On Saturday Epsom and Ewell FC secured an extremely important three points against promotion rivals Selsey, defeating them by the same score line of 3-2 that we had in deepest Sussex back in March. As with that match, this encounter contained some twists and turns but ultimately went our way due to another late winner, this time from Lewis Pearch, whose first goal for our club may turn out to be one of the most important of the season.

Going into this contest, we already knew that two wins from our remaining three matches would guarantee us the second playoff spot, barring a very unlikely swing of goal difference, but we also knew that Selsey still had aspirations to qualify themselves, so this was always going to be a tight encounter. With current Manager Barry Gartell away, Matt Chapman again took charge and we made just one change to the starting eleven from Wednesday’s draw against Mile Oak with Steve Springett coming in for the absent Kevin Moreno-Gomez. However, Springett was not played in his regular left back slot in this match, instead playing in the centre of defence with Gideon Acheampong reverting to right back and Johnny “Sonic” Akoto moving over to the left, maybe as a design to try to use his speed to keep visiting danger man Shane Brazil as quiet as possible, and the pair of them had a decent battle today.

We needed a good start and for the first time in weeks, we got one in the ninth minute. A superb interchange of passes between Jaan Stanley and Jaevon Dyer on the right resulted in a ball across the edge of the penalty area to Athan Smith-Joseph, who took a touch, headed back across to the right before suddenly drilling the ball back across Syd Davies into the Selsey net from 18 yards.

Unfortunately that would prove to be the extent of Smith-Joseph’s involvement as he aggravated his hamstring a few minutes later and limped off, to be replaced on the left wing by Pearch. Hopefully he will not be out for very long as it was clear that our replacement didn’t really carry the same threat in a position that admittedly isn’t his primary one.

Another injury would also prove pivotal in the 28th minute as a couple of our players went up with Davies for a right wing cross and Stanley collided with the keeper, catching him around the knee. I’ll be honest, it looked fairly innocuous at the time but despite treatment Davies would require another bit of work with the physio shortly after and was strapped up for the remainder of the half before being replaced at half time by Ryan Matlock.

At this point, I was hoping that our players would get a chance to test him out with a couple of shots, but the visitors were actually getting back into the match and kept the ball away from him for a while. Then things got worse for us as they equalised from a harmless looking free kick over on the Selsey left wing in the 40th minute as Corey Burns nipped ahead of Tom Theobald to reach the near post delivery and flick it past him from close range, although it would have been nice to have seen a defender somewhere near him!

However, before half time we were back in front. Jamie Byatt collected the ball around twenty yards out in the third minute of injury time and decided that he did indeed want to test their limping keeper out, striking a beauty from twenty yards that just sailed over the rather stationary Davies. It was a superb piece of opportunism and of all the 40, yes 40 goals Byatt has now scored for us in under two seasons, this was probably the one that was from the furthest distance!

We were arguably a little fortunate to be ahead at the half, but it was irrelevant soon after anyway as the visitors equalised in the 51st minute. We had already had a scare when Brazil’s shot had gone wide of the goal, but from a corner shortly afterwards, Theobald tried to punch the ball clear, only to knock the ball straight onto the shoulder of Bradley Vaughan from where the ball rebounded into the net.

At 2-2 this match really could have gone either way. We wobbled for a few minutes and Theobald redeemed himself with a superb double save after a Selsey shot had rebounded back to a striker off the foot of his right hand post, blocking the subsequent header and then a follow up shot which he turned wide for a corner.

With the clock on 68 minutes we brought on Thompson Adeyemi and Rory Edwards to give us fresh legs and Adeyemi set up Dyer who crumpled under a challenge from Matlock, even though there was no contact and was fortunate not to be booked for simulation, although Burns did pick up a card for Selsey around the same time for a handball.

As we started to enter the closing stages though, we began to get a little more possession and Springett sent a thirty yard free kick just wide of the post. With George Owusu already on for Dyer, Alex Penfold then came on for Nick Wilson with Springett moving over onto the left wing and releasing Pearch to a more central position alongside Byatt. This tactical move would prove pivotal in the 91st minute as a deep Penfold free kick was only headed half clear by Bradley Higgins-Pearce under pressure from Adeyemi and the ball fell to Pearch, standing just beyond the penalty spot and he guided his header over everyone and into the net for what proved to be the winner.

At the end there was a lot of celebration from our players, perhaps too much when considering that we still have much work to do to gain promotion. However, part of this probably came from the relief of winning a match that looked like it was turning against us and also guaranteed us a playoff spot, so it was understandable. Now we have to make sure that we get three more points to ensure that this home match wasn’t our last ever at Fetcham Grove. We’re not quite ready to leave just yet!

Epsom & Ewell: Tom Theobald, Gideon Acheampong, Johnny Akoto, Nick Wilson, Dylan Merchant, Steve Springett, Jaevon Dyer, Gavin Quintyne, Jamie Byatt, Jaan Stanley, Athan Smith-Joseph

Subs: Lewis Pearch for Smith-Joseph (17), Thompson Adeyemi for Stanley (68), Rory Edwards for Quintyne (68), George Owusu for Dyer (78), Alex Penfold for Wilson (85)

Young Surrey residents will get the chance to walk out with the finalists of this year’s Surrey Senior Cup final – thanks to Specsavers.

In partnership with Specsavers, who sponsor the competition, Surrey Football Association will offer the opportunity for children to be a part of this year’s team of Surrey mascots. The lucky winners will walk out with both teams competing in the final of the Specsavers Surrey Senior Cup.

In addition, they will also receive a brand-new kit to wear on the day of the final and a free set of tickets for their adult or guardian to attend the game.

The final is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 3 May 2023 at Meadowbank Football Ground, home of Surrey FA and Dorking Wanderers Football Club.

Closing on Sunday 23April, the online competition invites adult guardians to enter on behalf of a child aged four to twelve years. To be in with the chance of winning, the child needs to answer this very simple question:

“What is your most memorable moment either playing or supporting football?”

