excellent
platform all afternoon. With a degree of inevitably Freddy Bunting converted and it was
42-13. For the first time this season at Rugby Lane the home crowd could enjoy a relaxing
conclusion to a match. Previous contests might have been thrilling for the neutral observer
but had provided far too much anxiety. Cobham attempted to end on a high point and
looked destined to secure an otiose try. However a wayward pass bounced into the
grateful hands of Angus Findlay who sped away from his own 22 for his first 1 st XV league
try. Freddy Bunting completed a perfect afternoon with the boot and the match concluded
with Sutton & Epsom enjoying a resounding 49-13 win.

Apart from the security of success it was a red-letter day for two of the Sutton and Epsom side.
Steve Munford in playing his 215th league match for the club surpassed Steve Warnham’s
total and lies second to the 251-game Sam Frost. Meanwhile, with his first successful kick
of the afternoon, Freddy Bunting broke Sam Hurley’s 2015-6 record of 208 points in a
league season. It was a redemptive afternoon for the skipper after he had appeared to
have supped at the river Lethe on his last outing. Sutton & Epsom may be breathing
easier but carnivorous creatures circle the Cobham carrion as descent into the abyss of
Level 7 seems probable after Gravesend’s victory over Beckenham. With the ‘Jersey
Reprieve’ there will be the incongruous site of Cobham supporters googling the results of
Chosen Hill FP, Kirkby Lonsdale and Old Crossleyans in the weeks to come. Next Saturday
S&E enjoy their last away day of the campaign with a first visit to Horn Park since January
2007 to take on Old Colfeians who they defeated 21-17 in December.

Sutton & Epsom
O’Brien, Huie, Elliott, Bunting ©, Findlay, Lennard, Munford, Mount, Farrell, Gibson,
Glanville, McTaggart, Jones, Pulvirenti & Hegarty.
Replacements: Boaden, Tame & Mohr.

Cobham
Penfold, Springett, Boswell, Burnett, Yorke, Holmes, Saunders ©, Aujla, Muirhead, Bliss,
Westgarth-Taylor, Farmer, Hales, Blackwood & Porter.
Replacements: Nunn, Keefe & O’Connor.

_{Image courtesy Robin Kennedy}

Balham 2-0 Epsom & Ewell FC. Combined Counties League – Premier Division. Saturday 16th March 2024.

On Saturday we made our second visit of the season to the Mayfields Stadium and received our second defeat. Five weeks ago we were unfortunate to lose there 5-2 to AFC Croydon Athletic, but this 2-0 loss to their tenants Balham, was far more disappointing, In fact the few supporters who were there will not remember this match for very long, not even the home ones, as this was a very uninteresting encounter, full of errors and scrappy play from both sides, and even when Balham finally did break through, there was an element of a defensive contribution towards both of the goals. I felt we were deserving of a point from a goalless draw, but could have no real complaints at the end of the match.

We made three changes from our encouraging draw at Redhill seven days previously. Carl Oblitey was injured, while Reece Tierney and Callum Wilson were unavailable, so Matt McGillivray came in for his first start at the back, while Club Captain Nick Wilson returned after his two match suspension, although it was interesting to note that Ethan Nelson-Roberts retained the armband for this match, maybe because we had done well in the previous two matches, or maybe due to Wilson’s excessive number of cards in recent matches. Further forward, Zach Ingham-Wright also had his first start for the club.

We kicked off slightly late after the referee took exception to Luke Miller’s blue long sleeved undershirt, even though our away colours are yellow and blue. Yes, you’ve guessed it, he was being assessed! Officially though, I was advised that the term is now “observed” as the previous term is now seen too much as a critique of the referee. Well, my observations were that it was fortunate that no major decisions were required on this occasion, although we had a confusing early incident after our keeper Faebian Witter was blocked as he tried to drop kick the ball, yet moments later Adam Green picked up a yellow card for us, for pulling his man back. Whilst you couldn’t complain about the card for our player, it was hard to see why one wasn’t given for the Balham offence.

