Midweek Fixtures 8/9th October.

[Stan The Man]

Went down South Park, first time I've been to the ground - quite impressive.

 

Seen SP twice before when they lost to Camberley last year when they were disgracefully behaved and when they lost to Windsor when they were poor.

 

So based on recent results I was expecting a C & H upset.

 

But fair to SP they thoroughly deserved the win (though 6 - 1) flattered them).

 

In my opinion still outsiders for the title E & E and Villa are the ones to watch.

[JDSPFC]

Stan,

 

Hopefully watching us last night has changed your opinion of us slightly. I think the other games you saw us play were two of our worst performances in recent times.

 

Chessington were a good team and will take many points off the top teams this season ( as they have all ready shown). They changed their shape for the last 10 mins and we took advantage I the gaps at the back.

 

Confidence is high at the moment, but were under no illusions about the difficulty of the league and the fact any team will compete on their day!

 

Looking forward to our game against camberley Saturday, always a good game and hopefully we can avenge our defeat there from last year!!

[higgs1]

Epsom 2-0 up

[higgs1]

2-1

[Easy game]

SMUDGE!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Quick they are picking on JJ

[Smudge]

AFC Croydon Athletic 2 v 7 Epsom and Ewell,a good evening out,nice to chat to Tony Jeffercoate,get well soon mate.The score no way reflects the game,think  that the AFC Goalie must of known that the Ref,had recently just got Married.With his comments 'blow the whistle then numbnuts' cracked me up at least'Duly booked,why have Officials not got a sense of humour ?

[higgs1]

Because most referees have never played the game , no banter

[newby marvel]

spelly have you been granted permission for lights ? as surely residents will be against them along the main road!?

[Green_Fingers]

spelly have you been granted permission for lights ? as surely residents will be against them along the main road!?

Permission was granted 28th March Newby - guess the biggest issue is funding the project

 

http://pegasus.spelthorne.gov.uk:8080/Planning/StreamDocPage/obj.pdf?DocNo=2252895&PageNo=1&PDF=true&nocd=true&content=obj.pdf

Edited October 10, 2013 by Green_Fingers

[newby marvel]

pleased that another local club has been granted permission to grow lets hope spelly stay in the top three an gain promotion

[E&E Rich]

Would agree with Smudge. Report is enclosed here.

 

FC Croydon Athletic 2-7 Epsom & Ewell

EL Records League Cup Second Round

Wednesday 9th October 2013

Report Source: Epsom & Ewell FC Historical website - www.eefconline.co.uk

Reporter: Richard Lambert

 EL Records League Cup Second Round Wednesday 9th October 2013 Report Source: Epsom & Ewell FC Historical website Reporter: Richard Lambert

Douglin stars as Salts run riot at the Arena

 

You had to go back over 33 years to a Southern Combination Cup win at Hampton to find the last time the Salts scored seven away from home. In fact you had to go back to 1998's 7-2 win over East Thurrock United at Merland Rise to find the last time we managed this feat at home, so this was a memorable achievement.

 

The game will probably live long in the memory for a couple of people. Firstly, Matte Pierson was called up from the Reserves for his first game as cover for the suspended Kieran Campbell, following his sending off against Wembley, and secondly Karl Douglin, who marked a typically energetic performance with a hat trick, our first since Robbie Burns got three in last December's win at Hartley Wintney.   There were a few other changes. James Taylor came back into the defence while Jamie Hatfield and Antony Myers swapped places on the left flank with our Captain taking the more advanced role. Douglin was wearing the number four shirt but it was still Nathan Ayling that dropped back to partner Taylor while both George Murphy and Anthony Panayi were on the bench. 