Specsavers stores across Surrey have been lead sponsors of the Senior Surrey Cup for over five years. Its network of local opticians and audiologists across the county share a common mission with Surrey FA, to better the health of those within their local communities.

Epsom and Leatherhead Retail Director Mihaela Ovadiuc comments: ‘Grassroots sports plays such an important role to instil healthy, active living across all age groups. It’s why all the Specsavers stores across the Surrey region have come together to invest in the Surrey FA. We want to ensure they can keep going for many years to come and keep that passion for football alive and kicking across the county.’

Parents and guardians representing their child can apply to enter the competition here:

http://bit.ly/3nKR2LO

Representatives of Surrey FA will directly contact winners. Terms and conditions apply.

Epsom & Ewell 1-1 Mile Oak. Southern Combination League – Division One. Wednesday 12th April 2023

For the first time since 2006 we played consecutive fixtures against the same team when Mile Oak visited Fetcham Grove on Wednesday evening for their return fixture, following a disappointing goalless draw back in March. It was only the eighth time in club history that we had played both League matches on a Wednesday against the same team, and stats like that will tell you that I have very little to write about this latest encounter, a 1-1 draw!

For those who are interested this was our 101st ever League match played on a Wednesday, but it won’t live long in the memory as the visitors led through a harsh looking penalty only to equalise before the half, although only rarely did we really threaten to take the lead. On another day we might have pinched the points, but ultimately both teams had to settle for just the one.

This match nearly didn’t take place, due to further torrential rain and it is to the club’s credit that they delayed the match inspection in the hope that the pitch was able to deal with the water in time for kick off. It is amazing how many people don’t seem to understand that the weather we are facing is the worst we have seen since the 2012/13 season and sometimes you have to take a chance to get the games played.

In terms of personnel, Nick Wilson came into the starting eleven ahead of Rory Edwards, while Kevin Moreno-Gomez returned for the absent Alex Penfold and Johnny “Sonic” Akoto came in and moved Gideon Acheampong over into central defence in place of the missing Chris Boulter. Up front Athan Smith-Joseph returned after a couple of games away while Lewis Pearch moved to the bench.

We nearly scored in the opening minutes of the match when Jaan Stanley’s strike was blocked, before a quick episode of pinball took place in the Oak six yard area, but the danger was cleared. Jamie Byatt then sent an Akoto cross goalwards, but the offside flag was raised and it wouldn’t have counted.

In the 17th minute the visitors scored with their first attack on goal. A low left wing cross was blocked by Akoto who was adjudged to have used his arm in the process. It looked harsh, but I was a long way from the action and Marriott tucked away the penalty a minute later. We nearly produced an immediate response when Smith-Joseph sent a ball in from the left where Byatt was there to knock the ball in from close range, only to see the offside flag raised in his direction once again.

Mile Oak headed a free kick wide before Smith-Joseph dragged a shot across goal and then on the half hour Byatt was brought down on the edge of the area but Wilson sent the free kick over the bar. We were getting closer though and in the 38th minute Smith-Joseph weaved his way along the edge of the penalty area before unleashing a powerful shot that was met by a top drawer save from Stenning who was then well-placed to deny Wilson as he headed Stanley’s subsequent corner goalwards.

Fortunately though we didn’t have to wait much longer for the equaliser which came in the 39th minute when Stanley produced a slide rule pass across goal from the left which was met by a close range shot under Stenning from Jaevon Dyer. The final threat of the half came from a harshly awarded free kick against us, but our defensive wall did its job and we went in at the break level.

We were a little better in the second half as the visitors appeared to lack a bit of ambition. Byatt saw his header from a Stanley free kick blocked before Smith-Joseph dragged a shot across goal from a good position. However, the game began to meander and very little of note happened until Byatt lost his defender who then pulled him down from behind to earn a yellow card. Wilson’s free kick was then well saved by Stenning who also made a good save to keep out Akoto’s angled drive a couple of minutes later.

We then made a rash of substitutions, but this seemed to kill the momentum we had been building and although one of these, Lewis Pearch nearly earned us a penalty when he appeared to be brought down, the spot kick wasn’t given and his lack of real protest told me that it had been the right decision. A couple of yellow cards for Wilson and Steve Springett followed in injury time before the match ended with the anti-climax of a 1-1 draw.

The draw is not a disastrous result and we know that two wins from our three remaining matches at home to Selsey and away at Chessington & Hook United and at Billingshurst will be enough to secure a home run in the playoffs, but we will have to play a lot better than this if we are to actually come out of those playoffs with any glory.

Oddly enough though, for all the importance of the result there was a bigger story quietly advised in the match programme which was that Leatherhead have terminated their ground share agreement with us after applying a break clause. Why we would have agreed to a clause that could leave us vulnerable to such a short notice termination is beyond me, but it would appear that we will be looking for a new ground to play at in 2023/24. This is especially problematic as any move back eastwards could end with us being moved into the Southern Counties East League if we failed to gain promotion, which I do not imagine we’d want to do. It is hoped that the club will announce something on this urgently.

Epsom & Ewell: Tom Theobald, Gideon Acheampong, Kevin Moreno-Gomez, Nick Wilson, Dylan Merchant, Johnny Akoto, Jaevon Dyer, Gavin Quintyne, Jamie Byatt, Jaan Stanley, Athan Smith-Joseph

Subs: Thompson Adeyemi for Stanley (72), Lewis Pearch for Byatt (77), Hamoud Salum for Dyer (77), Steve Springett for Moreno-Gomez (85), Theo Lukyamuzi for Smith-Joseph (90)

Mile Oak 0-0 Epsom & Ewell. Southern Combination League – Division One. Wednesday 29th March.

On Wednesday evening two teams came together, both low on confidence and nursing 5-1 defeats from the previous Saturday, and they battled each other to a standstill with a competitive, but goalless draw.

