MATCH REPORT
9 September 2006
Essex Olympian Football League
Senior Division One
Epping 2 Galleywood 2
It was to be another frustrating afternoon for Epping as this match followed a similar pattern to the previous week's opener against White Notley. With Kelvin Taaffe and Jim Ellice suspended and Ash Conlan away, manager Neil Whitbread was forced to shuffle the pack, bringing in Dave Costello for his full debut in place of Taaffe at the back and Danny Sabaroche and the returning Chris Bailey replacing Conlan and Ellice respectively. Epping started the more brightly, with Bailey and Tama causing the Galleywood defence problems with their pace and it was Bailey who opened Epping's account when Adam Connolly played in Tama in the visitors penalty area and his shot-cum-cross was headed in. However, within 10 minutes Galleywood were level when Epping failed to deal with a right wing cross and allowed the incoming Innis Martin to despatch his first time shot past keeper Jon Thomas. The second half saw Epping up the tempo, with the impressive Dave Annobil at the heart of things and it was his through ball to Tama that saw the latter lash his shot first time from the edge of the penalty area past the Galleywood keeper to put Epping 2-1 up. Epping really should have gome to wrap the 3 points up but they again allowed their tenacious visitors to draw level when a veteran player-manager Howard Mackler found himself in space in the Epping penalty area and had time to place his shot past Thomas to make it 2-2. Epping tried hard to find a winner but in all honesty did not look like scoring again, so it remained honours even.
Manager Whitbread said "Despite having to make several changes I again felt we probably should have won this game. To lead twice in a match at home you really expect to be able maintain leads and win matches. However, this was much like the previous weeks match at Notley, we seem to be switching off at crucial moments which is costing us points. We've got to learn to kill games off, not only defensively but offensively. Fair play to Galleywood, they never gave up the ghost and scored two good goals themselves. I'm sure that they will go on to give a lot of sides hard matches this season, however, I think it's more two points dropped rather than one gained from our point of view. On a positive though, It's two games unbeaten and we've been ahead oin both matches. I was very pleased with what I saw of Dave Costello. He plays with a minimum of fuss and he did everything nice and simple, he's a good addition to the squad."
Team: Thomas, Bulled, Saunders, Hopkins, Costello, Gaskell, Conolly, Annobil, Tama, Sabaroche, Bailey.
Subs: Seymour, Rolle, King.
EPPING FOOTBALL CLUB, STONARDS HILL, TIDYS LANE, EPPING