Horsham: 2
Epsom: 1 (Midmer)
Epsom travelled to Christ’s Hospital School to take on Horsham. The side were full of confidence after a big win against Canterbury 2s but it turned into a day to forget. Horsham were much stronger than in the reverse fixture and started very sharply, spraying the ball around and soon scoring a neatly worked opening goal. Soon after, Epsom pushed up too far for a free hit and a slick Horsham counterattack made it 2-0. Epsom gradually rumbled into gear and on 15 minutes won a short corner, which on its second retake was bundled in by James Midmer for 2-1. Running into half-time Epsom had a strong spell and created a string of good chances but several efforts flashed wide, seeing Horsham remain 2-1 up at half-time. The second half started with Adam Barker going close for Epsom but following this they faded out of it and the final 25 minutes saw Horsham manage the game effectively. Horsham should have scored a third at a short corner with 10 minutes to go but Epsom escaped. Right on full time Epsom won a short corner but they couldn’t fashion a shot from two retakes with 10 men up; this kind of summed up the day. A 2-1 loss. Epsom could have no complaints, they were mostly outplayed and didn’t take their chances when they came. On the plus side, Horsham had excellent teas and wasn’t as far away as first assumed, although there was no McDonalds on the A24. It marked a final game for Angus Keast following his short sabbatical from New Zealand, he made a big impact in his six games, presented a shirt from his home club and even came to training on Wednesday before his Friday flight, a top bloke and welcome back any time!