I asked in my Arundel report just exactly who is in charge and we got our answer a couple of hours before the match as it was advised that our newly appointed Director of Football Anthony Jupp had left the club. In addition, Assistant Manager Matt Chapman was no longer in charge, but was still in the dugout while Vice-Chairman Barry Gartell took over again as Manager. Some may recall him having a successful stint following the dismissal of Sam Morgan in August of 2021, although these were different circumstances, as last time we were sitting near the foot of the table. The club finally advised that it was “still looking for a new long-term Manager” which tells me that they are not looking to advertise the position, or you would think they’d have said so!

On a heavy pitch we finally managed to get the match underway at the fourth time of asking, following three previous postponements, and as usual we had changes to our line up. Gartell decided that the midfield needed changing up, so club Captain Ryan Smith and Nick Wilson started on the bench, having been replaced by Rory Edwards who made his first start for the club, while Jaan Stanley came back in on the left wing in what appeared to be a slightly different formation with Athan Smith-Joseph still absent. At the back Chris Boulter and Alex Penfold came back into the line up in place of the absent Kevin Moreno-Gomez and Oliver Thompson, both of whom had failed to complete the match at Arundel.

We started brightly enough and had the majority of the possession in the first half. An early Penfold cross was met by a Jamie Byatt header, but it was a tough chance and he was unable to get the ball on target. The ball stayed mainly in the Mile Oak half as the predicted heavy rain began to come down, sheeting across the ground and the home side then had a couple of chances, firstly when a free kick was headed over from close range, but then in the 25th minute when a right wing cross was met by the head of Zak Kladis who directed his header back across goal. Tom Theobald made a great diving save to divert the ball on to the post and then as it bounced back towards him, he clawed the ball away before it crossed the line. It was a fantastic save and one that ultimately would earn us a point.

Gavin Quintyne saw his shot deflected wide for a corner and Jaevon Dyer produced a low shot that was well saved by the foot of Aaron Stenning in the Oak goal before he had to be alert to parry a Stanley free kick to safety. Stenning also had a slice of luck as the pitch bobbled on him and he produced an air shot, just getting back in time to save a corner. As the half ended Quintyne was only just over the bar from twenty yards, so you could argue that it was a fairly respectable first half from an Epsom perspective as the teams went for their half time break.

Regrettably the second half was nowhere near as interesting from an Epsom point of view. Mile Oak had a header at goal in the early stages which was deflected over and Theobald then had to make a low save on the hour mark. He had a lucky escape in the 66th minute when he came out to clear a ball near the edge of the penalty area but missed it. Fortunately we had defensive cover.

For our part, we seemed to be restricted to sending long balls up to Byatt, who tried his best with the limited service he had. In the 68th minute a nice one-two with Lewis Pearch gave him a shooting opportunity, but he dragged his shot beyond the far post from twelve yards and our best chance of the night had gone.

As so often happens with tight encounters, a little bit of niggle started to enter the contest and after Kladis had been fouled, he then clattered into Gideon Acheampong who reacted; both players earning yellow cards for their trouble, following the obligatory player scuffle. However, the game was beginning to deteriorate by this stage and our threats were becoming less and less. Dyer and Stanley became non-factors on the wings, although Dyer nearly pulled a moment of magic out in the 86th minute with a good run and powerful strike that missed the far post by inches.

In truth though we were beginning to lose the game in midfield as the home side kept pushing us back and it did seem odd that on such a heavy surface we waited until the 88th minute before making a substitution. We appeared to be crying out for fresh legs in the middle of the park, yet with two players that could do just that job on the bench, Wilson would only get on in the fifth minute of injury time, while Smith wouldn’t take the field at all. We did nearly pinch a winner when a long throw bounced up, but I don’t think Byatt expected the ball to reach him and he only managed to get the faintest of glances to the ball literally two yards out, which Stenning still caught anyway.

In reality the longer this game went on, the more it looked like Mile Oak would pinch the win, but ultimately neither team really did enough to deserve all three points and we had to settle for the goalless draw.

These dropped points mean that the opportunity to finish in second place is now no longer exclusively in our hands, with both Wick and Godalming Town now three points behind us and holding a game in hand. Godalming also now have a better goal difference than us and are clearly in a better run of form, although they have a tough finishing schedule so there is still hope if we can win our final four fixtures. Who do we face this Saturday? It’s Mile Oak again!!

Epsom & Ewell: Tom Theobald, Gideon Acheampong, Alex Penfold, Rory Edwards, Chris Boulter, Dylan Merchant, Jaevon Dyer, Gavin Quintyne, Jamie Byatt, Lewis Pearch, Jaan Stanley

Subs: Musa Beegun for Pearch (88), George Owusu for Stanley (91), Nick Wilson for Edwards (95)

Arundel FC 5-1 Epsom & Ewell FC. Saturday 25th March.

Arundel, nicknamed the Mullets, secured their first ever competitive victory over us in comprehensive circumstances at Mill Road on Saturday afternoon with a 5-1 drubbing, and make no mistake, we could have no real complaints here.

_{Top of Southern Combination League Division One}

We made some changes once again from our narrow but comfortable win over Montpelier Villa two weeks previously. Jaan Stanley and Athan Smith-Joseph were not available and originally Jaevon Dyer was listed as a substitute, due to a breakdown on route to the picturesque ground. Fortunately he arrived in time and was then added to the team sheet at the expense of Steve Springett who dropped to the bench. Alex Penfold also joined him there, while Lewis Pearch came in for his first start and we had another new centre back pairing of Dylan Merchant and Oliver Thompson with Kevin Moreno-Gomez also returning to the starting eleven alongside them.

On a blustery day we made an awful start and went behind in the eleventh minute as a harmless enough attack on the left suddenly turned dangerous with a ball across goal that was turned into the net by Carl Brown. Six minutes later Tom Theobald made a decent punch clear of a looping header and appeared to be fouled in the process, yet a corner was awarded and in the 18th minute the inswinging delivery caught Theobald out in the swirling wind and he dropped the ball over the line for Arundel’s second goal.

We had created little to this point although Jamie Byatt fashioned a half chance a couple of minutes after the goal, only to see his shot blocked by a defender. Dyer then made decent progress down the right flank but his pull back was behind both Byatt and Pearch.

