Battersea Ironsides 38 Sutton & Epsom RFC 29. Saturday 6th January.

In September at Rugby Lane Sutton & Epsom belatedly gained their first success of their campaign
with a last gasp 26-25 win over the then league leader’s Battersea Ironsides. Therefore the return
fixture was anticipated with great relish. Before the kick off there was much disruption from the
scheduled proceedings. Storm Henk had led to torrential midweek rains resulting in Battersea’s
Openview facilities being unplayable. Fortunately an alternative time and venue was found. The
match was rescheduled for 4pm at the splendid Grasshoppers RFC venue. The crowd enjoyed the
curtain-raiser at 2pm as HAC overcame Grasshoppers 22-14 in the parallel Regional 2 Thames
League before settling in for the main event. A thrilling nine-try match ensued with the lead
changing hands five times before Battersea Ironsides triumphed 38-29.

Sutton & Epsom suffered a setback in the warm up as Tom Lennard injured his back. The deck
was reshuffled and Gareth O’Brien went to 10 and Austin Bell, returning from University, came off
the bench to 15. The unfortunate Lennard, with all the mobility of an octogenarian, was ushered
to the bench and was unlikely to play any part in proceedings unless some miracle worker
happened to be strolling down Syon Lane. The game started under the floodlights with Battersea
Ironsides immediately in the ascendancy. A try in the opening minute was denied as the hosts
were held up over the line. Five minutes later blindside flanker Ollie Davies made the first of many
penetrating breaks. From halfway he broke through the first defender then palmed off prospective
tacklers who were scattered like skittles as he raced in to score. Charles Stuart regally added the
conversion for a 7-0 lead.

The high tempo opening from the hosts continued as Charles Stuart added a penalty to extend the
lead to 10-0. Moments later Sutton were on the scoreboard from the familiar efficiency of Freddy
Bunting’s boot as he added another penalty to his ever-increasing season’s tally to make it 10-3.
However, the errant Sutton defence yielded another penalty that enabled the hosts to regain their
ten-point advantage to lead 13-3 a couple of minutes later. At the end of the first quarter
Battersea Ironsides were rewarded for their dominant start to the match with their second try.
This time it was Number 8 Tom Jeffs who forced his way past flailing defenders from ten metres
out. The ball-carrying of Davies & Jeffs was to be the difference between the sides by the final
whistle. Though Charles Stuart’s conversion drifted harmlessly wide the Ironsides had a healthy
advantage of 18-3 with the visitors starved of territory and possession.

The early ascendancy of the SW17 outfit was replaced by a sterling Sutton comeback. At last the
Black & Whites put together some phases and excellent handling got them deep into the Battersea half. The opportunity looked to have been lost but the referee brought the game back for an earlier
offence. With the 15-point deficit Captain Bunting shunned the 3-point option and kicked to the
corner. The gamble saw a rich reward. Josh Pulvirenti scored from close-range and Freddy Bunting
added the conversion to trail 10-18. Though the S&E revival was soon deflated by another Charles
Stuart penalty that saw the score at 21-10 the Black & Whites had a foothold in the game and
were looking dangerous when they had possession.

With the interval rapidly approaching Sutton & Epsom enjoyed their best spell of the game as they
went in search of a score before the break. Resolute and powerful tackling by the Battersea team
held the line. However, under pressure the defence transgressed and they were reduced to 14
men. With the clock counting down in time added on in the first period finally flanker Rob Hegarty
forced his way over following a 5-metre lineout. Freddy Bunting’s conversion concluded the first
half with Sutton closing the gap to 17-21.

The second half began with the Black & Whites confident that they could repeat the come from
behind win they had enjoyed earlier this season. In contrast Battersea sought to regain the
dominance they had enjoyed at the start of the game. As ever the opening score of the half would be vital for the hopes of both sides. Ten minutes into the second period Battersea kicked into the
Sutton half. Fullback Austin Bell gathered the ball and looked for an advantageous 50-22 kick. As
the ball rolled towards the beneficial touch it trickled to a halt but Sutton’s initial frustration was
transformed into delight. Winger Kyren Ghumra arrived with the cover and his boot manage to
nudge the ball to the Ironsides 22. He regained his footing gathered the loose ball and ran in
unopposed. Freddy Bunting added the conversion and Sutton led 22-21.

If self-doubt had entered into the hosts it was soon dispelled as the redoubtable Tom Jeffs added
to his account with his second try of the afternoon. A penalty was kicked to the corner and the 5-
metre lineout was secured and ball was quickly transferred to Tom Jeffs who bulldozed his way
over. Though the conversion was missed Battersea lead once more by 26-22. Sutton refused to be
subdued and five minutes later they had regained lead. From a breakdown 15 metres from the line
lock Ewan McTaggart gather the ball, broke through and sidestepped the last defender to score by
the uprights. The towering second row is arguably S&E’s most improved player this season and his
try was greeted with joyous enthusiasm from the travelling support. With Freddy Bunting adding
the extras the Black & Whites led 29-26 entering the final quarter.

Once more the Ironsides went in search of a try. Another penalty was kicked to the corner for a 5-
metre lineout. The expectant home crowd bayed for a repeat dose of the medicine. Initially it
appeared that the Sutton defences had frustrated the hosts on the line. After much delay and
close inspection of the mass of humanity piled in front of him the referee raised his arm aloft to
signal the try. Prop Henry Warby was awarded the crucial score. The pendulum had swung back in
favour of Battersea and Charles Stuart’s conversion put the hosts 33-29 ahead. A couple of
minutes later the confused crowd saw Josh Glanville and a Battersea forward depart with yellow
cards. It came to pass that Sir had been unimpressed by some pushing and shoving though the
incident was less than what commuters experience boarding a rush hour tube and to onlookers it
seemed a rather draconian response.

The topsy-turvy nature of the second half had fifteen minutes to go and the outcome was still in
the balance. Sutton & Epsom went in search of the 22 and a platform to launch an attack on the
Battersea line. Freddy Bunting’s long penalty kick from hand, intended for the corner, was
gathered infield and a mark called. The threat was averted and the Ironsides set out their stall in
the visitors’ half. In a rousing finish multiple attacks followed as last ditch tackles frustrated the
hosts. Finally, Charles Stuart rounded off a fine performance as he dummied and sidestepped his
way over the line for Battersea Ironside’s fifth try of the afternoon. The score resulted in an
unseemly fracas in the in-goal area. No further cards were issued with only a couple of minutes
remaining but Battersea were awarded a penalty at the restart. For those who revel in the unusual
it was rather disappointing that Charles Stuart did not attempt the extra three points but Battersea
led 38-29 with a two score cushion.

There was no further addition to the score and the Ironsides had won a most exciting game 38-29.
Messrs Davies and Jeffs had been outstanding for the victors carrying numerous times collecting
considerable yardage as well as three tries. Sutton had looked dangerous in attack but their
defence lacked the excellence of their Cobham away win and ultimately that was the deciding
factor in a match played between two sides who were notably better than their earlier meeting this
season. Next Saturday Sutton & Epsom host Old Alleynians who have started 2024 in splendid
fashion by crushing London Cornish 50-17. When the two sides met at Dulwich Common in
September the Old Boys edged out S&E 29-25.

