After all the effort by the club to secure a ground and get the match played, it was fantastic to see the team’s performance reflect that determination.

Epsom & Ewell started very quickly, earning a corner after just two minutes. Will Kendall, our No. 9, rose well to meet it but headed just over the bar. The Salts kept up the pressure, and a long throw from Niall forced a goal-line clearance. Will Kendall was quick to react to the rebound but couldn’t quite keep the ball down. Burnham had their first chance in the 11th minute, but a weak shot was comfortably saved by our goalkeeper Dan O’Donovan.

The Salts maintained their dominance and took the lead in the 25th minute. Our goal came from a great cross by Anthony Nazareth (Naz), which Sean Michael Anderson volleyed in from ten yards out. It was a superb finish that rewarded the early pressure.

Burnham nearly equalised in the 37th minute when their No. 9 found himself through on goal. However, he was flagged offside, though goalkeeper Dan O’Donovan had already come off his line quickly to make an important save. At the time, Dan didn’t know the flag would go up, and his decisive action kept the Salts’ lead intact.

In the 40th minute, poor defending from Niall nearly cost us, but a combination of determined defending and Burnham’s poor finishing kept us in front.

Epsom & Ewell continued to push forward, and their second goal came just before the break. Craig Dundas delivered a fine ball through to Ethan Nelson-Roberts, who beat the offside trap, surged forward, and delivered a perfectly timed cross to Sean Michael Anderson. Anderson made no mistake, firing home from close range to double the lead. The Salts went into half-time with a 2–0 advantage.

Burnham kept the pressure on throughout the second half, but the Salts defended well, and only great goalkeeping from Dan O’Donovan kept us in front. Dan made four excellent saves, all low down, to keep Burnham at bay. Burnham eventually pulled a goal back in the 63rd minute through Jabir Laraba, but despite their efforts, the Salts held firm to secure the 2–1 victory.

Conrad should have sealed the win in the 86th minute when he was clear through on goal, but his shot was poor and went high and wide. Had he scored, it would have settled the game, but instead, his miss led to a nervy three minutes of injury time. The referee, however, played six minutes in total, keeping the tension high until the final whistle.

This result sees Epsom & Ewell progress to the last 32 of the FA Vase for the first time since the 2009/10 season. They will now face VCD Athletic away on 11th January.