The first half contained little to write home about. Witter rushed out to claim the ball and did well to keep it inside the penalty area, despite 95% of him being outside it, while at the other end Haydn Read was alert to leave his area to head clear after Ingham-Wright had threatened to reach a Thompson Adeyemi pass. However, these were not even half-chances really, and indeed the only event of note during the first forty-five minutes came when our Secretary Spencer Mitchell was stung by a bee on the sideline. No physio was required!

We went in at the half unsurprisingly goalless and the second half started off in a worryingly similar pattern. A Jaevon Dyer header was accidentally dropped over the goal line by Read for a corner after a few minutes, but our winger was having a quiet day and was replaced by Sirak Negassi in the 52nd minute. Balham’s defence had clearly done their homework and cancelled out the threat from our wings almost entirely. We were also missing the physical presence of Oblitey who had been really impressive in the last couple of matches and although Ingham-Wright was well involved in the match, he never looked likely to add to his goal from the previous week.

In fact, neither team looked like breaking through at any point, so when the home team actually opened the scoring in the 65th minute it came as a bit of a shock. A deep free kick was headed back out by Adeyemi, but he wasn’t able to get a decent purchase on the next delivery back in, and inadvertently flicked it to the back post where it was volleyed back into the danger area for Jack Banks to strike the ball into the net from close range.

We then had our best chance of the match in the 70th minute when Adeyemi was brought down right on the edge of the area in a central position. The ball was placed literally one foot from the penalty area, yet the referee seemed totally happy to allow the defensive wall to congregate along the penalty spot, no more than six and a half yards away. Even when the referee had this pointed out to him he paced eight small steps back and moved the wall back about a yard! Ironically, had the wall stayed where it was originally, Adam Green’s free kick might have taken a slightly larger deflection to put it out of Read’s reach, but instead he was able to dive to his left to parry the ball out for what became a fruitless Epsom corner.

At this point we changed our shape. Reggie Savage and Jerry Antwi came on and we switched to three at the back, but to be brutally honest, it didn’t work. From this point the home side seemed to find more space and although an overhead kick was sent well over our bar, former Salt Ash Snadden was set up for a strike from just twelve yards that was headed off the line by Wilson with Witter beaten. Moments later Witter made a good save down to his right, but the ball was recycled and a long shot from James Anderson from a central position around twenty yards out took a heavy deflection off Nelson-Roberts and bounced into the other side of the net to where Witter had been standing in the 84th minute.

Anderson picked up a late booking for clattering into Wilson in injury time, but it made no difference and Balham gave their slim hopes of a playoff place a huge boost with this win, while many others around them floundered this week.

It is difficult right now to compose a report without reference to the two teams below us, as we still need to keep looking over our shoulder to see how they got on. This will clearly continue for a while yet as Colliers Wood United and Sheerwater both won, making things a lot tighter at the foot of the table. I still believe 30 points will be enough to see us to safety, but while we remain on just 24, concerns remain.

Epsom & Ewell: Faebian Witter, Ayran Kugathas, Ethan Nelson-Roberts (c), Adam Green, Nick Wilson, Matt McGillivray, Luke Miller, Thompson Adeyemi, Zach Ingham-Wright, Tijani Eshilokun, Jaevon Dyer

Subs: Sirak Negassi for Dyer (52), Jerry Antwi for Eshilokun (73), Reggie Savage for Kugathas (73)

_{Report Source: www.eefconline.co.uk}

The Specsavers Surrey Youth Games is back. Following on from the success of the games last year, a wide range of activities are available in Epsom & Ewell again, including tennis, judo, swimming and more. The Games are the largest multi-sport youth programme of their kind in the South East, offering free local training for 7-16 year olds across Surrey, leading to a final celebratory event for the whole family. 

The Games are ideal for beginners who may not get the opportunity to attend clubs or are put off by the thought of competing against others. Supportive coaches will help participants join in, have fun, learn new skills, and boost their confidence. 

Registration is now open for the free training sessions which start after Easter and are aimed at those who live or go to school in the borough. Following the training, teams can unite for a family-friendly event at the Surrey Sports Park in Guildford on Saturday 15 June.