Sutton & Epsom:
Austin Bell, Ciaran Mohr, Willem Ratu, Kyren Ghumra, Freddy Bunting ©, Gareth O’Brien, Ross
Parsons, Tom Boaden, Chris Farrell, Alex Mount, Ewan McTaggart, Josh Glanville, Rob Hegarty,
Josh Pulvirenti & Matt Whitaker.
Replacements: Callum Gibson & Ben Green. Unused: Tom Lennard.

Battersea Ironsides
George Clair, Will Diamond, Ben Turner, Jacob Donovan, Mike Brennan, Charles Stuart, Jack
Moates, Harry Martin, Ollie Lewis, Henry Warby, Archie MacPherson, Sam Reeves, Ollie Davies,
Alex Chitan & Tom Jeffs.
Replacements: Harry Batson, Max Trickett & Cameron Baker.

Epsom & Ewell FC 0-5 Camberley Town. Combined Counties League – Premier Division. Saturday 6th January.

Our first meeting with Camberley Town for five years ended in a dispiriting home defeat by five clear goals, which marked our worst defeat of the season so far. Historians won’t be particularly surprised as we hadn’t won on this day in history since 1934, but this was surprisingly poor, bearing in mind our stellar second half showing just seven days previously.

Despite many other matches being called off and the knowledge that our game would definitely be on, a hugely disappointing crowd counted as 62, even though the official figure was advised as a rather ambitious 92, witnessed a very disappointing performance against a Camberley Town team that belied their League position and looked likely to score whenever they went forward, while we registered just two shots on target, with the visiting keeper Stuart Norman only having one serious save to make, and that came in second half injury time!

We made three changes from last week’s win over Tooting & Mitcham United. Steve Springett was on dad duty and was unable to take the field, while Nick Wilson and Reece Tierney returned to the line up after being unavailable and injured respectively. They came in for the injured Ollie Thompson and also Nick Inwugwu who had to make do with a place on the bench, while Lewis Pearch came in up front.

On a day when there were some very erratic officiating calls that left players confused and sometimes frustrated at times, it is important to point out that this match wasn’t close enough to be affected by them, even though we looked quite good for the opening ten minutes!

Unfortunately, the first time the visitors went into our half, their striker was brought down clumsily on the edge of the penalty area and Regan Hitch delivered a free kick casually into the bottom far corner with our keeper Harvey Keogh either slow to get down to it, or unsighted. This goal came in the tenth minute and the lead was extended just two minutes later as a right wing cross was met with an unmarked looping header from Mason Taylor that gave Keogh no chance from twelve yards.

Things nearly got worse in the 14th minute when another break on the right from Stan Jones ended with a shot past Keogh that crossed the line, but hit the diagonal stanchion supporting the post and came back out. We had a spell of incidents like this a few years back at Chipstead, but fortunately, in each case the officials had awarded the goal to us. This time there was to be no such decision in Camberley’s favour, much to the amazement of a number of their players and the score remained at 2-0.

Maybe it was to be our day after all. That bit of fortune should really have motivated us to fight back, but Epsom just weren’t at the races and a third goal followed in the 26th minute. Maybe appropriately it was Jones who was the scorer after being “denied” twelve minutes earlier, although his shot appeared to be scuffed and Keogh, expecting a more powerful shot, went down before the ball got there and it crept into the net.

We desperately needed a way back into this match in quick time and Luke Miller produced a pinpoint cross for Pearch, but he headed the ball over the bar from just six yards. What we didn’t realise at the time was that this would prove to be our best chance of the match and the visitors were soon back on the attack with Keogh being well placed to make a good save from a close range header. As we went into the third minute of injury time Tommy Williams played a decent one-two with a teammate, but the shot with his weaker left foot was easily fielded by Norman.

Could we turn this around in the second half, as we had done just seven days previously? Well, frankly, no! We had only been playing for a few minutes when an injury to Ayran Kugathas necessitated his replacement. We did put together a decent move, starting with Jaan Stanley who found Miller who then set up Rory Edwards, whose shot went across goal, but was just out of reach of the incoming Ethan Nelson-Roberts. Keogh was forced into another good save but in the 70th minute a good run from Jones ended with a shot across goal where Brandon Vangrove was there to touch the ball in from close range for the fourth Camberley goal. Things were looking really serious now and we made a triple substitution, but Keogh still had to make another close range save to prevent the score going higher.

We had a half chance with quarter of an hour remaining when substitute Thompson Adeyemi had a try from just outside the penalty area, only to see the ball hit the full face of the cross bar and rebound to safety, but in the 79th minute a corner was headed in by the unmarked Tom Wensley at close range and we were 5-0 down. Keogh had to make another couple of saves, with the latter of these coming out of the top drawer with a full stretch save of a shot that was heading for the top corner before Norman actually had some work to do in the 92nd minute when he tipped over a Williams shot from twenty yards with the subsequent corner being headed over by Tierney, but to be honest, a goal wouldn’t have even counted as a consolation, such was the standard of this performance.

You rarely get results this one-sided unless two things happen. Firstly, we didn’t play well, but secondly, Camberley did. With the hugely impressive Jones on the field, we appeared to have no real answer and remain winless against the Krooners in nine attempts dating back to 2014. To his credit our Manager Springett was brutally honest about the performance on social media after the match and it is hoped that we can fight back, although we now do not have another League match for three weeks, so there should be plenty of opportunity to try things out at training during that time. Either way, we need to improve or this relegation battle will remain a concern for far longer than it really should do.

Epsom & Ewell: Harvey Keogh (c), Tommy Williams, Ayran Kugathas, Rory Edwards, Reece Tierney, Nick Wilson, Luke Miller, Tijani Eshilokun, Lewis Pearch, Jaan Stanley, Ethan Nelson-Roberts

Subs: Nick Inwugwu for Kugathas (50), Thompson Adeyemi for Stanley (65), Ade Batula for Pearch (77), Tino Carpene for Miller (77), Jerry Antwi for Nelson-Roberts (77)

Special Olympics Surrey Athletes Gear Up for Inaugural National Winter Games. In an exciting development for Special Olympics Great Britain, the country’s leading sports training and competition provider for individuals with intellectual disabilities, the spotlight is on six talented athletes from Special Olympics Surrey. These exceptional individuals are set to represent their region at the upcoming inaugural National Winter Games organized by Special Olympics GB.

The event, scheduled to unfold in Folgaria, nestled in the picturesque northern Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtiro, will feature alpine skiing and figure skating competitions for athletes with intellectual disabilities. From January 27 to February 3, the participating athletes will showcase their prowess on the icy slopes and the glittering rink.

A total of 73 athletes hailing from England, Scotland, and Wales will participate in the Special Olympics GB National Winter Games, and among them are the six accomplished athletes from Special Olympics Surrey:

• Mikey Lines – Alpine Skiing, SO South East – SO Surrey
• Bartholome Meredith-Hardy – Alpine Skiing, SO South East – SO Surrey
• Stef Nakoneczny – Alpine Skiing, SO South East – SO Surrey
• Karen Oosthuizen – Alpine Skiing, SO South East – SO Surrey
• Elanor Sinden – Alpine Skiing, SO South East – SO Surrey
• Alice Willans – Alpine Skiing, SO South East – SO Surrey

Colin Dyer, Chief Executive of Special Olympics GB, expressed his enthusiasm about expanding their competition calendar with the introduction of the National Winter Games. He highlighted the transformative impact of national and international events on athletes, inspiring them to develop life skills and make positive changes, supporting their independence and career growth.

