Three Bridges 3-1 Epsom & Ewell - Pre-Season Friendly - Tuesday 16th July 2013 A much improved performance was not enough to repair the damage from the first 15 minutes at TD Shipley FC on Tuesday The Salts third friendly of the season resulted in a similar story to the earlier matches, with early goals being conceded proving difficult to recover. However, this game had many more positives associated with it. Many players were still missing and Kyle Hough only arrived in deepest Sussex twenty minutes after the game had started. Still, this gave Lyndon an opportunity to look at other attacking options and Rhys Jackson, formerly of Dorking had an opportunity to show what he could do. Unfortunately he hardly got a kick in the first quarter of an hour as we were forced back, and new keeper Arjuna Adlam, previously with Farnham and Ash United was kept busy. He could do little about the first goal as a speculative shot from some way out caught the joint of crossbar and post and the rebounding ball was played back in for an easy close range finish after 6 minutes. A missed header proved terminal as the ball was finished off easily after 14 minutes and we had hardly got out out of our half. We began to get back into the match and just after the half hour mark Karl Doughlin was unfortunate not to reduce the arrears when a fine move involving Jackson, Wang Gil Choi and Ali Dewar set the former Croydon player up but his curling effort was inches wide of the top corner. Three Bridges did hit the post after 38 minutes with a flying leap and had another couple of dangerous chances that were just wide but the second half was a much better one for our boys. Hough came on for Choi, whilst in goal Kieran Campbell returned to the club and went between the posts for the second half. Nathan Ayling had to be replaced after 50 minutes as he was penalised for a challenge that would have seen him receive a booking under normal circumstances according to the referee but if anything the introduction of Richard Lediju gave the midfield more energy and we started to take control. We began to camp outside the hosts penalty area and passed the ball around quite nicely, although not much actually found its way through to the keeper at this point. Then after 72 minutes the Sussex side went further ahead on a counter attack. This was the cue for a number of chances to fall our way. Lediju burst through from a wide angle but dragged his shot wide, while Dewar latched on to a bad defensive header but at full stretch, his effort was well saved. Jackson headed just over with the keeper committed and then Dewar dragged his shot wide in similar circumstannces to Lediju's but from the other flank. Finally with just seconds remaining some good work between Lediju and Doughlin resulted in the latter beating a couple of challenges and scoring a consolation. It was the least we deserved, but defensively questions remain as eleven goals have now been shipped in three games, admittedly with a massively rotated personnel. Line-up: Arjuna Adlam, Sam Currie, Matt Smith, Anthony Panayi, Russell Hart, Nathan Ayling, Karl Doughlin, Alex McGregor, Ali Dewar, Wang Gil Choi, Rhys Jackson Subs at HT: Kyle Hough for Choi, Kieran Campbell for Adlam 50: Richard Lediju for Ayling 57: Montell Shaw for Hart 67: Matt Farrell for Currie