New Look Fleet Hit Five v Epsom

Epsom & Ewell 3 Fleet Spurs 5 (Combined Counties League Division 1)

It’s always pleasant to visit Epsom & Ewell at Chipstead, knowing that we will get a warm and friendly reception from the home club. This was no exception, and what a way to start a new season. We saw a quite enthralling game with both sides playing a full part. It is rare for an eight-goal game to feature impeccable defending throughout, and this match was no exception. If the season continues in this vein, both clubs will rightfully gain reputations as great entertainers.

Midway through the first half, only someone with the psychic powers of Mystic Meg or the imaginative approach to the truth of Boris Johnson could have predicted the outcome of the game, never mind the final score. Right from the start, Epsom dominated, going through the Spurs defence like a dose of Salts (sorry). It was no surprise when they took the lead after 12 minutes, centre-back Chaz-Lee Martin heading in a left-wing corner from close range. Their lead could have doubled or even trebled in the next few minutes, with visiting keeper Mike Cadle being forced to make a number of outstanding saves. The Es were playing excellent football with slick one-touch passing, helped by Fleet’s tendency to stand off and apparently let them get on with it. The home side were much quicker on to the ball and forced the visitors into frequent errors with their well-disciplined pressing game. However, Spurs began to come into the game midway through the half, and in the 30th minute, midfielder Jamil Salah equalised with a powerful low drive, which took a deflection off an Epsom defender, wrong-footing keeper Felix Davies. There was no further score before the interval.

Spurs came out after the break, having benefitted from advice from their management team, who helpfully pointed out that it would not be discourteous to their hosts to close them down much quicker. Two minutes into the half, Fleet took the lead. After a quick throw-in on the right, Salah found himself unmarked a few yards from goal. He was in enough space to be able to take his time and he placed an accurate shot just inside the far post, giving Davies no chance. Ten minutes later, the referee deemed that Fleet defender Liam Jupp had fouled home winger Toby Funnell inside the box and striker Robert Hendry converted the resulting spot-kick with a powerful and well-placed shot. After an hour, Spurs made their first substitution, Andre Smith coming on for the injured Ivan Nsimbi. Within two minutes Smith had restored the visitors’ lead. The Salts’ defence failed to deal with a long ball over the top, and although the super-sub looked to have taken the ball too wide after rounding the keeper, he placed an excellent low shot into the net. Seven minutes later, Jake Bellmaine at last broke his long-standing goal drought when, after some loose play by the Epsom defence, he drilled the ball home from just inside the box to double the lead. A home defender got his foot to the ball, but couldn’t prevent it from crossing the line. With 20 minutes to go, did that mean that the game was in practice over? Not a bit of it. Quarter of an hour from the end, Es’ sub Billy Carney was able to force the ball over the Spurs line after a game of pinball in the area. This set up a dramatic finale, but Jake Bellmaine finally put the result beyond doubt when he bamboozled the Epsom defence and slid the ball home from a narrow angle.

It will be a surprise if we see a more entertaining game all season. Both sides tried their utmost, with Epsom showing in the first 20 minutes how good they can be and Fleet’s new-look team – only three of their players had started the corresponding game four months ago – impressing in the second half. Spurs’ next game is on Saturday, when they entertain Godalming Town (Kennels Lane; kick-off 3.00).

Spurs team: Mike Cadle, Max Billingham (sub Brendon Nago 69), Louis Lindsay (sub Jack Billingham 89), Douglas Noble, Naman Nasir, Liam Jupp, Jamil Salah, Mark Hayler, Jacob Bellmaine, Adam Bellmaine (capt), Ivan Nsimbi (sub Andre Smith 60)