Special Olympics GB is extending its gratitude to Special Olympics Grampian club for their dedicated planning efforts as the host club. Additionally, Inclusive Skating has been recognized as the delivery partner for all figure skating events. The Ski Company and Alpe Cimbra are providing crucial support to ensure the success of the National Winter Games.

Dyer emphasized that this competition will play a pivotal role in selecting athletes for the subsequent Special Olympics World Winter Games, slated for Torino, Italy, from March 8 to 16, 2025. Team Special Olympics GB will be represented by eight alpine skiers and two figure skaters, marking their return to the global stage since 2017.

Across England, Scotland, and Wales, Special Olympics GB’s impact is evident, providing regular sporting opportunities for over 6,600 athletes with intellectual disabilities. With 95 accredited clubs offering training and competition in 27 different sports, a devoted team of 3,800 volunteers ensures the success of the programs.

Established in 1978, Special Olympics Great Britain is a non-profit charity dedicated to providing year-round sports coaching and athletic competition in summer and winter sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. With 95 accredited programs across England, Scotland, and Wales, the organization offers coaching and competition opportunities in 27 sports, supported by over 3,800 volunteers benefiting more than 6,600 athletes.

Special Olympics GB goes beyond sports, transforming lives by boosting confidence, realizing potential, enhancing physical fitness and mental well-being, fostering courage, and fostering new friendships. Financial support from individuals, trusts, and corporate donations is crucial for the continuation of their impactful work.

Founded in 1968, Special Olympics is a global movement aimed at ending discrimination against individuals with intellectual disabilities. Using the power of sport and programming in education, health, and leadership, Special Olympics fosters acceptance and inclusivity.

With over six million athletes, Special Olympics Unified Sports® partners, one million coaches, and volunteers in over 200 accredited programs, Special Olympics organizes more than 30 Olympic-type sports and over 100,000 Games and competitions annually. Learn more at www.SpecialOlympics.org.

Horley Town 4-0 Epsom & Ewell FC. Combined Counties League – Premier Division. Saturday 23rd December 2023.

Exactly six years to the day since we last visited Horley Town, we made a visit that will not live long in the memory unless you are a Horley fan as we crashed 4-0 in our latest League fixture.

Horley produced a nice touch for this contest by sending some of the children around the ground to offer everyone mince pies, but regrettably that was all we would get from them in this match, as they finished much the stronger of the two teams after a fairly even first half hour. In comparison, we were extremely generous and many gifts were presented by our team!

Our line up contained our Captain Harvey Keogh, who had returned from a trip away, while Tommy Williams came back into the starting eleven, pushing Ethan Nelson-Roberts further forward. Tijani Eshilokun, Luke Miller and Tino Carpene also started, while Thomson Adeyemi surprisingly dropped to the bench and Sirak Negassi and George Owusu were not available. Finally, Ollie Thompson was back on the bench after what looked like being a longer term injury last weekend, although he advised that he wasn’t going to be risked. For Horley there were two former Salts as Josh Alder and their Captain Louis Chin lined up against us.

Although possession was fairly even in the opening exchanges, we never really managed to get a shot of any power or accuracy at goal, while for Horley, Sam Harper broke through, but Keogh spread himself well to block the ball with his feet. An Alder right wing cross just eluded the incoming strikers, while Keogh then required treatment after he and a home player both went up with high feet and our man came off worse. Fortunately he was able to continue after receiving treatment.

The game changed in the 33rd minute when Miller picked up a yellow card, somewhat harshly, I thought. However, his response to this in applauding the decision earned him an unnecessary visit to the sin bin. Our club are well aware when a referee has an assessor present, but I wonder whether our Management are advised of this fact, as you always know that these sort of things are more likely to be actioned on by an official who is being assessed.

Within a minute we were forced into a substitution after Reece Tierney picked up an injury and Thompson came on for an appearance he wasn’t expecting to make. Horley stepped up the pressure and Nick Inwugwu made a good clearance from a dangerous ball in. Then Alder’s shot on goal was blocked for a corner, from which Jake Roberts then fired the ball into the roof of the net for the opening goal in the 37th minute.

We were back to ten men soon after, but Horley were up and running now and a right wing cross was headed just wide of our goal before our defence parted in the 48th minute and Joshua Rapson delicately chipped the ball over the exposed Keogh to put the home side two nil up at the break.

We had a couple of half chances early in the second half, but Nelson-Roberts was flagged offside when Miller appeared to be fouled in the area, and then a Steve Springett free kick required George Hyde in the Horley goal to make his first real intervention of the day by punching the ball clear, but these were small crumbs unfortunately and in the 57th minute we conceded a third goal in awful circumstances when Harper eased past Inwugwu and squared the ball for Cameron Gyeabour to finish off from close range.

Bad became worse just seven minutes later when Hyde’s long goal kick put Alder through and with no defenders nearby, Keogh had to come out, leaving the former Salt to chip the ball over him into the net from twenty yards, despite a covering defender being on the line by this time.

In response Springett sent a free kick high and wide from 25 yards and substitute Adeyemi also sent a shot wide, but I didn’t recognise a single shot on target from our boys in this match and there was even time for Hyde to venture behind the goal to share a drink with some of the home fans! The final chances fell to the home team and they had a fair shout for a penalty turned down, before Hyde nearly secured a second assist when his long ball found Rapson on the left and his shot was well blocked by Keogh, although the ball went up in the air and should have really been finished off by an incoming player, but fortunately he missed his kick! We were then reduced to ten men in the 93rd minute after Nelson-Roberts picked up a visit to the sin-bin himself. He has been one of our best players this season, but obviously you can’t influence the match when you are on the sidelines and we need to start learning this lesson. Mercifully the whistle saved us from further punishment and we retired, defeated by four clear goals.

There were many concerning aspects about this particular afternoon, but I shall concentrate on the three most important ones. Firstly, the way we defended, particularly in the second half. Secondly, we have now gone 301 minutes of normal time since we scored a goal. Finally, for the first time in a while results around us did not go well, particularly with Colliers Wood United winning at Tooting & Mitcham United. We face the latter in our next contest and it’s fair to say that this now becomes a very important League match for our club.

Epsom & Ewell: Harvey Keogh (c), Tommy Williams, Nick Inwugwu, Steve Springett, Reece Tierney, Nick Wilson, Luke Miller, Tijani Eshilokun, Tino Carpene, Rory Edwards, Ethan Nelson-Roberts

Subs: Ollie Thompson for Tierney (34), Thompson Adeyemi for Carpene (56), Jaan Stanley for Miller (76), Ade Batula for Springett (76)

Report Source: www.eefconline.co.uk

Epsom & Ewell FC 0-2 Tadley Calleva*. Combined Counties League – Premier Division Tuesday 19th December 2023.

On a rather chilly Tuesday evening at the Madgwick in front of less than 70 hardy souls, Tadley Calleva made the long journey over to Surrey and returned with the points after defeating us fairly comfortably by two goals to nil.

Anyone who just looks at the results would have seen Tadley’s heavy defeat at the weekend, but anyone who actually studies them in detail would have seen that it came against Farnham Town and written it off as an anomaly. Far more relevantly, their three matches prior to that had been won and there was little doubt that they would collect the points here as they controlled the first half, scored twice and then kept us at arm’s length for the majority of the second period, despite an improvement from our boys.