 

As is often the case at the Croydon Arena, where the Athletic currently groundshare, is a real lack of atmosphere and both sides were slow to get going. In fact the closest we came to a goal in the first 25 minutes was when Pierson was given an awkward backpass to deal with and his miskick went straight to a home player but he shot wide.   Mark Jarman got through for us after 26 minutes but was just wide of the far post with his strike, while Kyle Hough had a goal bound shot blocked soon after. We also nearly scored after 35 minutes when two of our players simultaneously went to take a throw about ten yards apart, and maybe this threw the opposition as Hough got through and his ball in was just missed by Hatfield, the keeper and unfortunately went just beyond the far post.

 

Indeed it looked as though there would be little to celebrate at all as the home side started to push us back, and Pierson had to make a great double save following a defensive error in the 36th minute, Pierson just got to the ball with his foot as it was close to crossing the line but his clearance went straight to another attacker who it seemed just had the easy task of placing the ball past Pierson who by now was back on his feet but stuck on his line. However, he made a great save and we escaped. One minute later a decent chance was volleyed wide from a narrow angle and after 41 minutes a long shot clipped the outside of Pierson's right hand post.

 

It looked like we would do well to get through to half time at 0-0 when we would surely benefit from the strengthening wind, but Antony Myers had other ideas and broke through on the right before being brought down. The ball still came in and we still had the ball when the referee blew to stop the game, but it wasn't instantly clear that the reason he'd done it was to award a penalty for the foul on Myers. Of course Hough stuck the penalty away and we were ahead in the 43rd minute.

 

Hough nearly scored again before half time as he smashed a shot against the bar, but the rebound fell to Douglin who beat one challenge and shot into the corner, aided by a heavy deflection. Two goals in two minutes left the large Epsom contingent a lot more relieved than they had been five minutes earlier.   The second half started with a jolt as the home team got back into the match with a goal that should never have been allowed. A deep ball into our box after 52 minutes was headed goalwards and Pierson's handling was at fault as the ball squirmed past him into the net. However, the scorer had blatantly pushed our defender with both hands, and the only real debate was how the Assistant at least hadn't seen the push.

 

There was confusion soon after this when the referee decided to walk all the way to the other end of the pitch to book their keeper, after he has asked the referee to blow his whistle. It was a bizarre incident and is the sort that gives officials a bad name for over officiousness.   In the 64th minute we restored our lead when a ball out of defence found Jarman who broke through, cut inside his man, and then instead of curling it into the top corner as he had tried a few minutes previously, he drilled the ball low to the keeper's right giving him no chance. Three minutes later Douglin broke the offside trap and beat the keeper with ease.

 

At 4-1 the home side kept coming forward and had a great strike smash down off the underside of the bar and away, but were totally neglecting defence in their attempts to get back into the game and Hough put Jarman through to score again after 74 with Douglin completing his hat trick after 76 after some good work on the right wing from Alex McGregor.

 

There was still time for Croydon Athletic to attack more and after 87 minutes a shot was deflected over Pierson but the upright saved a freak goal occurring. However, we didn't heed the warning and a minute later another shot was fired in and although Pierson made a good full stretch save, the loose ball was fired in. Just as everyone was beginning to speculate on how the score of 6-2 was the same as last season, we got a seventh when a great McGregor right wing cross was met by a delicate glancing header from substitute Anthony Panayi with 89 minutes on the clock. 

 

In summary, the scoreline was extremely harsh on the home team, who hit our woodwork three times and should probably have been ahead by half time, but credit also goes to our boys who were much more aggressive than in our recent encounter with Badshot Lea and soon realised that possession football on the dusty surface was not a great idea, so they got the ball forward whenever they could. My only regret is not being able to be behind the goal when Panayi scored his header, which was his first for the club to go with three shots against Guildford, Colliers Wood and Alton.

 

Edited October 10, 2013 by E&E Rich

[Chris Clapham]

Wood 1-2 Wembley - Report here - http://spiderbee.tripod.com/cwufc/id18.html

[TRS]

Badshot Lea v AFC Wimbledon (Surrey Senior Cup) from Tuesday night.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9ze_84euzM

[Chris Clapham]

Big shout to Sandhurst who won 1-0 at Newport Pagnell in the Berks and Bucks Trophy on Tuesday!

