Edging ever closer to the end of the season, Ewell had looked at this double header against Rollers as season defining, knowing full well that six points would cement their position at the top and leave Cheam with the tough task of needing to win even more of their games in hand in order to overturn the deficit. Thoughts of their cup winning exploits during the week needed to be temporarily shelved, as Rollers had proven worthy opponents when the two sides slugged it out in the shield semi-final, in which Ewell emerged narrow victors. The prospect of playing in a double header ensured that the matches would be well contested and two assured performances were certainly required in order for Ewell to meet pre-match expectations.
Attacking downhill in the first 30 minutes, Ewell needed to establish a lead as playing up the hill in the driving wind at Nescot would be extremely difficult, and thus they set out to secure a vital cushion that would allow a dogged second half performance to close out the match in their favour. Their early play was purposeful, and having been instructed to shoot on sight both Hitch and Chipperton tried their luck from range, though neither player tested the infamous ‘Spider’.
Rollers’ struggled to get out of their half due to persistent pressing and harrying, with a little assistance from mother nature, and Ewell’s offensive bombardment paid dividends around the 15 minute mark. The wind was wreaking havoc every time the ball went long, and Chipperton’s curling corner ending up creeping in courtesy of a misdirected punch/flap from the Rollers keeper. A second goal followed a few minutes later from open-play (something of a rarity nowadays) as Bullock provided a measured knock down that returning A-League star Hitch steered expertly into the very corner of the net. This provided Ewell with the perfect platform going into what promised to be a tricky second period, one in which stifling the opposition was the main objective. Despite a couple of minor scares they achieved this task manfully, though fortunately enough when their lead was halved late into the game the final whistle quickly followed the restart, denying Rollers the opportunity to draw level. Whilst sacrificing the clean sheet so late on was undoubtedly frustrating, Ewell’s job was now half done, and they hoped to take the momentum of their victory into the next game, against a team with a solitary league win since the turn of the year.
The briefing ahead of the second match echoed that of the first: Ewell needed to take advantage of playing downhill and demoralise their opposition, who by now had little to play for in terms of enhancing their league prospects. Ewell’s starting 11 for this encounter was slightly tweaked in order to freshen things up, and they began the game with a similarly positive attitude and attacking outlook. Both teams had already highlighted the significance of free-kick and corners, and Ewell capitalised on their set-piece potency in similar circumstances to when they opened the scoring in the first game. From the same side and with around 15 minutes played, on this occasion Hitch was charged with the responsibility of taking the corner, and his teasing delivery evaded the Rollers defence allowing Bullock to meet it with a stooping header at the back post, thus reversing scorer and provider roles from Ewell’s last goal. Having gained the desired breakthrough, Ewell pushed on in the search for more goals, and once more benefitted from another identical set piece delivery, with Crawford supplying the close range finish on this occasion. This was a fitting reward for the side’s efforts and endeavour, but they arguably ought to have put the game beyond all reasonable doubt before the half time interval as Bullock and Chipperton both spurned glorious chances which, although not costly on the day, might have ramifications in the 5-way golden boot tussle.
On that note, Keogh saw an instinctive finish palmed away by Rollers’ keeper after the restart, as Ewell looked far more threatening against a tiring outfit going into the final 30 minutes of the 2 hour marathon. The defensive unit were intent upon preserving the clean sheet (which would be their 4th in 5 games) and this, coupled with some calculated offensive play, meant that Ewell looked the most likely team to score. An incisive breakaway demonstrated this, and when Chipperton freed Crawford the latter succeeded in adding the gloss to a highly polished team display, as he steadied himself before releasing a shot that squirmed through the Spider’s legs. In navigating this obstacle Ewell could rightly feel pleased with 6 hard earned points, and if they replicate similar performances in the remaining two games it will do their title aspirations no harm.