Toby Colwell kept his place in goal, but Ollie Thompson was unable to go following his injury at Colliers Wood United that will keep him out over the Christmas period at least. In his place came Steve Springett while Ethan Nelson-Roberts also returned which enabled Nick Inwugwu to switch over to right back, releasing Rory Edwards to play back in midfield again. Further forward Jaan Stanley and Tijani Eshilokun were unavailable, so Sirak Negassi and George Owusu came in for starts with Luke Miller dropping to the bench and Nick Wilson retaining the Captain’s armband he had been holding since Thompson’s injury.

We nearly had a shocking start as the visitors swept downfield and Alex Miller struck our post with a curling shot inside the first ten seconds. A regular supporter near me advised the time as six seconds, which, if it had gone in would have represented the earliest goal ever scored in an Epsom match as far as records could prove. We escaped this time, but apart from a Negassi shot that was well blocked by a defender, we created little in the first half and were often confronted with the sight of watching the match at distance as much of the opening “forty-five” was played in our half. Colwell made a couple of good saves midway through it, with the second of these right out of the top drawer to deny Sheldon Wright.

We made a little progress in the 33rd minute when Thompson Adeyemi fed Negassi who beat two men, but shot weakly at Craig Atkinson in the Tadley goal from a good position. However, we were back on the defensive soon after and the visitors opened their account in the 35th minute with a deep corner that was met at the far post with a downward header by Brad Neal. Although one of our defenders cleared the ball away, it had already crossed the line. Bad became worse when a second followed just four minutes later with a low drive from Ousman Darboe which nestled in the far corner from the edge of the penalty area.

We could have no complaints about the score to this point, although it was disappointing that we had created so little, particularly after drawing a blank at Colliers Wood in the previous match. The second half looked like it might follow a similar pattern as Colwell was forced into another good low save just after the restart, but things got better and we nearly pulled a goal back in the 57th minute when a deep corner found Ade Batula who controlled the ball and shot at goal, only for the ball to be blocked on the line by a defender with the grateful Atkinson falling onto the ball before we could get that vital touch.

On the hour we saw the return of Tommy Williams after he had completed his four match suspension, although it was originally meant to be in relief of Reece Tierney whose number came up, only for a quick change of mind by our Management team after they had spotted that Nelson-Roberts had just picked up an injury and he was the man who came off instead.

Batula was asking a few questions with his pace and he was brought down in the corner for a free kick just a couple of yards in from the touchline, but the Springett delivery was headed over the bar by Adeyemi. Then Batula broke through the offside trap and bore down on goal, although his shot was a good height for Atkinson who parried the strike on goal. The visitors had a couple of strikes from distance, both of which only just missed our top corner, but this was a much better half and Adeyemi climbed to win a good header which he sent back across goal. It wasn’t clear whether it would have crept inside the post, but it didn’t matter as a defender was there to hook the ball away in any case.

As we entered the final few minutes of normal time Darboe picked up a yellow card for a clumsy challenge and two minutes later collected a second card, leaving the visitors with ten men for the remaining two minutes, plus five more of injury time. In between the two bookings we had our best chance of the match after Adeyemi made a good run and pass to Miller who then put another substitute through in Tino Carpene, who clipped the ball over Atkinson, only to see the ball miss the far post and also the incoming Springett by inches.

Our final chance came in the first minute of injury time, but as we sent a long throw in from Williams to the head of the towering Adeyemi it was apparent that there was no one actually beyond him to finish off a chance should one arrive! The flick on was duly won, with the ball dribbling past the far post for what would have been a certain tap in, had we gambled. It set the seal on a disappointing evening, although it must be remembered that our opponents are looking good for the playoff spots and were very solid last night.

The League table shows us third from bottom with 14 points from 19 available which currently provides a healthy gap between us and the two clubs below us. For some reason our club has chosen not to put a League table in its match programmes, which is a shame because it looks a lot better than it did at the end of September! Hopefully, we can continue to increase the number of points between us and the single relegation place when we visit Horley on Saturday for another important League fixture.

Epsom & Ewell: Toby Colwell, Nick Inwugwu, Ethan Nelson-Roberts, Steve Springett, Reece Tierney, Nick Wilson ©, Ade Batula, Thompson Adeyemi, George Owusu, Rory Edwards, Sirak Negassi

Subs: Tommy Williams for Nelson-Roberts (59), Luke Miller for Owusu (74), Tino Carpene for Batula (80), Kiyo Brown for Negassi (80)

Report Source: www.eefconline.co.uk

The word Calleva means “where the paths cross“.

Sutton & Epsom RFC 21 – Old Reigatian 38. Saturday 16th December.

In the reverse fixture Old Reigatian finally subdued a stubborn Sutton and Epsom 35-29 after a game of
fluctuating fortunes. This time the Black & Whites were enjoying a run of five victories whilst the
visitors were lying third and snapping at the heels of the leaders. For the hosts it was a red-letter
day for hooker Chris Farrell who was celebrating his 100 th 1st XV league appearance. In stark
contrast Ben Green was making his debut for S&E and was one of four changes to the starting
line-up. Old Reigatian continued their upward trajectory with a very impressive 38-21 triumph.

Freddy Bunting kicked off with the wind favouring the hosts. Moments later he was impressively
putting his team onto the front foot with a probing 50-22 kick. It was a fast and furious opening
ten minutes as each side were eager to gain the early advantage. It was most competitive at the
breakdown and both defences held firm. On the quarter hour Lawrence Elliott was adjudged to
have obstructed the OR kicker as the ball rolled off the back of the pitch. The penalty was kicked
into the corner. Sterling Sutton defence halted the visitors but they were brought back for another
penalty. The second attempt improved on the dress rehearsal as a perfectly executed catch &
drive saw prop Ciaran Nestor touch down for the first try of the afternoon. Lucas Overtoom
stroked over the conversion for a 7-0 lead for OR.

_{Top image: Chris Farrell playing in his 100th 2st XV league match. Credit Robin Kennedy.}

Though the hosts pressed hard to get back on terms with a couple of visits to their opponents’ 22
the men from the Geoffrey Knight Fields stood tall with an impregnable defence. S&E got to the
line but were denied the chance to level the score as they lost possession at the critical juncture.
In fact it was the team from Reigate who lifted the temporary siege and scored their second try
with their second visit to the Sutton 22. On the half hour mark a sweeping play with great
continuity provided by adept passes out of tackles saw Reigatian centre Gareth Stephens chip over
the defence re-gather the ball and complete a stylish score. Though the conversion never
threatened the uprights Old Reigatian had a healthy12-0 advantage.

Sutton & Epsom were in need of a score to get a foothold in the game and despite Willem Ratu
charging ahead like Jehu support was not at hand to benefit from the break. Sutton did not aid
their chances by conceding penalties and from one given for a high tackle the Reigate side kicked
into the corner. Despite spoiling the lineout the loose ball was touched down in the host’s in-goal
area resulting in a 5-metre scrum to OR. A fine tackle by Josh Pulvirenti and a knock on appeared
to have saved S&E but once more the referee brought the sides back to an earlier infringement by
the Rugby Lane XV. Following another scrummage and multiple carries Max Coyle popped over
from short-range. Lucas Overtoom added the extras for a 19-0 lead.