Regrettably we then went three nil down in the 33rd minute as a clever pass floated over the top of Moreno-Gomez where Brown was waiting to drill the ball into the net from an angle and it nearly got worse six minutes later when James Crane then hit the bar as we were carved open again. The half ended with the home side having another good chance from a corner but the unmarked Harry Russell headed over the bar.

This was a horrible first half to watch and whilst you always feel that a good start to the second half could spark some sort of comeback, it really looked as though the only win we were likely to celebrate at Arundel was when long-serving supporter John Bonner won a crate of lager in the club raffle!

The other item of note at the half time break was the sight of our entire Management team standing outside the dressing room as the players clearly had some sort of discussion without them. Whatever was said, it seemed to work for a while. We made two substitutions with Rory Edwards and Springett coming on for the limping Smith and Moreno-Gomez respectively and nearly scored straight away as a Springett corner was flicked just over the bar by Nick Wilson. Next up with a decent chance was Gavin Quintyne who tried his luck with his weaker foot and sliced the opportunity wide. However, he made amends in the 50th minute when he weaved his way across the edge of the penalty area before threading a pass through to Byatt, who guided the ball back across Oliver Howley in the Arundel goal from twelve yards which then crept in off the far post to get us back in the game.

Another Springett corner caused trouble as Merchant headed the delivery towards Thompson, whose header was just over the bar, but our only period of superiority in the match was about to end. Thompson limped off with an injured knee and whilst it was good to see Johnny “Sonic” Akoto returning after a few weeks out, his introduction required a defensive reshuffle. Whether this had a bearing on the next Arundel goal in the 63rd minute is hard to say, but a harmless ball in from the right was struck at goal by an unmarked player, and whilst Theobald made a good save from the first shot, Will Breden was also in acres of space and he drove the loose ball home from a few yards out with our defence absolutely nowhere in sight.

In the 72nd minute it got worse still as a low ball in from the right was tapped in at the far post for a fifth goal by Breden once again, and we were lucky not to concede more with Wilson being our latest sin-bin visitor around this time, while Byatt and Quintyne both picked up yellow cards for fouls to go with the first half issue to Smith. Our afternoon was then summed up when Dyer put substitute George Owusu through on goal ten minutes from time, only for him to tread on the ball in the act of shooting!

Now that ten man Shoreham’s victory over East Preston has virtually guaranteed them the title, it is imperative we cling on to second place to guarantee the home playoff matches. The players kept trying in this contest, even at the end and I’m aware that some more new signings are likely as we approach the transfer deadline on 31st March, but if we don’t get back to winning ways on Wednesday at Mile Oak, we could slip out of that position. We cannot make any more mistakes now.

This is not just about us though. We didn’t play well but full credit should also go to Arundel who played with a lot of energy and just appeared to cover a lot more ground per player than we did and will no doubt chase Selsey all the way for that final playoff spot, in which case we may well see them again before the end of the season. However, this is a massive reality check for us. Are we actually good enough to go up? We’ll probably find out the answer to that question on Wednesday as we face a Mile Oak team that have also lost 5-1 this weekend.

Epsom & Ewell: Tom Theobald, Gideon Acheampong, Kevin Moreno-Gomez, Ryan Smith (c), Oliver Thompson, Dylan Merchant, Jaevon Dyer, Nick Wilson, Jamie Byatt, Gavin Quintyne, Lewis Pearch

Subs: Steve Springett for Moreno-Gomez, (HT), Rory Edwards for Smith (HT), Johnny Akoto for Thompson (58), George Owusu for Byatt (76)

Report Source: www.eefconline.co.uk

Epsom & Ewell FC 2-1 Montpelier Villa. Southern Combination League – Division One. Saturday 11th March 2023

Some days they go in and some days they don’t! Saturday’s meeting with Montpelier Villa definitely fits into the latter category as we dominated proceedings throughout almost all of the match, creating a number of chances. However, only two of those were converted and it led to a bit of a nervy ending before we were able to properly celebrate clinching all three points.

With no information released by the club since Anthony Jupp resigned as Manager, but was then appointed Director of Football, it is still unclear whether Matt Chapman has the job now, or whether the club still intend to advertise for a replacement, or maybe have someone in mind. Either way, Chapman was in charge again for this match and despite the occasional flat period, we were good value for this win. Tom Theobald returned in goal, while Steve Springett came in at left back making his 50th appearance in place of the absent Kevin Moreno-Gomez. In fact we had three new defenders this week as Chris Boulter and Ollie Thompson were not available either, so Alex Penfold and Nick Wilson came in at the back and both looked solid there, even if Wilson would be somewhat harshly penalised later when being adjudged guilty of a foul in the penalty area.

Up front we were almost the same as for the Godalming match with one notable exception; Jamie Byatt coming into the starting eleven for the absent Mario Quiassaca and although Quiassaca had played fairly well on Tuesday, we just do not possess another goal scorer like the ageless Byatt. It is no surprise that he was part of the reason why we were able to cause so many threats in this match as everyone knows where he will be!

The match started off in a rather odd fashion when Penfold picked up the ball, explaining to the referee that he thought it was damaged! Luckily the referee saw common sense and the game restarted once the ball had been checked!

We pushed the visitors back in the early stages and the concern on the visitors bench was clear with many instructions being given out. Athan Smith-Joseph worked a clever one-two with Byatt, but his final delivery was beyond his incoming teammates. This was followed up by a good run from the right by Jaevon Dyer who set up Jaan Stanley for a low strike that was fairly comfortably saved.

However, we took the lead in the 18th minute in rather “Sunday League” circumstances as a long ball from (I think) Theobald straight up the middle was chased by Smith-Joseph who just got a toe to the ball ahead of the advancing Toby Gardner in the Villa goal, diverting it into the path of Byatt who finished off into the open net from inside the six yard box. The Villa Management tried to gee their young team up, but seven minutes later we doubled our lead and this came from the wing play of Dyer who beat his man and cut in before laying the ball back to Stanley, who flicked the ball on for Smith-Joseph to tap in from a yard.