Councillor Clive Woodbridge, (RA Ewell Village) Chair of the Community and Wellbeing Committee, said “I’m so pleased that we are running the Specsavers Surrey Youth Games in Epsom & Ewell again this year. The initiative provides a fantastic opportunity for young people who are still building their confidence in sport to access training free of charge.

“I hope that everyone in our borough will take a look at what’s on offer and even tell friends and family about the initiative, so that we can ensure that as many children as possible can access the training.”

You can find out what’s on offer in the Epsom & Ewell borough and register for a place by visiting www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk/syg

Redhill 1-1 Epsom & Ewell FC. Combined Counties League – Premier Division. Saturday 9th March 2024

An 85th minute equaliser from Zach Ingham-Wright earned us a well-deserved point from a 1-1 draw at Kiln Brow after the hosts had taken the lead early in the second half. Although they put us under pressure after an even first half, I felt we were worth a draw for our display in the final fifteen minutes, during which time we equalised and very nearly pinched all three points!

Following the confirmation that Warren Burton was now permanent Manager, we made just one change from our important 6-2 win over Sandhurst Town as Shay Honey was replaced between the posts by Faebian Witter. Our Captain Nick Wilson completed his two match ban here and so Ethan Nelson-Roberts kept the Captain’s armband for this contest. We knew our opponents fairly well with a pair of our former Assistant Managers, Jordan Clark and Matt Chapman in charge and there were four former Salts in their line up in Adam Grant, Gavin Quintyne, Ben Dyson and Tommy Smith. Redhill were of course looking for a League “double” following their 3-1 win in August at the Madgwick.

We opened up in confident mood against a team who were also in decent form, if you excluded their surprise 2-0 defeat at Camberley Town in midweek. Tijani Eshilokun had a go from around twenty yards with his curling shot missing the far post by a couple of feet, before Carl Oblitey headed an Adam Green corner just over the crossbar inside the opening ten minutes.

Oblitey then set up Luke Miller for a shot, only to find it blocked by Smith, before a long throw was knocked on by Thompson Adeyemi for Oblitey to try his luck with an overhead kick, but it went straight at Isaac Ogunseri in the Redhill goal and he made the easy catch. This would prove to be the only save made by either keeper in the first half, although the home side sent a header wide at full stretch, before a string of injuries to our players led to an extended appearance on the field by Physio Alfie Wyld and an additional five minutes at the end of the period, during which time Redhill headed towards goal, only to see the effort headed away by Reece Tierney from near the goal line just before the half time whistle.

We were obviously familiar with many of their players, but of course, the reverse applied too, and the two teams were cancelling each other out a bit, with our tricky wingers, Miller and Jaevon Dyer being kept very quiet. With Redhill’s lofty League position, I expected them to try and change things up in the second half and they came out with more intent, pushing us back quite a lot. However, we weren’t totally out of it either and in the 50th minute Eshilokun sent the ball across to Dyer, only to see it deflected for a corner. From the Green delivery Oblitey rose highest and was really unfortunate to see his header hit the full face of the bar and rebound directly to the keeper, even though he was by that time standing about eight yards away from his goal. It could have gone anywhere!

This scare clearly woke Redhill up and they forced four successive corners. From the last of these, a deep delivery was met at the far post by the unmarked Smith, who met the dropping ball with a textbook low side footed volley that gave Witter no chance from about eight yards in the 57th minute. One nearly became two just four minutes later as a header was blocked on the line by Green with Quintyne sending the loose ball over the closing defenders, but also over the bar from close range.

The hosts had another chance soon after with Witter forced into a good low save, with the ball parried out wide. It was then sent back in for a header that just missed our far post. We made a couple of substitutions with Matt McGillivray on for Ayran Kugathas and Sirak Negassi on for Dyer and the newly introduced Negassi had a chance to score with his first touch as the ball crept under a defender’s foot, but his shot from twenty yards went beyond the far post.

Ingham-Wright came on for the injured Eshilokun who had taken a bit of a battering in this match and had been on the field for about a minute before he scored our equaliser in the 85th minute. An unnecessary foul out wide gave us a free kick and Green’s delivery was flicked on by Tierney to Adeyemi at the far post, who headed the ball across goal for our substitute to nod in from close range. If I’m honest, a few of us behind the goal all looked across at the Assistant, just in case there was an offside, but he was happy and we were then able to celebrate.