A thoroughly downcast home team restarted and promptly conceded a soft score. The kick was
taken and returned with a vengeance through apologetic tackles. Gareth O’Brien’s attempt to clear
the ball from his 22 was impeded and the voracious hands of the visitors collected the loose ball. It
was relayed to lock Jack Baart who powered in at the corner. The touchline conversion bisected
the uprights and Old Reigatian led 26-0 with a bonus point already in their back pocket. Timely
words were uttered under the Sutton posts and the hosts desperately attempted to get a score
before the interval but to no avail. OR turned around 26-0 ahead leaving S&E with an Everest-like
challenge to maintain their winning run.

It is the modern vogue for coaches and pundits alike to highlight the conversion rate for teams
when visiting their opponents’ 22. For sorry Sutton the first half recorded 0% whilst Old Reigatian
were on 100%. In addition the normally faultless Bunting boot had erred twice. The 26-0 deficit
may not have accurately reflected the balance of the game but it highlighted that one side was
ruthlessly clinical whilst the other was most profligate. The Black & Whites held back on making
changes at the break no doubt planning to get an early score to exert maximum pressure on the
visitors. They would have to reverse the trend of the first period and take every opportunity to
score if they were going to get anything out of this fixture.

An early score for the hosts was not only essential to make a contest of the match but also for
Sutton’s self-belief. However, within five minutes the visitors were crossing the whitewash for a
fifth time. A kick through, a ricochet and a helpful assist from a Black & White boot gifted Gareth
Stephens his second try. Despite the missed conversion Old Reigatian looked over the horizon and
far away leading 31-0. Sutton & Epsom rang the changes as Alex Mount returned to the fray and
Ross Parsons had his first taste of action replacing Chris Ballard. A few minutes later George
London was the last pair of fresh legs as Isaac Lea took a breather. Two penalties on the bounce
to the home team propelled the Rugby Lane team to a lineout 10 metres out. Though they were
thwarted this time another penalty meant they had a second chance from a 5-metre lineout. The
forwards controlled the ball and the try was scored. It could not have been a more popular try as
it was the outstretched arm of Chris Farrell on his 100 th appearance who touched down. Freddy
Bunting added the conversion for 7-31.

Ten minutes later Sutton & Epsom were again benefiting from Reigatian indiscipline as they kicked
a penalty into the corner. From the five-metre lineout the visitors defiant defence thwarted initial
attempts until Alex Mount side-stepped would be tacklers to score. Freddy Bunting added the
extras as the home crowd dared to dream of a miracle at 14-31. Those dreams swiftly became a
nightmare as the Black & Whites conceded an interception try just outside their 22 a minute later.
Max Coyle had his second try and Lucas Overtoom his fourth conversion and the visitors had the
healthy cushion again leading 38-14.

Sutton were not finished and it was Alex Mount who scored again. If the prop’s first try owed
much to nimble footwork his second was from brute force and determination as he muscled his
was over the line. Freddy Bunting did the necessary to trail 21-38. With ten minutes remaining
there began the game within the game as the Black & Whites went in search of bonus points as
one more try would secure at least one consolation point. Though the hosts dominated territory
and possession they failed to add to their tally. The resolute Old Reigatian defence were in no
mood for any charitable Christmas presents for their opponents. The final whistle concluded the
contest with OR victors by the commanding margin of 38-21 and excellent value for their success.
Old Reigatian played splendidly with a ruthless efficiency. Once again their three-quarters were of
the highest quality playing with confidence, fluency and an enviable slickness with Max Coyle a
constant threat. Their pack had the edge in the set scrum and were disruptive at the breakdown
with Finlay Lock, like all good 7s, a constant irritation. In defence they tackled forcefully and
closed down Sutton rapidly. However, it was their ability to convert pressure in the 22 into points
that was the key difference. For S&E too often their breaks by Willem Ratu et al lacked support.
Most frustratingly speculative offloads were lured into the hands of their opponents as if they were
victims of sirens without an Odysseus to rescue them. The result had far more to do with the
quality of the play of the Old Reigatian team than the failings of Sutton and the win has put the
visitors very much in the title race.

The league enters its festive break and returns with Sutton’s trip to Battersea Ironsides on 6 th
January. If one is looking for a barometer for how competitive this league has become there is no
other league in England that is topped by a team with four defeats but in Regional 2 South East
there are four clubs with a nine-four win-loss record. For S&E lest we forget that their campaign
has been transformed with five wins from the last six starts and the Rugby Lane faithful should
approach 2024 with cautious optimism.

Sutton & Epsom:
Gareth O’Brien, Matt Symonds, Willem Ratu, Tom Lennard, Lawrence Elliott, Freddy Bunting ©,
Tom Boaden, Chris Farrell, Alex Mount, Ewan McTaggart, Ben Green, Isaac Lea, Josh Pulvirenti &
Rob Hegarty.
Replacements: Callum Gibson, George London & Ross Parsons.

Old Reigatian:
Conor Woods, Harrison Mitchell, Gareth Stephens, Max Coyle, Finn Coyle, Lucas Overtoom, Alex
Skinner, Ciaran Nestor, Harry Plowman, Toby Collister, Oli Brooks, Jack Baart, Sam Foreman,
Finlay Lock & Ryan Travers.
Replacements: David Niven, Ed Cox & Ben Holder.

Colliers Wood United 0-0 Epsom & Ewell FC. Combined Counties League – Premier Division. Saturday 16th December 2023.

On Saturday, two clubs; each placed in precarious positions in the League, met each other and showed everyone present exactly why they were down there! An extremely poor goalless draw was the result of this match, although the real memory of this one for me will be the scrappiness of this contest with the inability of either team to string more than three passes together, despite having perfect conditions for football.

This was obviously a pivotal match and was bound to be a tense occasion, particularly for the home side who really needed to close the gap on those teams above them, while we were obviously keen to produce a similar performance to the one that had resulted in a 5-1 Salts win back in Steve Springett’s first match in charge on 7th October, but the only players who will take anything positive from this contest will be the two keepers, not that either had a vast amount to deal with though, as both defences dealt with the limited threats on their goal fairly comfortably.

In goal for the opposition was Toby McKimm, and any supporters who went to Hailsham Town last year will have remembered him making an appearance for us, although it was a debut he would want to forget as he was unfairly dismissed after just twenty-five minutes, making him the possessor of one of the shortest playing spells in our club history. We also had a change between the posts as Harvey Keogh was away for this match on a pre-arranged trip, although for those of you who recall his collision with the fencing the previous week, a Club Official advised that he is now fine, which is good news for all. In his place, and making his second appearance for our club was Toby Colwell, who has been most reliable this season, despite having to spend a vast amount of his time on the bench, as is the lot of a substitute keeper. Taking the Captain’s armband in place of Keogh was Ollie Thompson who returned to the starting eleven, along with the suspended Tijani Eshilokun, with Steve Springett and Ethan Nelson-Roberts unavailable to play.

The hosts had an early opportunity when they dragged a shot wide from fairly close range in the second minute, although five minutes later we had what would prove to be our best opportunity of the half when Ade Batula sent a perfect ball through to Eshilokun just twelve yards out, but he delayed matters instead of shooting and McKimm was out quickly to clear the danger.

Soon after this Luke Miller put another great ball through to Jaan Stanley who tucked the ball low into the corner of the net, only to see the Assistant’s flag raised against him. Batula then blazed high and wide after cutting onto his left foot, before Colliers Wood sent a deep ball to the far post where a shot was blocked by a defender.