A tactical substitution followed for the visitors in an attempt to stop the damage and in the 29th minute they were back in the game, admittedly against the run of play when Wilson was adjudged to have brought down a striker. Mayckoi Sabino tucked away the penalty, giving Theobald no chance and it was 2-1. If someone had told me at that point that we’d already seen all the goals for the day I’d have been extremely surprised, but that is how it turned out.

It wasn’t for the want of trying though. Stanley saw his shot from Byatt’s pull back well saved by Gardner and then in injury time Dyer’s ball in was inches away from a full stretch Byatt.

The second half also started with a strange incident as Sabino was grappling with Gideon Acheampong for the ball. It was a physical battle and our man ended up on the deck with a free kick awarded in our favour, but for some reason the yellow card was waved at Sabino, when I really couldn’t see any reason for it.

In the 56th minute after some more pressure Dyer just got his toe to the ball ahead of a challenge which then took him out in the penalty area, but he then blotted his copybook by sending the penalty Harry Kane style, just over the bar to the keeper’s right! Byatt then headed over from eight yards before a much better downward header forced Gardner into a smart near post save with his legs.

After 68 minutes he gave way to new signing Lewis Pearch and the new man had a good opportunity in the 74th minute when a clever pass put him through, only for his shot to hit Gardner’s right hand post with Ryan Smith striking the loose ball into the side netting from a wider angle.

Despite the chances being missed, we were still well in control and just needed to see the game out sensibly, which made it all the more frustrating when Gavin Quintyne spoilt his good performance with a comment to the referee that earned him his second visit to the sin bin in five matches. This was worrying because we absolutely couldn’t afford to drop any points in this fixture, particularly after being so much in the ascendancy. Luckily we were still well in control through this period and Stanley was really unlucky to see his piledriver from over thirty yards just dip over the bar, clipping the top of the netting.

We added George Owusu and Owen Higgins also came on after some time out, although Higgins was guilty of a clumsy foul just outside the penalty area in the 92nd minute, which was a concern until Sabino sent it flying over our crossbar. Stanley, by now playing at left back after an injury to Springett had forced him off, and our final sub Theo Lukyamuzi both picked up yellow cards for time wasting and you wondered whether these would have happened had we scored a third goal earlier in the match. Lukyamuzi forced a final decent save out of Gardner in the 98th minute and finally after eight extra minutes we were all able to breathe a collective sigh of relief. Everyone in the ground knew we had been the better team and we were more than worthy of the win, but it was one of those matches where you just couldn’t quite relax until it was all over!

Six matches, or more likely eight matches remain as we continue to aim for promotion and with Shoreham remaining four points ahead and holding a game in hand with a far superior goal difference, we have to be sensible here and accept that second place is a more realistic target. Still, we kept on course for that spot and on another day we might have substantially boosted our goal difference. Maybe next time!

Epsom & Ewell: Tom Theobald, Gideon Acheampong, Steve Springett, Ryan Smith (c), Alex Penfold, Nick Wilson, Jaevon Dyer, Gavin Quintyne, Jamie Byatt, Jaan Stanley, Athan Smith-Joseph

Subs: Lewis Pearch for Byatt (68), George Owusu for Dyer (86), Owen Higgins for Springett (91) Theo Lukyamuzi for Smith-Joseph (93)

Sutton & Epsom RFC 34 v Bracknell 24. Saturday 11th March.

The modern league fixture list has a marvellous symmetry as it ends against the opponent one
played on the opening day of the season. Way back in September that meant a journey to Lily Hill
Park to play Bracknell for the first time since the 2009-10 season. A lot of players have crossed the
whitewash since then, and too many of them have been S&E’s opponents, and 22 games later the
season has ended. Perhaps the omens were not so favourable on Day 1 as once again as with
those former times the Black & Whites were facing the denouement of the campaign having
already been relegated from Level 5. On 10 th April 2010 the team bid a fond farewell by thrashing
North Walsham 55-15 and on this occasion Sutton & Epsom put in a rousing performance to sign
off with a 34-24 triumph over Bracknell.
The game certainly had the feeling of the end of an era as James Caddy led out the side for his
allegedly last appearance. Joining the stalwart back row in the departure lounge were George
Drye, Sam Hurley and Jamie See, all of whom have been superb servants of the club and were
instrumental in the recent rise to National 2. In addition, it was certainly a red-letter day for Chris
Pointing as he celebrated his 100 th 1 st XV league appearance.
Despite the aforesaid reasons for one last Herculean effort S&E started the match in the worst
possible manner. The unfathomable slow start that has become the byword of this season reared
its ugly head again. In front of a crowd in excess of 250 Bracknell ruthlessly exposed the early
Sutton frailties. The opening ten minutes hinted at an unpalatable drubbing for the Black & Whites.
The outstanding Bracknell Number 8 Ken Hodgson was rampaging round Rugby Lane and soon
scythed through the defence to set up Simon Bayliss for a try in the corner. Moments later the
backtracking Robbie Martey cut out an assist but was shown a yellow card. With the man
advantage the Berkshire men went blind exploiting another defensive oversight and Simon Bayliss
strolled in for his second. On this occasion Ollie Radford added the conversion for 12-0.
As the Fab Four might have considered that the fairy tale ending to their careers was being
penned by the Brothers Grimm Sutton scored. Freddy Bunting intercepted a pass in his own half
and ran it back. He added the conversion for S&E to trail 7-12. The Rugby Lane men had woken
from their slumber and began to defend with urgency. The Bracknell backs who had enjoyed time
and space in the first quarter were being pressed on the gain line and all over the pitch Sutton
tackled with a ferocity and zeal that lifted the crowd. Robbie Martey returned and was soon on the
action making a vital mark on a dangerous cross-field kick. A couple of infringements and the
Bunting boot put the hosts in the corner for a 5-metre lineout. The ball was secured and the pack
did the necessary and George London scored. Freddy Bunting made light of the challenging
conversion and the Black & Whites led 14-12.
What had looked like a relaxing end of season jaunt for the visitors had been transformed and the
hosts had not finished. On the half hour the S&E pack once more lined up for another 5-metre
lineout. Lightning was to strike twice and with meritorious efficiency Will Lloyd forced his way over.
Freddy Bunting thumped over the conversion as the jubilant crowd roared their appreciation for
the 21-12 lead. Aged followers tried to recall if they had seen their team lead at the break. The Lily
Hill Park team rather taken aback by the effrontery of three scores conceded without reply
threatened to end the half as it had begun. Scrum half Franklin Lewis took a quick penalty 40
metres out. Desperate defence saw Sutton fling themselves on a loose ball but a knock on gave
Bracknell a scrum 15 metres out under the posts. From this prime platform to attack Ben Tame
and Jamie See made crucial tackles before Ken Hodgson was held up over the line. Five minutes
later the referee drew the first half to a close when Ollie Radford’s promising run ended when he

