7th April 2015

Welcome to the latest Club update.

We have two more results to report on this week as our Easter games produced a mixed bag.

On Saturday we produced a hard working performance and in my opinion deserved to edge Colliers Wood United out by two goals to one at High Road. Kyle Hough scored another two goals to bring his tally to a career high of 32 for him while at our club. The second was a superbly taken strike, perfectly captured by our photographer Gemma Jarman and is shown above the match report for that game.

On Monday morning we produced a much more average display as we lost our six game winning streak with a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Horley Town. On balance there wasn't much between the teams and chances were at a premium, although the home side probably deserved the win as they created a little more than us.

The main story from this game relates to indiscipline again. Both sides had a man dismissed, although the way that the rabid Horley bench kept trying to influence the referee with comments like "that must be a second yellow ref" once they had lost a player were a bit classless and reminded me of the crowd at Ashford Town earlier this year. Unfortunately, and despite many officials telling you that the "evening up the numbers" situation just doesn't apply, you could see it coming on this occasion and it was James Taylor who was the unfortunate beneficiary of our eleventh red card of the season.

It is my belief that players do not intend to go into a game questioning a referee, unless he gives them cause to do so and the players reactions from both sides made it clear that they didn't trust the men in charge enough. We saw players booked for no reason, and indeed the referee's booking sheet summed the display up when he failed to include one of our players on it. That will save Matt Farrell a fine!

Despite this, we got dragged into the battle and have to learn to keep detached from it as this affected our performance. We know we can play much better than this but after so many good results it would be wrong to be too critical as everyone has a bad day at the office now and then!

Before yesterday's game I had quite a high opinion of the Horley people. Regrettably that view has changed. I was taken to task by their Manager and other one eyed supporters over the Match report, moaning about my mention that we were short yesterday (which we were), and their annoyance that I was unaware that they had players playing out of position. If they had a web site that carried such information, maybe I would be able to consider it in the report.

They seemed to have forgotten that the match reports carried on the Epsom site are for Epsom supporters and maybe if they put more time and effort into their own site as they did moaning, they wouldn't have to rely on such "poor" reports.

Their club then decided to comment on Horley's great performance and our biased report. It is my opinion that whether or not Horley get out of danger this season or not, and I think they will, then if they genuinely believe that their team produced a "great" performance, they will be in trouble again next season too. I would however like to congratulate them on improving their home record against us to an impressive Won 2 Drawn 1 Lost 12 :)

We travel to Molesey on Wednesday and Windsor on Saturday. Both of these are very tough matches and although Molesey surprised everyone by losing to Hanworth Villa and Mole Valley SCR over the weekend, we know they will present a tough proposition, especially as they have now slipped behind Camberley once again in the title race. One more defeat for the Moles would leave them out of reach of the Krooners, despite their upcoming meeting so I expect them to come at us with all guns blazing. The Windsor game on their wonderful surface at Stag Meadow should be right up our players street, but it mustn't be forgotten that Windsor play some lovely football too and of course defeated us 5-0 at High Road back in January. Any chance of a little bit of revenge chaps?

Come on you Salts!