In the 26th minute Thompson picked up a facial injury, believed to be a broken nose and required quite a few minutes of treatment. He was able to continue but would not reappear for the second half. It is hoped the injury will not result in him missing much time. From this point the match became more attritional with few real chances and we went in at the break goalless.

Sirak Negassi came on for Thompson which led to a reshuffle of our back line with Nick Wilson dropping back there and taking on the armband. We already had Rory Edwards playing in an unfamiliar right back role, so it was becoming a bit of a makeshift back line by this stage. Within a few moments of Wilson moving back, a long ball went just beyond him, although fortunately Colwell had smartly anticipated the danger and was out just in time to gather it ahead of an incoming attacker.

We had another decent opportunity just after the hour when a decent move down the left was centred to Miller who struck powerfully with his left foot, only to see the ball deflected away for a corner by a defender. McKimm then dropped the corner but the danger was cleared. Then at the other end a Wood attack finished with a low shot, and I must remind people that I was a hundred yards away from this, so apologies if I have this wrong, but the ball appeared to go out for a goal kick off the foot of our post.

In the 73rd minute we got another chance after McKimm’s poor clearance went to Stanley thirty yards out, but he was unable to return the ball to what would have been a vacant goal at that point; instead he went down the left and squared the ball where Batula went in for the ball with McKimm, only for the keeper to lie almost motionless for a few minutes as a result of the collision which our man then picked up a yellow card for. From our angle it was hard to see what Batula had done wrong and protests were made to this effect while McKimm remained on the ground receiving treatment. Fortunately he was able to continue after another long break and the match continued to meander.

Finally, in what would become nine minutes of injury time there was a little more to write about, and the first chance involved one of our substitutes, Yannick Monga-Ebwa, who made tracks down the left and his ball was collected by Batula whose shot on the turn went just beyond the Wood far post. Then Eshilokun’s twenty yard drive wasn’t gathered by McKimm, although he was just able to recover the ball as Batula ran in. In the 98th minute another sub George Owusu was unfortunate to see his shot from eight yards ricochet off a defender and go wide for another corner.

From that corner we had a bit of controversy as a Nick Inwugwu header was fumbled by McKimm and looked like it was going to go over the line, but he reacted quickly to claw the ball away. There were appeals that the ball had crossed the line, but as with the earlier Wood chance where I was a hundred yards away, this time I was less than two yards from this one and I wasn’t convinced it had crossed, although admittedly it was close. Far more relevantly than mine or anyone else’s opinion, the Assistant was bang in line with the play and also felt it had stayed out. The final whistle blew shortly after this and Colliers Wood’s first clean sheet in the League this season, along with Colwell’s first for our club were confirmed.

It was a bit embarrassing to see our Club Secretary berating the Assistant over the goal line incident, purely on the basis of a phone clip he had taken (even though it was from a far worse angle) that he “claimed” had proven the ball had gone over the line. Further ridicule followed when he doubled down on this after the match by placing a picture on the club Twitter site that failed to show any clear view of the line or the ball! It was similar to the kind of grainy and inconclusive image that we’ve all seen in the papers whenever anyone thinks they’ve seen the Loch Ness Monster, and deserved the derision it received from a number of commentators!

Regrettably this ninety minutes proved about as fruitful as that peculiar Scottish hobby, but the draw ensures that we remain in a much stronger position than the two clubs below us. It must be said that one of the things we have failed to do this season is grind out a point from time to time, without falling to a late sucker punch as we have at Fleet Town, Eastbourne United and Abbey Rangers, so credit is deserved in that area, particularly with the personnel changes that were required at the back. Indeed, over the course of the match, we also had the slightly better chances close to goal, but by no means did either team do enough to say they genuinely deserved to win this match and hard work remains for both if they are to avoid being the one club that will make the drop to Step Six this season.

Epsom & Ewell: Toby Colwell, Rory Edwards, Nick Inwugwu, Nick Wilson, Reece Tierney, Ollie Thompson ©, Luke Miller, Thompson Adeyemi, Ade Batula, Tijani Eshilokun, Jaan Stanley

Subs: Sirak Negassi for Thompson (HT), George Owusu for Miller (89), Yannick Monga-Ebwa for Stanley (89), Tino Carpene for Batula (95)

Report Source: www.eefconline.co.uk

Christ Church United Football Club is a community club that has been coaching the children
of Epsom since the early ’90’s. 

 The club that’s always welcomed both boys and girls was set up by the Rvd. Clive Potter
over 30 years ago.
 Now Reverend Potter is due to retire and the club want to thank him for leaving a lasting legacy
of real community football in the area.

A popular community football club founder is hanging up his cassock after over 30 years at the St John’s Evangelist Church in the Surrey village of Milford. Local Vicar, the Rvd. Clive Potter, also founded the Christ Church United Football Club which has been coaching the children of Epsom since the early ’90’s

Having arrived at the parish, Rvd Clive was looking for somewhere for children to play, but the problem was that youth football traditionally takes place on a Sunday morning and this prompted him to start thinking about starting a club.  

Having been involved with football all his life he got the idea during a church service one morning to
set up a team. He approached the vicar at Christ Church who initially suggested a cricket club
instead.  However, being an Eastender by birth, with a working-class background, he felt much more
comfortable starting a football team.

Current coach, Paul Wilson, takes up the story: “They started in September 1992 with just 12 kids in
the first week.  At the end of the first session, he asked all the children to bring a friend the following
week, saying that if they did and then they all also brought a friend they would get to about 50
children and that would be enough for a club.  And that’s how it began.”

The membership grew to over 100 children, but it wasn’t easy. Getting a pitch was the first task. 
They played at a local primary school, Stamford Green, before growing out of that and moving to
Blenheim High School, where the club remains to this day.  Like now, the coaching staff was made up of volunteers and he began convincing people to do coaching courses to take the club to the next level.

Rvd Clive then began the missionary work to take the ideas to others in the community.  He became
a sports advisor for the diocese and encouraged the setting up of many more clubs.  Other clubs
bought into the opportunity for competition with a Bishop’s League, a Bishop’s Cup and a Bishop’s
Shield. 

The Christ Church United Football Club was then affiliated with the Football Association with an aim
to become professional in style if not attitude.  The club still holds its affiliation to the FA and
coaches benefit from training on many of its Coaching and Safeguarding courses. 

Rvd Clive met Ted Powell, the then England U18 Coach, who came to a presentation evening, and
they formed a long-lasting friendship.  Rvd Clive got involved with organisations like Christians inSport and the British Sports Trust until, in late 1996, he moved to Guildford and repeated the process.
 
Speaking about his role, Rvd Clive said: “The vision was always to relate the church to the
community, to build a good ethos and to develop friendships.  I’m delighted to see the club still
running after all this time, it’s brilliant for the community.”

Paul added: “He was delighted to hear that today’s Christ Church United Football Club embraces
much of that first ethos.  The fees are still affordable and the club is open to girls and boys regardless
of ability.  Some of our current coaches are kids who were once players at the club and the club is
also providing support to the Refugee Network with players being drawn from the Ukrainian
community in Epsom. We want to thank Rvd Clive for having the foresight and drive to create the
club, and we are hoping for another 30 years and beyond of kids (and their families) enjoying the
beautiful game. We’re always looking to welcome new members so please get in touch if you are
interested.”

The club trains at Blenheim High School every Saturday morning during term time, from 9:00-10:30

Paul Wilson

Beckenham RFC 22 – Sutton & Epsom RFC 26. Saturday 9th December.