But could we hold on? Late goals had given us trouble all season, so we needed to be careful, but in reality, it became more a matter of whether we would score again as we took the match to a suddenly wobbly Redhill team and started to attack them on the flanks. We should have had a second goal when we cut them apart with a good move involving Oblitey and Ingham-Wright who fed Negassi on the right, but his perfect cross was somehow headed back across the vacant goal by Miller from just two yards out! The ball was retrieved by Oblitey, but he was at a very narrow angle by then and he clipped the post before the home side were able to scramble the ball to safety!

I’m still not too sure how we didn’t take the lead at this point, but an away win would have been harsh on Redhill and they were probably frustrated enough with the draw. We saw out a rather inflated seven minutes of injury time with only a couple of nervy moments before we were able to celebrate a point that in all honesty, I didn’t expect us to get before the match, but that’s football! With both teams below us picking up points, it’s a little tighter at the foot of the table than anyone involved with our team would like it to be, but with six matches remaining, survival is still most definitely in our own hands!

Epsom & Ewell: Faebian Witter, Ayran Kugathas, Ethan Nelson-Roberts (c), Adam Green, Reece Tierney, Callum Wilson, Luke Miller, Thompson Adeyemi, Carl Oblitey, Tijani Eshilokun, Jaevon Dyer

Subs: Matt McGillivray for Kugathas (74), Sirak Negassi for Dyer (78), Zach Ingham-Wright for Eshilokun (84), Jerry Antwi for Oblitey (92).

Report Source: www.eefconline.co.uk

Sutton & Epsom 22 – London Cornish RFC 31 . Saturday 2nd March.

The fixture at the Richard Evans Memorial Playing Fields in November was notable for the
debut of Willem Ratu who scored a hat trick that helped Sutton & Epsom to a healthy 53-24
triumph. In the absence of the injured Taranaki Terror all those in the Cornish camp were hoping
that this would create a more level playing field as they continued their efforts to climb out of the
relegation abyss and get some traction from their victory over fellow strugglers Cobham in the last
round of fixtures. The Exiles made it two in a row as they gave their supporters another injection
of belief with a priceless bonus point win by 31-22 over Sutton.

The downpours in the week and more torrential rain led to a change in location for this
fixture. The teams relocated from the serene surroundings of Rugby Lane to the windswept
wastelands of Priest Hill. The hosts kicked off the match playing against the gusting wind and the
significant slope. At this stage of the campaign the coaches are unlikely to be paid the ultimate
divine compliment of selecting their full complement but London Cornish were delighted to field
their first choice back three who were to be significant contributors. At once the visitors had the
chance to open the scoring with a penalty. Michael Edworthy’s effort was blown off course and it
remained 0-0. Their dismay was short-lived, from the 22 drop out they secured possession and
spread it wide. Left wing Matt Hakes powerful touchline run was assisted by some weak tackling
as his determination saw him touch down in the corner. The challenging conversion drifted wide as
the Exiles led 5-0 within five minutes.

London Cornish sought to exploit the conditions with thoughtful kicking to keep Sutton &
Epsom on the defensive and penned in their 22. In their efforts to escape the hosts conceded
another penalty in front of the posts. The wind again came to Sutton’s rescue as it was becoming
increasingly evident that place-kicking was going to be an arduous task. On the quarter hour S&E
made their first significant contribution to proceedings. Running the ball with a penalty advantage
they knocked on with an overlap in the 22. They had a second chance as they kicked the penalty
to the corner but the Cornish won the line out. They were gifted a third chance as the ball was
touched down in goal for a Sutton scrum. It was third time extremely unlucky as they sauntered
blind for a definite score only to be halted by the whistle as they had offended at the scrummage.
The Sutton profligacy was instantly punished. The ball was chipped over the Black & White
defence in their 22. Covering fullback Tom Lennard lost his footing and was enveloped by the
Cornish who drove him over the line. From the 5-metre scrum the visitors shunted the Sutton pack
into reverse and Number 8 Conor Pearce applied the finishing touch and 10-0 to the Exiles. Five
minutes later there was a repeat performance. The kick into space saw the retreating Kyren
Ghumra struggling to gather the ball and it was only a last gasp dive that prevented a try. Another
5-metre scrum to the visitors but this time near the posts and the Sutton pack held the drive.
Variety is the spice of life and Ciaran Johnston released his backs and centre Peter Brogden waltz
in untouched. Simon Edworthy, grateful for a simpler conversion, added the extras for 17-0 after
thirty minutes.

