Epsom & Ewell FC 0–3 Crowborough Athletic. 22nd August – Chalky Lane – The Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round
Epsom & Ewell bowed out of the Emirates FA Cup after a 3–0 defeat to Step 4 side Crowborough Athletic at Chalky Lane.
A crowd of 122 watched the Preliminary Round tie, for which the Salts made two changes following injuries sustained during their midweek defeat at Metropolitan Police.
In more pleasant conditions after the recent spell of hot weather, Epsom gave a good account of themselves throughout the first half.
The hosts had a strong appeal for a penalty when Courtney Swaby went down following a challenge by the Crowborough goalkeeper. The referee was unmoved and instead booked Swaby for diving.
Epsom then suffered a further setback with only around 30 seconds of the half remaining, conceding an avoidable goal to send Crowborough into the interval with a 1–0 lead.
Crowborough doubled their advantage in the 55th minute with a fine strike from the edge of the penalty area.
The visitors were subsequently awarded a penalty for handball after the ball struck an Epsom player’s arm from close range. It appeared a particularly harsh decision, given that the player had little opportunity to move out of the way.
Epsom thought they had pulled a goal back with around 10 minutes remaining, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.
Crowborough ultimately saw out the tie to record a 3–0 victory, although the final scoreline arguably flattered the visitors after a competitive performance from the Salts.
Epsom & Ewell now turn their attention to next weekend’s away fixture against Godalming Town, while Crowborough progress to the next round of the FA Cup.
