Changes were enforced, with full back Mia Fenton and Meg Hoare deputising alongside skipper Alice Horton in midfield and Jazz Ross making her full debut in senior football in the 9 role among other faces in unfamiliar areas on the pitch.

Despite a positive start, EP drew first blood in the 10th minute- a straight long ball latched onto by the forward who caught Hill’s reshuffled backline off guard. Just 3 minutes later, Brogan Kirk was set through to round the goalkeeper and level matters. For the following 20 minutes it was all Hill and on the half hour mark Jazz Ross was bundled over by the EP centre-back as she was about to tap into an empty net. The referee pointed to the spot and up stepped Ellie Livingstone to add another to her 2024/25 tally.

With a lead to protect going into half-time EP pounced on another Hill lapse when they failed to clear properly. The ball fell perfectly to Emily Spooner (East Preston’s best player on the day) who rifled a missile into the bottom corner on the volley. Half time 2-2.

The second half began and a rested, fired-up Hillians side came racing out of the blocks. With the front three of Heath, Ross and Kirk piling on the pressure, the EP goalkeeper was forced to come and clear. After scuffing the clearance, the ball dropped to Mia Fenton 40 yards out. The right back come midfielder for the day- seeing the keeper off her line, executed an inch perfect lob. 3-2 Hill with a goal of the season contender.

With a lead to protect, Clingo made changes to replace tired legs. Hannah Sparshott coming on up front and youth graduate Emma Johnson at centre back. Both made crucial impacts, the former adding to the lead with a composed finished after outstanding work from right back Misha West. Following a counter attack, West found herself in the left-hand channel. With no obvious Pass ahead of her, West picked out a sumptuous diagonal ball with the outside of the right boot directly into the path of Sparshott who did the rest for 4-2.

With the game stretched and EP pushing (denied by some good work from Herridge in goal), the outstanding Jazz Ross got her own reward for a fine full senior debut. The Hill youth graduate was positioned perfectly to tap into an empty net following a fine effort from Kirk which struck the bar. Full time, EP 2-5 Hillians.

Following the game, manager Tom Clingo said:

‘That might be the proudest I’ve been to be manager of this team. In context we didn’t really have any right to play to the level that we did without some of the players we had missing. That’s not to say anyone isn’t capable of those levels- we know they are. But to ask half our team to essentially play out of position and win in the way that they did is testament to more than our ability, that’s about character.

Coming into the dressing room at HT and being told by your players ‘don’t worry- we are going to win’ with so much confidence is an incredible feeling as a coach. Proud of every single member of this squad.’

The Hillians will face Pagham away on 02/02 in the quarter-finals.