Late equaliser denies EP

They had to settle for a 2-2 draw, despite having led twice.

After a tight and scrappy first half, EP debutant Matt Wilson put a good chance wide before his team went ahead on 57 minutes through another debutant, Joe Charman, who has signed from local rivals Littlehampton, after Mark Burgess put him in.

After both teams traded chances, Common equalised through Chris Wood 10 minutes from time. But Jamie Stideford then restored EP’s lead from a Josh Sutcliffe free kick five minutes from time.

With the match in injury-time, however, EP switched off and Morris stole in to slot home and salvage a point.

EP assistant manager Paul Bird said: “It’s a bit disappointing. A point at Little Common is no disaster, but in the circumstances it’s two points dropped.

“We played well and got a reaction after the poor performance last week.

“Perhaps the players thought we had it won, so they switched off and it cost us. The guys gave 110 per cent and we dealt with their physical threat well.”

EP host former boss Trevor Waller’s Midhurst side on Saturday.

EAST PRESTON: Souch; Steele, Stideford, Curtis, Sutcliffe; Charman, Manning, McLeod, Burgess; Banfield, Wilson. Subs: Farrier (Banfield 60), Rahaman, Beaney, Lawson.