EP reach Senior Cup last four

EAST Preston Football Club progressed into the semi-finals of the Sussex Senior Cup on Wednesday (March 6) after a 2-1 extra-time win at Ryman League Division1 South side Eastbourne Town.
Joe ShelleyJoe Shelley
Joe Shelley

EP startly slowly in the first half and failed to maintain possession of the ball well, with Eastbourne pressurising them with direct football, without breaking the deadlock.

The away side woke up in the second half but their rhythm was momentously paused when Niall O’Hagan gave away a foul on the edge of box, and John Lansdale fired home in the 50th minute.

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EP levelled 10 minutes later when substitute Fred Foreman headed home Matt Axell’s corner.

East Preston then had some great chances to win the game, as Craig Grantham’s effort did not cross the line and Grantham then set Foreman free but he blasted his shot wide.

EP had to defend solidly for the last five minutes as the Ryman League side piled on the pressure, but they held on to take the tie to extra-time.

The winning goal came from another Axell corner and Joe Shelley was East Preston’s hero as he rose highest to nod home the winner on 105 minutes.

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East Preston manager Dominic Di Paola said: “I’m pleased with the win, the lads were brilliant, they are a good side and it shows what we are capable of.

“But it is only good if we win the next game, otherwise it is just another game for us to play.

“We were poor in the first half and they were direct, which didn’t suit us, but we had a talk at half-time and in the second half we were the better side.”

East Preston will now face one of Bognor, Brighton, Three Bridges or Hastings United in the last four and Di Paola insists he has no preference on their next opponents.

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He said: “All of them are better than us, so I don’t really mind who we get. We will put in a performance on the day and see what happens.

“Everyone wants to avoid Brighton but I’d rather lose to Brighton than Hastings.”

Two of EP’s fellow County League Division 1 high-flyers met last night and Peacehaven drew 0-0 at home to Rye.

Di Paola said: “It was a good result for us, but we have Rye on Saturday and they could do the same to us.

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“We have loads to do and are bare for numbers, but we will keep plucking away and do our best to win all our games in hand.”

EAST PRESTON: Rose; O’Hagan, Pullan, Clark, Axell; Shelley, Boddy, Charles, Rhodes; Hudson, Grantham. Subs: Foreman (Rhodes 50); Elliot (O’Hagan 55).

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