Steyning grab late equaliser at EP

That gave Town a 2-2 draw and the hosts were left to rue plenty of missed opportunities in the first half, and they should have been out of sight at the break.

EP manager Paul Bird said: “It feels like a loss really but we’ve bounced back after a very disappointing result against Clymping and things are now heading in the right direction for us.

“We are speaking to players we’d like to bring in, so we’ll see.”

After just seven minutes, EP’s Danny Hand was clean through but Town keeper Darren Ford managed to deflect his chip just wide.

The deadlock was broken after 24 minutes in somewhat controversial fashion. Nathan Dacosta clearly handled in the EP area, but a Steyning penalty was not forthcoming.

The home side broke quickly and Joe Charman slotted home from close range. It should have been two but Rob Barnard totally missed his kick when just two yards from goal 10 minutes later.

Steyning’s first meaningful attack led to an equaliser. A free kick on the right-hand corner of the box was flicked on by skipper Steve Duffett to an unmarked Dean Gilmour, who coolly placed the ball past Tim Leach in the EP goal.

EP did go in at half-time a goal ahead thanks to a good move involving Dale Campbell, who played the influential Andy Bainbridge in down the left-hand side of the box. Bainbridge drew two defenders before squaring to Hand, who had only Ford to beat.

It was no more than EP deserved, but chances still went begging in the second period. Just five minutes after the restart, Dacosta played in Charman, but Ford was quickly off his line to block the first-time shot, only to see the ball land at Hand’s feet. His effort from a tight angle could only find the side-netting, however.

With 20 minutes remaining, Town started to have more joy, but Sean Pickup should have squared the ball instead of shooting after he had capitalised on a slip by Dacosta.

Ford again thwarted EP with a smothered shot from Hand that almost squirmed under his body with two minutes left on the clock.

And so up stepped Chris Duffett to earn the strugglers a point. He received the ball on the corner of the box from Gilmour and his daisy-cutter crept in at Leach’s near-post, who would be disappointed with his positioning.

Town manager Dave Shearing said: “I thought EP deserved to win the game but I’m obviously very happy with a point. You have to give credit to the way they set their team up, but we’ve come away with something and that’s positive.”

EAST PRESTON: Leach; Dacosta, Dodd, Windsor, Sutcliffe; Campbell, Barnard, Bainbridge, McLeod; Hand, Charman. Subs: Gritt (Sutcliffe 69), Thompson, Lawson, Fraser, Paine (Campbell 62).