Saturday marked the start of the home stretch with the first of the reverse fixtures. In Week 2
both teams endured testing temperatures in the crucible of Rugby Lane to produce an
extraordinary game of extremely fluctuating fortunes. The denouement included the ecstasy of a
penalty try to Beckenham and the agony of a last second penalty drift wide for Sutton as the
visitors won 42-41. At least the teams were spared Arctic weather for the rematch at Balmoral
Avenue. Many players had crossed the whitewash since that September Saturday and the Kent
Club sat atop of Regional 2 South East whilst the men from Surrey arrived with four consecutive
wins under their belt. After an enthralling contest Sutton gained their most impressive scalp of the
season as they won 26-22.
Sutton & Epsom offered a warm welcome back to Tom Lennard after his highly successful jaunt in
the Antipodes. The playmaker not only starred for Melbourne University gaining representative
honours but also encouraged Josh Pulvirenti to join him at S&E. If Tom was the Australian addition
New Zealand was represented by the returning Willem Ratu. So the domestic unions did not feel
overlooked Sutton even selected a Welshman in Ross Parsons. The weather once again played a
significant role in the fixture with a tremendous wind billowing down the pitch. Freddy Bunting
kicked off with the gale behind him and Sutton went on the offensive from the very start but their
swift attacks were matched by the swarming defence of the hosts. Though the leaders gave up an
early penalty in front of the uprights. With a prostrate player holding the ball in place and the posts
swaying in the wind Captain Bunting made it 3-0.
Beckenham gave an early warning to the visitors of the quality of their back play as Tom Bateman
linked with Matt Lovell to bring the leaders deep into the Sutton 22 but their efforts were thwarted
by conceding a penalty. After ten minutes S&E had doubled their lead to 6-0 with another Bunting
penalty but they were frustrated that a fine attack had not resulted in a try. At the end of the first
quarter Matt Whitaker’s desperate bid to force his way over by the posts was held up by resilient
defenders. The elements made it extremely difficult for the hosts to exit from their 22 but their
well organised defence frustrated the Black & White backs. On the half hour Tom Lennard hacked
through a loose ball and gathered it up and a couple of strides short of glory he was tackled. The
referee ruled it a high tackle and with no other defender in view he awarded a penalty try and
Sutton led 13-0.
The leaders then enjoyed their best passage of play as their forwards and backs combined with
multiple phases to get into the Sutton 22. Impressive offloads in the tackle maintained the
momentum and then they opted to kick ahead. On any other afternoon it would have been a
worthwhile gamble but the ball was gathered by Freddy Bunting and despatched on the wind 60
metres back down the paddock. The visitors pressed hard to extend their lead and thought they
were about to score again from a 5-metre scrum when Gareth O’Brien was penalised. With time
running out in the first half Willem Ratu countered towards the 22. His run earned another penalty
which Freddy Bunting readily converted to conclude the half with a 16-0 lead.
As both sides retired to the warmth of the dressing rooms for directions from their coaches
everyone pondered just how many points the wind was worth. In addition to the elements
Beckenham had survived 10 minutes with 14 men after a yellow card to stand off Gary Dipple. The
leaders had done extremely well to frustrate the Black & Whites who, for all their territory and
possession, only scored a solitary try. Sutton knew that they would need to be at their very best in
the second half to withstand the inevitable siege to come.
The Blamoral Avenue crowd did not have long to wait to cheer the success of their local heroes. A
Sutton fumble on their 22 from the restart put the hosts in prime position to chip away at the lead.
S&E conceded a penalty at the scrum and Geordie Boyce stepped up to chip over the conversion
for 3-16. Beckenham pressed hard for further additions. A Gareth O’Brien tackle thwarted one
attack and the pack stole a scrum ball on their 22. However, the clearance kick was run back with
a vengeance. The Kent side were within 5 metres and flung out a long pass. Lock Ciall Kirwan was
hugging the touchline and did superbly to take the pass on his laces to score in the corner.
Unsurprisingly the touchline conversion was blown off course but the Sutton lead was now 16-8
with 30 minutes remaining.

With errors mounting in the Sutton play and confidence surging through the veins of the league
leaders the momentum had definitely shifted. It was now that Sutton & Epsom demonstrated not
only great character but also their best play. The howitzer boot of Bunting thumped a penalty into
the 22 to give his team a promising lineout. The catch and drive advanced the ball into threatening
territory. Following multiple phases and admirable control by the pack finally Matt Whitaker was
ushered over the line for the try. The kick adjacent to the uprights was converted and S&E led by
23-8. The men from Rugby Lane continued to attack in search of another try. As per the first
period the Beckenham defence held firm but once again the referee brought play back for a
penalty. Once more the irrepressible Bunting extended the lead to 26-8 as the game entered the
final quarter.
Considering the playing conditions this was a most impressive phase of play from the visitors who
continued on the offensive not only carrying well but when required kicking penalties into the 22.
At this stage centre Tane Feldhaus-Davies gave voice to his frustration with the number of offside
penalties that his team were accumulating as he let fly with colourful language as he enquired to
the heavens as to the precise number of offences. With ten minutes remaining Beckenham scored
a quite outstanding try as fullback Francesco Pennacchia made a stunning break from his own half
and linked with his support. A wave of Beckenham shirts burst into the Sutton 22 and captain
Hans Laud-Anderson, like every quality 7, was on hand to add the finishing touch. Geordie Boyce
added the extras for 26-15.
Roared on by a sizeable and passionate crowd the game was now turned on its head and it was
the Surrey team who had to show their defensive mettle. It was the turn of the visitors to concede
penalties. Beckenham opted for a 5-metre scrum and the result was another penalty and a yellow
card not to a prop but to flanker Rob Hegarty and the leaders opted for the tap penalty. The ball
was given to replacement prop James Cleverly with his mane like Samson, the beard of a
lumberjack and a physique that shuns the modern figure-hugging apparel he bounced off the first
tackler, sidestepped through a gap and strode over for a most accomplished solo effort. With
Geordie Boyce chipping over the conversion the Sutton lead was only 26-22.
The crowd were in full voice and expectations running high as Sutton had five minutes to survive.
In recent times the expression game management has not been linked with flattering adjectives
for the Black & Whites but they now relentlessly held onto possession through multiple phases
near halfway with a prodigious effort by the forwards. Then a shrill blast of the whistle and the
hosts were given a lifeline of a penalty. The Gods smiled down benevolently on S&E as the kick
went through the in-goal area. A grateful Sutton accepted a scrum on halfway and moments later
ran down the clock to gain a fabulous 26-22 victory.
That made it five wins in a row for Sutton and to inflict the first defeat on the table-toppers at
Balmoral Avenue this season was a notable achievement. The Beckenham backs are formidable
not only in attack but also in defence. The leaders ability to pass out of the tackle is a most potent
weapon but S&E matched their lofty opponents and it was their ability to play so well against the
wind that was the deciding factor. Freddie Bunting’s accumulation of points is well known but in
this game it was the power of his kicking from hand that caught the eye. However, in truth it was
a great team performance, as is often the way in harsh weather, that was the backbone for this
latest win. It would be remiss not to mention the magnificent hospitality offered at Balmoral
Avenue with the clubhouse bar one of the finest locations around to enjoy the traditional pleasures
for which rugby is renowned.
Probably with a sense of relief to players, coaches and administrators next Saturday sees the last
league match of 2023 and the competition adjourns for the festive break. For those readers who
still prefer the High Street to online purchasing but are looking for an excuse to escape the horrors
of Christmas shopping I can heartily recommend Sutton’s game against Old Reigatian at Rugby
Lane that kicks off at 2pm.
Sutton & Epsom:
Gareth O’Brien, Kyren Ghumra, Willem Ratu, Tom Lennard, Ciaran Mohr, Freddy Bunting ©, Ross
Parsons, Tom Boaden, Chris Farrell, Alex Mount, Ewan McTaggart, Josh Glanville, Rob Hegarty,
Josh Pulvirenti & Matt Whitaker. Replacements: Callum Gibson, Jack Howes & Matt Symonds.