A possible lifeline dangled tantalisingly before Sutton eyes as Mr Simon Matthews was left
prostrate on the pitch. After treatment from the physios the referee gingerly returned to the
vertical and was able to continue with the game. As much as the visitors were intelligently
exploiting the elements the hosts were being naïve as they kicked poorly to the back three and
attempted long passes on the wind. With the interval approaching London Cornish secured a
bonus point with their fourth try of the afternoon. Fly-half Michael Edworthy drifted across creating
space for inside centre Peter Brogden who presented his centre partner, captain George Kimmins,
with an easy run in under the posts. The conversion made it 24-0 to the visitors.

In the dying moments of the first half London Cornish had a wonderful opportunity to add
a fifth try but scrambling defence denied them as they dropped the ball with the line at their
mercy. The referee ended the half with the Exiles 24-0 up. All concerned were wondering just how
many points the slope and wind were worth. Would the missed kicks prove to be costly and could
Sutton & Epsom transform a lamentable first period performance into a rousing comeback?
Conditions temporarily deteriorated at the start of the second half as teeming rain was
added to the difficulties to be endured by the players. It was essential for the Black & Whites to
score early. Within five minutes Matt Whitaker was driving his way over the line. Mr Matthews
ruled that he had been held up over the line. The S&E disappointment was helped by the fact that
London Cornish were reduced to 14 as Number 8 Conor Pearce was carded for a high tackle. The
hosts took advantage of their numerical superiority and drove the Cornish pack off their own ball
and Matt Whitaker scored. Freddy Bunting added an impressive conversion from the flank and S&E
were up and running at 7-24. Mercifully the rain abated and moments later ceased. Sutton had
now emptied their bench with Messrs Mount, Pulvirenti and Rudder being replaced by the
triumvirate of Boaden, Jones and Elliott as they looked to reinvigorate their efforts.

At the end of the third quarter Sutton were in prime position to reduce the deficit but an
errant throw to the 5-metre lineout gifted Cornish a relieving scrum. It was the visitors’ turn to
have their clearance returned with meaning. Tom Lennard countered and combined with Ghumra
and Elliott to get to the corner. Sterling cover by Robert Mackay denied the score but the home
team pressed on. White line fever descended on the Black & White ranks and they were grateful to
be awarded a penalty. Finally, the pack forced its way over and Callum Gibson emerged as the
scorer. It was a fine reward for the prop on an afternoon when he had carried tirelessly and with
great effect. The kick from the extremities missed as Sutton trailed 12-24.

With the match entering the final 10 minutes the crucial moment came. London Cornish
had made a rare visit to the Sutton 22. The hosts looked to counter and exploit a generous
blindside. Cornish winger Matt Hakes gambled and won the lottery as he intercepted and strolled
in for the fifth try. Simon Edworthy bisected the uprights and suddenly the gap that had so
recently appeared bridgeable now seemed to be a gaping chasm as London Cornish led 31-12.
Though visibly deflated by the score it was not long before the Rugby Lane men roused
themselves for a grandstand finish. Firstly, Kyren Ghumra scored in the corner and anxious visitors
asked Sir how long remained. 31-17 with two minutes of regulation time to play. The drama
intensified as Rob Hegarty scored Sutton’s fourth try in time added on. Perhaps it was the lack of a
scoreboard at Priest Hill but the hosts’ arithmetic let them down. With the score 22-31 and a
conversion under the posts to come a successful kick would have secured a second bonus point.
However, a rapidly taken drop kick missed. But the Gods seemed to be favouring Sutton as they
were awarded a penalty on the final play of the game. Captain Bunting lined up his kick but it
drifted agonisingly wide.