was bundled into touch. Sutton turned around 21-12 to the good after a Jekyll and Hyde
performance in the first period.
The second half got under way with the visitors having the advantage of the wind and keen to be
the first to add to their tally on the scoreboard. An early Bracknell break was followed by a probing
kick that was gathered by a wonderful sliding take by Robbie Martey 5 metres from his line.
Having cleared the ball Sutton continued their fine form of the first period. The hosts spread the
ball wide after powerful carries by the forwards and forced the visitors onto the defensive. Both
sides were showing great defensive resolve as thunderous tackling all over the pitch thwarted the
best attacking efforts of all concerned. The match ebbed and flowed until a long clearance from
Freddy Bunting was taken near the touchline on halfway. The initial chaser was too easily stepped
and the defensive support was inadequate. A surging run down the touchline and a simple pass
inside saw lock George Jupp score. Ollie Radford impressively bisected the uprights as Bracknell
trailed 19-21.
There was hardly any time for the crowd to contemplate the two-point deficit before the next
score. And what a score it was by Robbie Martey. Any self-doubt in the Black & White ranks was
instantly extinguished as the winger jinked and weaved his way through would be tacklers and
outpaced the cover to score Sutton’s try of the season. The conversion drifted wide as the hosts
led 26-19. Next it was Jamie See’s turn to sidestep his way down the pitch and the Rugby Lane
team were awarded a penalty. Wisely they opted for the kick at goal and Freddy Bunting extended
the lead to 29-19. Sutton had a ten-point lead with ten minutes left on the clock.
Perhaps the largest roar of the day greeted Chris Pointing coming off the bench for his 100 th 1 st XV
league appearance. There have been too many near misses and eleventh hour tragedies this
season for the Black & Whites and the crowd urged on the team to dig deep. The XV responded in
great style. Ross Parsons made a break and the pack powered in behind him to advance the ball
to the Bracknell line. It was the Berkshire men’s turn to show superb defence and frustrate the
Surrey men by holding them up over the line. However, Sutton gathered the drop out and
countered. The ball went wide to replacement Ciaran Mohr who finished with aplomb squeezing in
at the corner he stretched for the line to score despite a superb covering tackle. S&E led 34-19 as
the game entered time added on.
There was no let up in the action as Sutton again attacked. Even in the opposition 22 the hosts
tackled as if they were on their own line as they denied them any space to counter. In the end it
was a kick and chase by Noah Cannon that almost secured a fourth try and a bonus point for the
Lily Hill Park team. Once again Robbie Martey was on hand to touch down. In was a temporary
respite as moments later Noah Cannon decided on a more direct approach. He sped down the
blindside delivered a jolting palm off and scored in the corner. The conversion drifted wide and Mr
Foster blew the final whistle and Sutton had won 34-24.
It was a rousing end to a disappointing season and a fitting farewell to Messrs Caddy, Drye, Hurley
& See. It was the best Sutton performance of the season in a match where Bracknell started in
irresistible style and threatened to run away with the game. For the visitors Ken Hodgson was at
the heart of everything and a constant threat. For S&E it was a wonderful team performance. The
commitment to the cause was mightily impressive whether it was the tackling in defensive duties
or the ball-carrying by the pack or the Bunting boot. When it was needed Robbie Martey added
that sprinkling of magic on an afternoon when the Black & Whites were not to be denied. The
league season may have ended but a new Cup competition follows in the weeks to come. The
draw will occur next week and the date and opposition for this match will be posted in due course
on the club website.
Sutton & Epsom

Alex Mawdsley, Robbie Martey, Lawrence Elliott, Freddy Bunting, Sam Hurley, Jamie See, Ross
Parsons, Tom Boaden, Chris Farrell, Will Lloyd, George Drye, Josh Glanville, Ben Tame, George
London, James Caddy ©.
Replacements: (all used) Alex Mount, Chris Pointing & Ciaran Mohr
Bracknell
Alex Frame, Simon Bayliss, Daniel Mays, Oliver Radford, Alexander Fieldhouse, Matthew Outson,
Franklin Lewis, Ruairi Henderson, Bradley Walters, Nicholas Ovens, Thomas Scott, George Jupp,
James Johnson, Liam Wood, Ken Hodgson.
Replacements: (all used) Jasper Miranda, Joseph Maybey & Noah Cannon.

The Specsavers Surrey Youth Games is kicking off next month, with a wide range of activities available in Epsom & Ewell. 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 for beginners who may not get the opportunity to attend clubs, or are put off by the thought of initially 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 across a range of activities, which start after Easter and are aimed at those who live or go to school in the borough. All teams then unite for a family-friendly event at the Surrey Sports Park in Guildford on Saturday 17 June.

Councillor Alex Coley, Chair of the Community and Wellbeing Committee, said “This is a wonderful initiative that provides a great opportunity for young people who are still building their confidence in sport to access training free of charge, as well as gain a feeling of belonging in their local setting. I encourage all those who might benefit from the training to take a look at what’s on offer”

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

Epsom & Ewell 2-2 Godalming Town. Southern Combination League – Division One. Tuesday 7th March 2023.

