Ten-man Fleet Town hold Epsom & Ewell to a draw
Epsom & Ewell 1–1 Fleet Town
Epsom & Ewell shared the points with Fleet Town in a dramatic 1-1 draw at Chalky Lane, Chessington, on Saturday 14th November 2026 in the Combined Counties Premier League South. Both sides scored from the penalty spot in a match featuring a first-half sending-off and plenty of late drama.
Fleet Town controlled the opening stages, enjoying plenty of possession as the Salts looked to settle into the game. A free kick near the corner flag caused problems for the hosts, with the delivery creating a scramble inside the box before a Fleet Town player dragged his effort wide. Tyler Robinson was next to threaten for the visitors, taking the ball past two defenders before forcing a low shot towards goal, which was comfortably saved by Ben Grummitt.
Epsom began to create opportunities of their own. Joe Dandy’s attempted clearance was blocked by Jason Bloor before Courtney Levi Swaby carried the ball out wide. His resulting shot was blocked, with the rebound falling to Brendan Murphy-McVey, whose volley flew narrowly wide.
The game took a significant turn when Fleet Town’s Connor Holland was shown a straight red card following an exchange with the referee. Tensions began to rise following the dismissal, with Fleet Town briefly threatening from a header that went over the bar, although the effort was ruled offside. Epsom looked to take advantage of their extra man. Murphy-McVey delivered a free kick into the box, which was cleared before Callum McAllister picked up the loose ball and fired high and wide.
Harry Grant then slipped in possession, allowing Robinson to take control, but Toby Young recovered the ball well to prevent further danger. Blessing Hombessa produced a promising run forward before being brought down by a rough challenge from Billy Oram, who received a yellow card. Jason Bloor was also booked for dissent as the game continued to become increasingly heated.
Fleet Town were forced into a substitution after Joe Dandy suffered an injury, with Ollie Burke coming on in his place. The visitors came close to opening the scoring following a foul by Murphy-McVey. The free kick was whipped into the box, where Aaron Burchett’s header forced an excellent save from Grummitt, who managed to keep the effort out of the top corner.
Angel Montes was then shown a yellow card following a late challenge. Tensions continued to rise, with an off-the-ball incident involving Montes going unpunished. Fleet Town threatened again with a low effort from the edge of the box, but Grummitt made a comfortable save to keep the scores level heading into the break.
Half-time: Epsom & Ewell 0–0 Fleet Town.
Montes was replaced by Kionte Waul at half-time as Epsom prepared for the second half. Fleet Town got things back underway, looking to overcome their numerical disadvantage as the game progressed.
Elliot Legg received a yellow card for obstruction after kicking the ball away to prevent Epsom from taking a quick free kick. Fleet Town were also involved in a controversial moment when a challenge on Courtney Swaby resulted in a yellow card. Jason Bloor came close to breaking the deadlock with a powerful volley, but his effort was struck straight at the goalkeeper. Another Epsom free kick was delivered into the box, where Toby Young attempted an ambitious bicycle kick. However, he caught an opponent in the face and was shown a yellow card.
Fleet Town eventually broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute. Robinson made a dangerous run forward before being brought down inside the penalty area. Alex MacAllister stepped up and confidently converted from the spot to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
The Salts responded almost immediately. With Bloor replaced by Obasanjo Akinniranye, Hombessa chased a ball forward before being brought down inside the penalty area to win Epsom a penalty of their own. Hombessa took responsibility from the spot and made no mistake, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to bring Epsom level at 1-1 in the 66th minute.
The drama continued when Grummitt suffered an injury, forcing Toby Young to take over in goal while Charlie Miller came on as a substitute. Akinniranye was then shown a yellow card following a poor challenge as Fleet Town looked to regain their advantage. A dangerous free kick followed, but the resulting effort sailed over the crossbar.
Epsom made another change, with Alex Foord replacing Murphy-McVey, as both sides continued to search for a winner. Luke Miller came close with a powerful, low strike, but the Fleet Town goalkeeper produced a good save to deny him. The closing stages saw some tense, end-to-end football, with neither side able to find a decisive breakthrough as the points were shared.
Despite playing against ten men for much of the match, the Salts had to show resilience to come from behind and secure a point. Hombessa’s second-half penalty ensured the hosts avoided defeat in a dramatic encounter that had no shortage of talking points.
Full-time: Epsom & Ewell 1–1 Fleet Town.
Report by Sean Edwards.
