Athletic completed an impressive win over spirited opposition in a match lit up by free-flowing football and incisive passing from the home team.
Mani opened the scoring in the second minute, shooting under the keeper after a driving run from midfield. William should have made it two, but skied over from close range following a defensive lapse.
The home side were well on top, and Mani forced a good save after being released down the left, and Miles, a dominant presence in midfield in the early stages, had a solo effort parried onto the post.
Following a period of sustained opposition pressure Mani made it 2-0, combining with William to cut through the defence, after a Miles header turned defence into attack, and placing a superb curling strike wide of the keeper. He then came close to a hat-trick, narrowly failing to connect with a cross by Miles, who had blasted down the right wing.
After the first break Charlie, Ryan and Ben joined the fray. Alec made a series of good stops in goal, and was very unlucky that a great save with his legs fell to the opposition’s lone striker, who halved the deficit from close range. Athletic responded immediately, with a solo effort from William, who surged through the centre of midfield and slid a shot under the keeper.
The opposition rallied, as the game opened up, but were frustrated by good defensive work by Ben, Ryan, Charlie and Orla, and two good stops by Alec. William then cut in from the left-wing, and angled in a shot to the left corner to make it 4-1. A lovely tackle by Ben and a good block by Orla meant that was the score at half-time.
Dilly fired in a shot under the keeper, having been released by a ball from Ryan shortly after the re-start to make it 5-1.
Epsom and Ewell were now under the cosh, and faced a sustained period of pressure orchestrated by Miles, with good work from Dilly and Ben. Daniel took over in goal after Alec was forced off with a nose bleed, and palmed away a speculative lob. Dilly then made no mistake with a second clinical finish after being released down the right following excellent passes by Ben and Mani. 6-1 to Athletic.
Miles was outstanding, first in defence with a brave blocking header, and then with a tricksy run down the right wing.
Ben continued to be very solid in defence. An Epsom and Ewell forward scuffed a good chance wide, Daniel made a sharp save at his near post, and Charlie made a goal-saving last gasp block.
But Athletic ended the quarter on top, Dilly firing narrowly wide after a raking long pass from Mani.
Epsom and Ewell cut through from the kick-off of the final quarter, but were denied by a great save from Daniel. Two minutes later Athletic extended their lead. Ryan scored after a goalmouth scramble when the opposition failed to clear a shot by William following a free-flowing move by Mani and Miles. Epsom and Ewell scored a second from a looping corner despite good goalkeeping by Daniel.
But the scoring was completed in the final seconds, with William bundling home at the near post from a corner by Miles.
Epsom fielded a player called Magic, but for large part the sorcery in this match came from Athletic.