On Tuesday evening Epsom and Ewell and Godalming Town played out their first ever draw as we fought back from two goals down to force a share of the points on a chilly evening at Fetcham Grove.

We made three changes from the dramatic win at Selsey three days earlier with Toby McKimm getting a second game for us after his first was curtailed wrongly and prematurely at Hailsham Town, whilst Chris Boulter and Mario Quiassaca returned to the starting eleven at the expense of Nick Wilson and George Owusu who were on the bench but would both get involved later.

The first few minutes were in our favour, but in the seventh minute Jaevon Dyer gave away a needless free kick out wide. The original ball in was half cleared but was fed back in and Ollie McAleese was there to head the ball into the net from close range. We nearly equalised in the 15th minute when Athan Smith-Joseph’s ball across goal took a deflection and almost bounced along the goal line, inches out of reach of the incoming Dyer.

There weren’t many chances in this half really though, and the only other real items to note were a rather strange booking for Smith-Joseph, who appeared to be blocked by a defender, and then in the 35th minute when Ross Cheek was sent to the sin bin. We pushed a little more after that, but a Quiassaca ball across goal was behind Dyer and this summed up the first half really. As the teams went off at the half there was no disguising the fact that this was a fairly flat performance to this point, but a match that could still be won if we could improve. However, in the 58th minute a ball over the top of our defence was collected by Tom White who just got to the ball ahead of McKimm and lifted it over him and just below the bar despite attempts to clear by our defenders.

At 2-0 down we hadn’t actually had a shot on target and I couldn’t see a way back into the match. However, fairly fresh in the memory was the loss of a two goal lead at Selsey and our players clearly felt that if we could lose one there, we were just as capable of rescuing one too. However, a large amount of credit goes to our Assistant Manager Matt Chapman for making a triple substitution on the hour and changing the shape of the team. From this point we presented a much greater threat.

The next turning point in the match came in the 71st minute when we earned a corner which was met by a great header from Boulter which needed a good punch from Ryan O’Sullivan in the Godalming goal. However, the ball was recycled and fell to Boulter once again, standing on the eighteen yard line and he unleashed a fantastic volley into the top corner of the goal. Trust me, you won’t see a better one in the Premier League this weekend, and what a way to score your first goal for the club!

At 1-2 down we had a sniff, particularly with Jamie Byatt now on the pitch and true to form he would have his say. Just before our equaliser though, Quiassaca had a shot blocked at close range after good work from Dyer, but in the 81st minute we saw some silky skills from Gavin Quintyne who took the ball out of defence and then sent the ball over the top of the Godalming back four for Quiassaca to chase. For some reason O’Sullivan had felt the need to come out to try and reach the ball first, but was nowhere near it and Quiassaca simply squared the ball for Byatt to finish into the vacant net from ten yards.

In the final seconds of the match we also saw a yellow card pointed in the direction of the Godalming bench and a final chance created by Wilson who set up Quiassaca, only for the ball to get caught up between his feet before being cleared. Still it was an entertaining final third of the match and a vastly more entertaining spectacle after the break than it had been before. Disappointingly though, only 64 were present to witness this match between two of the league’s top five, although our club advertised the attendance as 91!! It is not clear why they feel the need to invent supporters and this constant fictional work embarrasses them as they are tampering with club history. Maybe they should treat the supporters they have a little better and they might actually pass the word! It’s also about time they made a decision on the Manager, seeing as it’s nearly a week since they announced that news would follow “soon”. For what it’s worth, Chapman and his team did their cause no harm in this match, should they be looking for the role.

I wrote a couple of weeks ago that if we could take seven points from this difficult three match stretch, we would be in pole position for the second place spot and that’s exactly what we got! Whilst this draw does provide leaders Shoreham with some more breathing space at the top, we do look the most likely right now to claim that runners-up position with no clubs left to play in the top five now, assuming we can keep the standard up when we play the lower sides in the table.

Epsom & Ewell: Toby McKimm, Gideon Acheampong, Kevin Moreno-Gomez, Ryan Smith (c), Ollie Thompson, Chris Boulter, Jaevon Dyer, Gavin Quintyne, Mario Quiassaca, Jaan Stanley, Athan Smith-Joseph

Subs: Nick Wilson for Smith (62), Steve Springett for Thompson (62), Jamie Byatt for Stanley (62)

Sutton & Epsom RFC 26 – Maidenhead 45. Saturday 4th March.

The Black & Whites returned to Rugby Lane in the knowledge that their race had been run
this season. The men in magenta had torn them to shreds at Braywick Park in November and both
squads were fully aware of that outcome. Despite the match having no consequence with regard
to the league table or which cup competition would be entered both sides produced a thrilling
spectacle played at breakneck pace with eleven tries to applaud. Maidenhead won by 45-26 but
Sutton restored their pride with a performance that deservedly earned them a bonus point.

It might have been the first Saturday in March but there was no sign of spring in the air as
Freddy Bunting started the match with a biting wind behind him. From the outset it was clear that
the visitors were going to utilise their excellent back division and run the ball from anywhere. This
scenario was no surprise to the hosts whose defensive line on the Berkshire 22 held firm despite
several efforts to break free. Reluctantly Maidenhead cleared with the boot. S&E’s first possession
proved to be most productive. The covering Caddy charged towards the 22 and after several swift
phases Alex Mawdsley’s perfectly timed pass allowed Robbie Martey to score. Freddy Bunting
added the conversion for 7-0.

That instant success focussed the Maidenhead minds and within five minutes they had not
only drawn level but had taken the lead. Though Sutton safely secured the restart after a few
phases near halfway the opted to kick. Their opponent countered at pace searching for space on
the right before switching to the opposite flank. An arcing run by centre Harry Wells set up the
prolific Alex Turton who ran round under the posts. Moments later Harry Wells turned from
provider to scorer. A long clearance into the Surrey men’s 22 was run back but the ball was turned
over and the alert Harry Wells swept down the unguarded blindside to score. Greg Smith
converted both scores and the boys from Braywick Park led 14-7 after a magnificent seven
opening minutes.