The 31-22 win provided London Cornish with a significant boost in their bid for survival.
They will be hoping that Sutton can do them a favour by beating relegation rivals Cobham on 16 th
March when the campaign resumes. The Exiles deservedly won the match, they exploited the first
half advantage superbly and despite some anxious moments at the death it would have been
harsh if they had been denied a vital victory. For Sutton & Epsom there were far too many errors
that undermined their performance and it was only in the late rally that they demonstrated their
true worth. With three matches left for the Black & Whites they still have work to do to retain their status in Level 6 and they will be hoping that the extremes of the weather will not see them
relocated to Priest Hill in their two remaining home matches.

Sutton & Epsom
Lennard, Findlay, Rudder, Bunting ©, Ghumra, Bennion, Munford, Mount, Farrell, Gibson,
Glanville, McTaggart, Pulvirenti, Hegarty & Whitaker.
Replacements: Boaden, Jones & Elliott.

London Cornish
Mackay, Hakes, Kimmins ©, Brogden, Bromage, Edworthy, Johnston, Pellow, Cruz, Theobald, Carr,
McEwen, Fink, Webb, & Pearce.
Replacements: New, Sorgo-Mirosevic & Phoenix.

_{Photo credit: Robin Kennedy}

Epsom & Ewell FC 6-2 Sandhurst Town. Combined Counties League – Premier Division. Saturday 2nd March 2024.

Cast your mind back just four days to our heaviest defeat of the season, when we fell away badly to lose 6-1 at Knaphill. This weekend Sandhurst Town were the visitors and we registered our heaviest win of the season with a 6-2 score line. This was also our first home win of 2024 and for those who like their stats, it was our first home win on this date since 1957 when Uxbridge were defeated 2-0 in a Corinthian League fixture!

In case you were wondering, this sort of thing has happened before. In October 2018 we lost a Vase match 6-1 at Lingfield, only to bounce back in our next match with a 6-0 win at AC London, but it could be argued this was a far more important win.

Having played some very difficult matches recently, I had written previously about how the fixture list was a little kinder to us in March and April, but that doesn’t guarantee us anything; we still had to go and get the points, and although we had a very friendly helping hand (or foot!) to see us on our way in this contest, we were good value for the win against a Sandhurst team that never really recovered from their awful start.

With Nick Wilson suspended after an accumulation of yellow cards, Ethan Nelson-Roberts was handed the Captain’s armband and Wilson was replaced by Carl Oblitey. The return of the big man up front certainly gave us some added balance, particularly up front, but the star of the show this time was the little man, Luke Miller who had a fine game, although a few others also deserve mentions. We also appeared to learn a lesson from the Knaphill defeat as we pressed more and made it much more difficult for our opponents to play throughout the ninety minutes.

This match was a pivotal one for us and arguably for our Management team, who went into this game with one win and nine defeats from their ten matches in charge, well aware that our Committee have been extremely trigger-happy in the last three seasons. We all needed a change of fortune and in the fourth minute we got some. A harmless looking back pass went straight under the visiting keeper Harry White’s foot and he was unable to reach the ball before it crossed the line and nestled in the back of the net to give us a rather fortuitous lead!

Sandhurst were clearly rattled by this and White then had to make a good save to his right to deny Miller before our tricky winger got the ball back after we intercepted it in midfield. He drew White out, only to put his shot wide from the edge of the area. A second goal would really have been a great start, but as it turned out, it was just around the corner anyway. In the tenth minute Thompson Adeyemi set up Miller on the right with a nice pass and he simply squared the ball over for Jaevon Dyer to tap it into the net from three yards. However, it didn’t quite work out like that as despite the artificial surface, Dyer somehow got under the ball and spooned it up onto the crossbar! The ball bounced down and then up onto the bar a second time before he was finally able to nod the ball over the line from about an inch, getting bundled into the net with the ball by a defender for his troubles!