Beckenham:
Francesco Pennacchia, Tom Bateman, Matt Lovell, Tane Feldhaus-Davies, Geordie Boyce, Gary
Dipple, Ben Murphy, Lamar Sinclair, Liam Markey, Graham Murray, Ciall Kirwan, Josh Hiscott,
Conor Palmer, Hans Laud-Anderson © & Oliver Stapelton.
Replacements: James Cleverly, Thomas Ward & Jed Hamilton

Epsom & Ewell 4-3 Guildford City. Combined Counties League – Premier Division. Saturday 9th December 2023.

On Saturday we welcomed Guildford City to our temporary home at Cobham for a first League meeting since 2018 and a bizarre match ensued with our boys just about coming through to secure the points by a score of 4-3.

On a fairly wet and often gusty afternoon that attracted just 72 spectators, despite many local matches falling foul of the weather, I firstly noticed that there were some changes in the dugout. Joint Manager Sam Groombridge was still absent due to personal issues and in view of this, Steve Springett brought in Gwynne Berry and Warren Burton to help him as Coaches. Burton is in fact a former Salt, making a couple of first team appearances in 1993/94 before moving on to greater things, while Berry was formerly with Sutton United amongst other clubs.

This “reshuffle” allowed Springett to take his place back on the field in his newly favoured central defensive midfield position after missing the previous two contests and in addition Luke Miller and Ade Batula came back into the starting line up with Tijani Eshilokun, Tino Carpene and George Owusu making way, although the latter two would play a part from the bench. For Guildford, our former Captain Callum Wilson was in the starting line up for a team that had taken just five points from their last twelve League matches, although they had picked up three of those with a win over Colliers Wood United just three days previously.

We had an early scare in just the fourth minute when our Captain and keeper Harvey Keogh came out to clear a ball, only to hammer it against a visiting player who was trying to close him down, with the rebound luckily heading out for a goal kick. It was a warning that we wouldn’t heed later in the match.

We responded well and took charge of proceedings for a while. Ethan Nelson-Roberts and Jaan Stanley were linking well on the left and we took the lead in the twelfth minute with one of the best deliveries of a ball I have seen at this level as Nelson-Roberts pinged the ball diagonally from around 35 yards right onto the head of Thompson Adeyemi who then nodded the ball past Adam Longman from eight yards to open the scoring.

The visitors nearly levelled up soon after this as a ball in from the left was met by a Guildford striker, but he was unable to get his close range effort on target and it almost appeared as if he hadn’t expected the ball to reach him. We were soon back on the attack though and a Springett free kick found Adeyemi’s head again, although the effort went straight at Longman. Two minutes later though his next set piece caused panic in the defence and the ball was guided into the corner of the net by Niall Stillwell for an own goal. Stillwell was Keogh’s PE teacher a few years back and he currently teaches my boy Nathan, so I’m sure words will be had at school next week!

At 2-0 up we were good value for our lead and we nearly made it three on the half hour when Stanley pressured a defender to head the ball beyond his own keeper and although he was then able to clear before our man could get there, the ball didn’t go far and was fed back in where Miller’s powerful drive was just deflected over the bar at the last minute by our former Captain Wilson.

Unfortunately in the 38th minute the game swung in Guildford’s favour when Keogh tried to see the ball out of play for a goal kick and was robbed. Our man then collided head first with the fencing as the ball was fed across goal for Darnell MacDonald to fire into the empty net. We were a long way from the action but there was certainly an argument from people closer than me that he had been fouled. Either way, the ball should really have been sent into Row Z. Keogh appeared to have recovered after five minutes of treatment, but then in the seventh minute of injury time, ironically only being played as a result of his earlier collision, he let a corner slip through his hands and Will May fired in an equaliser.

Clearly our keeper was struggling and he never came out for the second half, leading to a second appearance in goal this season for our midfielder Nick Wilson. In fact the early part of the second half was a bit of a trial for our supporters as Guildford came at us with the momentum they had gained at the end of the opening forty-five minutes and Wilson had to punch away one corner before producing a world class save in the 57th minute as a low right wing ball was met at the far post with a tap in. The away supporters behind the goal were already cheering, only to see Wilson recover to claw the ball away from the line and stop a certain goal. If a striker can score a worldy, then this was the goal keeping equivalent and it turned the game back in our favour.

It was easy to forget at this point that whilst we had lost our keeper, we were not down to ten men and as the half wore on we began to get more of a foothold. Then in the space of two minutes we took charge again, firstly in the 67th minute with a typical powerful low drive across the keeper into the far corner from Miller from just inside the penalty area. Both Wilson and Longman got slight touches to the ball on its way, but couldn’t keep it out. Then two minutes later a ball from the right was finished off at the far post by substitute Sirak Negassi who had come on at the break for Keogh.

As we were celebrating behind the goal we realised that Longman was requiring more treatment and he was replaced soon after, leaving us with the very rare occurrence of both starting keepers failing to finish the match! After a small break we continued and Stanley did ever so well on the right wing to chase a lost cause and rob a defender, only to then try an ambitious strike from a narrow angle with two of our players waiting for a pass who were not best pleased! Then Springett was inches wide with a free kick from 25 yards that the keeper wasn’t going to reach.

Then in the 83rd minute we conceded again as Wilson shouted to claim a corner, only for the ball to sail over his head where it was nodded in from close range. This led to quite a nervy ending, especially when the referee advised the replacement visiting keeper that we were going to see an extra seven minutes, but we saw them out with minimal worry, although Wilson made another superb save with a low block from close range in the final minute of normal time. We nearly scored a fifth goal when Negassi sent the ball over for Tino Carpene, only for his shot to be deflected inches wide.

The final action came in the 98th minute when Nick Inwugwu was fouled as the visitors were chasing an equaliser, only for Owen Sims to vent his frustration about the decision to the referee who sent him straight to the sin-bin for his comments. He must have been sat down on the bench for ten seconds at most when the final whistle blew anyway.

This was a strange encounter that had a few turning points. We looked well in control for a large part of the match, only to be pegged back, and effectively we had to go and win the match a second time. This was an important victory to take us further away from the bottom two clubs, and more relevantly, it was a well-deserved one too. Hopefully we can extend our winning run to two matches when we visit Colliers Wood United next Saturday.

Epsom & Ewell: Harvey Keogh (c), Nick Inwugwu, Ethan Nelson-Roberts, Steve Springett, Reece Tierney, Nick Wilson, Luke Miller, Thompson Adeyemi, Ade Batula, Rory Edwards, Jaan Stanley

Subs: Sirak Negassi for Keogh (HT), George Owusu for Miller (75), Tino Carpene for Batula (75)

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