There was no respite from the high tempo as both teams threw themselves headlong into
attack. Equally both sides were demonstrating resolute defence. At the start of the second quarter
the Black & Whites encamped within five minutes of glory. Jordan Huie went close, a 5-metre
catch and drive was denied and a golden opportunity to level the scores was missed. Then to heap
Pelion upon Ossa the visitors cleared their lines and scored with their next attack. Harry Wells was
a central figure again as he put Greg Smith into space. The fly half burst into enemy territory and
was only stopped by an excellent tackle by Alex Mawdsley but the ball was soon in the hands of
Scott Prince who ran in the last 30 metres for the first of his three tries of the afternoon. Greg
Smith, perfection personified, added the extras for 21-7.

Excellent Sutton defence from the restart regained possession and moments later the hosts
had a penalty. A well-rehearsed lineout ploy saw George Drye rampage down the touchline. The
ball was spun wide to the opposite flank where Jordan Huie was thwarted by excellent cover. A
minute later it was Chris Farrell throwing himself at the line like a torpedo who went agonising
close and a shrill blast from Mr Dixon’s whistle gave Maidenhead a relieving penalty. Very soon
relief became a form of cruel and unusual punishment. A speculative kick ahead by Scott Prince
enjoyed a favourable bounce and the ball was transferred to fullback James Maddern who coasted
home to score. Greg Smith celebrated the bonus point try with another conversion for 28-7.
With the interval rapidly approaching the hosts desperately needed some reward for their
first half endeavours. It was now S&E’s turn to run back a clearance kick and score. Robbie Martey
evaded the first man, sped through the gap and drawing the retreating defence onto him he
passed to Jamie See who did well to cover the last 10 metres to touch down. Freddy Bunting
added the conversion as the referee concluded the first half with the magenta men 28-14 ahead.
Despite the score-line the Black & Whites had had the majority of the possession and territory as well as more minutes in their opponent’s 22. However, the visitors were ruthless in exploiting any errors as well as additionally demonstrating scintillating back play.

Sutton enjoyed the perfect start to the second period with a try. Despite failing to secure
the 5-metre lineout they regained possession and this time they were not to be denied close to the
line. Appropriately George London was the scorer on an afternoon when he carried with relentless
aggression and to great effect. Trailing 19-28 S&E were right back in the contest. It was now the
turn of the Braywick Park boys to turn the screw in the Sutton 22. Time and again the Rugby Lane
men scythed down the opposition but the Maidenhead team patiently retained possession until a
long pass found Scott Prince who crossed the whitewash for the second time. Though the
conversion drifted wide the visitors had a 14-point cushion leading 33-19 with half an hour to go.
Despite dominating the next fifteen minutes with George Drye to the fore with rampaging
runs synonymous of classic locks throughout the ages S&E erred at the crucial moment. Whether it
was a lineout infringement or pressure from the organised and resolute opposition defence they
failed to add to their score. To massage sodium chloride into the laceration Maidenhead needed
the merest glimpse of a chance to see them adding to their account. A turnover near their line led
to an audacious counter that saw captain Niall Crossley put into space and stride in from 40
metres. With Greg Smith having departed with an earlier injury scrum half Archie Dunnill took over
the kicking duties and bisected the uprights for 40-19.

Making light of the latest setback Sutton continued the search for a fourth try and a bonus
point. The remarkable pace of the game did not relent and the attacks rained down at either end.
A jinking run by Dan Jones hinted at greater deeds. Then five minutes later Alex Mawdsley made a
break on halfway but his errant pass was gathered by Scott Prince who needed no second
invitation to sprint in unopposed to complete his hat trick. The challenging conversion drifted wide
and Maidenhead led 45-19. The game entered time added on and the Black & Whites continued
their quest for the Holy Grail of the bonus point. Agonisingly they were held up over the line. Then
with the final play of the afternoon there was at last ecstasy after so much agony. Fittingly the
score followed another charge from George Drye and an incisive burst from Robbie Martey to set
up Freddy Bunting for his first league try for the Black & Whites. He failed to convert his score and
the referee ended the contest with Maidenhead 45-26 victors.

In the end it was Maidenhead’s superior quality that told in an enthralling contest. Harry
Wells was at the creative heart and wingers Prince and Turton were a constant menace with the
former taking the glory with his triple. The Black & Whites more than played a supporting role in
this fixture. The back row trio of Messrs Tame, London and Caddy were exceptional as they
tackled, harried and carried throughout. George Drye played like a man possessed, as ever Steve
Munford tackled everything that moved and parenthood has not blunted Jamie See’s talents. For
S&E it was an afternoon when every error was punished with brutal efficiency whilst they failed to
make the most of their chances. That being said they took the game to one of the best attacking
sides in the league from their early opening score to their bonus point try on the final play of the
game and deserve great credit for their performance.

The season concludes for Sutton & Epsom next Saturday with the visit of Bracknell who
defeated the Black & Whites on the opening day of the season. The kick off at Rugby Lane will be
3pm. It is hoped that a sizable crowd will be present to bid a found farewell to the departing
quartet of Sam Hurley, James Caddy, Jamie See and George Drye who have given many years of
devoted service to the team and have been instrumental in the club’s recent successes.

Sutton & Epsom
Alex Mawdsley, Jordan Huie, Sam Hurley, Jamie See, Robbie Martey, Freddy Bunting, Steve
Munford, Tom Boaden, Chris Farrell ©, Will Lloyd, George Drye, Josh Glanville, Ben Tame, George
London & James Caddy.
Replacements: (all used) Joe Reid, Dan Jones & Joe Lovatt.

Maidenhead
James Maddern, Scott Prince, Harry Wells, Niall Crossley ©, Alex Turton, Greg Smith, Archie
Dunnill, Elio Mandozzi, Jake Leach, Finlay Glass, Brook Harvey-Smith, Mark Grimshaw, Chris Gill,
William Macaulay & Ed Atkins.
Replacements: Dan Hostetler, Mykel Parrott & Charlie