[Footy Mad]

Because most referees have never played the game , no banter

 

You have to distinguish between banter and abuse.

Something shouted half the length of the pitch so that the whole ground could hear it I would say crosses the line. No action taken would have meant free licence to everybody to shout insults from 50 yards

[E&E Rich]

Sorry but I disagree Footy Mad. It was clearly not abuse. We've all heard far worse, and frequently from half the length of the pitch. He didn't even swear.

 

In addition for me it is all about the context here. The incident in question arose from the referee asking the keeper to get on with taking his kick. Why at 2-1 down would he need telling? Because he was clearly waiting for a signal from an official. They were losing at the time, and probably harshly so. They were frustrated and it was because of that the comment followed.

 

A good official would have recognised the difference and for me, he didn't. It was petty and fussy and most importantly, it was totally unnecessary. It also stopped the game in mid-flow as the official took ages to stroll 50 yards down the field, by which time he had no choice but to issue the caution, having walked so far, even if during that walking time he thought better of it. 

 

That said, I thought the rest of the game was well refereed.

Edited October 10, 2013 by E&E Rich

[Footy Mad]

Sorry but I disagree Footy Mad. It was clearly not abuse. We've all heard far worse, and frequently from half the length of the pitch. He didn't even swear.

 

In addition for me it is all about the context here. The incident in question arose from the referee asking the keeper to get on with taking his kick. Why at 2-1 down would he need telling? Because he was clearly waiting for a signal from an official. They were losing at the time, and probably harshly so. They were frustrated and it was because of that the comment followed.

 

A good official would have recognised the difference and for me, he didn't. It was petty and fussy and most importantly, it was totally unnecessary. It also stopped the game in mid-flow as the official took ages to stroll 50 yards down the field, by which time he had no choice but to issue the caution, having walked so far, even if during that walking time he thought better of it. 

 

That said, I thought the rest of the game was well refereed.

We are all entitled to an opinion .... I think that the referee got that one spot on. Probably used the 50 yard stroll to decide the correct course of action (in his opinion)

[Big J R]

Because most referees have never played the game , no banter

 

 

Quite so  !

 

Why is it that so few players go on to referee when they get too old to play ??  Probably because they know only too well the amount of abuse some players give them.

[@BedfontFeltham]

Quite so  !

 

Why is it that so few players go on to referee when they get too old to play ??  Probably because they know only too well the amount of abuse some players give them.

 

Big JR, Have to disagree with you there.

 

If a game is officiated in a good way then everyone is full of compliments for the men in black. Vs South park I asked the referee a simple question at half time and was met with a sharp "GO AWAY, AFTER THE GAME!!!". Maybe he could have just gave a resonable answer (which he did after the game). respect works both ways!! I never once raised my voice in anger and the question was very resonable. He did apologise after the game.

 

Also who on earth would want to go and ref in a park on a cold wet Sunday morning, if it was possible to go straight in at say step 5 or 6 then maybe it would be more appealing.

 

Thanks

[Ex EL_Gaffer]

Big JR, Have to disagree with you there.

 

If a game is officiated in a good way then everyone is full of compliments for the men in black. Vs South park I asked the referee a simple question at half time and was met with a sharp "GO AWAY, AFTER THE GAME!!!". Maybe he could have just gave a resonable answer (which he did after the game). respect works both ways!! I never once raised my voice in anger and the question was very resonable. He did apologise after the game.

 

Also who on earth would want to go and ref in a park on a cold wet Sunday morning, if it was possible to go straight in at say step 5 or 6 then maybe it would be more appealing.

 

Thanks

Unfortunately though, the majority of games don't get 'officiated in a good way' and that's not always the fault of the referee. Most of the games I go watch, the officials get slated from players/managers/coaches/fans despite making honest decisions. Don't get me wrong though there are also some officials I've seen getting simple things very wrong as well but not as much!

 

I agree a lot on your last point though!