From this point the match became more even, with the visitors holding the balance of possession for a while, but not really being allowed to do much with it. A long shot gave Shay Honey some trouble and he parried the ball wide, where he then had to make a second save from an angle from a low shot. Next to feature was Tijani Eshilokun who appeared to be knocked over in an off the ball challenge. The referee had a few words with Callum Wright for Sandhurst, but felt that no card was required, or maybe he felt sorry for Wright who was already being given a proper run around by Miller!

Unfortunately in the 34th minute Sandhurst found a way back into the match with a long shot that appeared to bounce just in front of Honey and although he kept the shot out, he couldn’t hold onto the ball and it was knocked back past him from close range to make the score 2-1.

Ayran Kugathas picked up a yellow for us as the visitors threatened to level the scores, but we were still dangerous on the attack and Oblitey set up Miller on the right to strike powerfully at goal, where White made a good block for a corner. Moments later we thought we had a third goal after Eshilokun sent the ball across into the danger area where Oblitey clipped the ball into the net. However, on its way into the net, the ball went close to Dyer who was standing in an offside position according to the Assistant and although he didn’t touch the ball, I could understand why the official would think he might have been in the keeper’s line of sight, even if I could see from my position that he wasn’t! Either way, the referee took his time, consulted with his Assistant and then explained the matter fully to Nelson-Roberts as he disallowed the goal.

Regrettably this wasn’t good enough for Eshilokun who remarked about having been cheated before and maybe understandably the referee took this comment to heart, ensuring that our man then had to make his fourth visit of the season to the sin-bin as a result. This was our team’s eleventh dissent offence of the season and remains a concern. I should also point out at this stage that I felt the referee had a really good game and even if this was probably the wrong decision, he communicated with our Captain and explained his reasoning. Quick word to our Committee. The referee will not change his mind, just because one of you shouts out from the sidelines that “we’ve got it on video”. He really won’t, so why do we keep using this line that I’ve heard three or four times over the last two seasons now. It’s an embarrassing look for our club!

The half time whistle blew shortly afterwards, but the second half started with a bang! There were just 19 ticks on the clock when a great pass out to Miller was taken in stride and as he left Wright for dead he then sent the ball across the face of goal where Oblitey was waiting to tap the ball in from close range to make it 3-1 to the ten men. Clearly this was unacceptable to the visiting Manager who then made a triple substitution and followed it up with a fourth moments later. This sparked a response and a long shot was cleared off the line by an Epsom defender, but once our “sin-binner” was back on the field we started to get back on top and it was Eshilokun that then applied the tap in finish on the hour after a corner had been half cleared to Oblitey who delivered the ball in from the right.

At 4-1 up you could be forgiven for thinking it might be comfortable from this point, but it had to be remembered that we had been 4-1 up in the return fixture after an hour, only to draw 4-4. This time there would be no such concerns as Oblitey got away on the left and pulled the ball back for Dyer to strike into the far top corner from the edge of the area to make it 5-1 in the 67th minute, grazing White’s glove on the way.

The visitors showed a bit of life for a while after this and a long ball was chested down by a striker only for the ball to get away from him and run through to Honey. Then our keeper did well to parry away a free kick that was aiming for the far post. However, they reduced the arrears in the 83rd minute after a long range effort came back off our post and was knocked in by Amari Fushanu from a few yards out, but we produced another excellent goal in the second minute of injury time when both substitute Nick Inwugwu and Eshilokun produced some skilful interplay, including a clever back heel from the former to the latter who then drilled the ball in to the net from six yards, via a defender.

It was a fantastic way to finish the match and whilst these three points were important, the four goal boost to our goal difference could also prove relevant at the end of the season. For what it’s worth though, a couple more performances and results like this in our remaining seven matches and we’ll be fine anyway!

Epsom & Ewell: Shay Honey, Ayran Kugathas, Ethan Nelson-Roberts (c), Adam Green, Reece Tierney, Callum Wilson, Luke Miller, Thompson Adeyemi, Carl Oblitey, Tijani Eshilokun, Jaevon Dyer

Subs: Zach Wright for Oblitey (74), Nick Inwugwu for Kugathas (75), Matt McGillivray for Wilson (80), Sirak Negassi for Miller (83)

_{Report Source: www.eefconline.co.uk}