EP crash Arundel’s homecoming

Mullets have been forced to play all their matches away after serious flooding hit the club at the turn of the year, and their long-awaited homecoming wasn’t the fanfare they would have been hoping for.

The match started slowly as both sides stuck rigidly to their respective game plans which saw the two teams cancelling each other out as passes went astray and a final ball of any description was missing.

The game changed with a moment of quality from EP’s right-back Adam Hunt as he collected the ball on the touchline and crossed menacingly; James Fernandes could only parry the centre, allowing Matt Axell to blast home from eight yards after 31 minutes.

The visitors doubled their lead three minutes before half-time with Hunt once again provided a telling cross, although Axell was allowed too much time and space to chest the ball to Shaheen Sadough who volleyed home from close range.

Things got worse for Mullets in the final minute of the half as Charlie Oatway cut inside from the left wing and fired home via the near post from the edge of the penalty area to give the half-time score a flattering look for Dom Di Paola’s men.

Any hopes of an Arundel comeback evaporated after 51 minutes as Adam Bibb was harshly penalised for a handball he could do little about and former Mullet Mike Huckett netted from the resulting free kick, although a sizeable deflection completely wrong-footed Fernandes.

If that wasn’t bad enough, the hosts were reduced to ten men in the 55th minute as Rory Biggs, who had only just received a booking, dived in on Hunt, a challenge that was adjudged to be reckless. Hunt was forced off as a result.

EP rounded off the evening in the 72nd minute when Oatway cut in from the right wing and landed an inch-perfect cross on substitute Fred Foreman’s head with the forward guiding the ball past a helpless Fernandes.

Arundel boss Craig Stuart said: “For 35 minutes, we did really well by keeping our shape and being disciplined but we were undone by a bit of quality and sloppiness on our part, to be honest. I can’t really complain though as we’ve been on a good run and the players have all given 100 per cent.”

EP boss Di Paola said: “I’m pleased with that, especially after Saturday’s performance. We started slowly but you’d have to credit Arundel for that as they didn’t allow us to get going, and we’re learning to be patient nowadays. I thought we did really well.