Epsom & Ewell 0, Farnham Town 2

DELIGHTED Farnham Town boss Luke Turkington hailed Saturday’s win at Epsom & Ewell as the “best performance I’ve seen us play so far by a long way”.

Likeable Luke was on cloud nine as second-half goals from Jack May and Charlie Oakley earned Town a deserved three points after a scintillating show at Chipstead.

May’s goal was the result of an excellent diagonal run from young substitute Karma Thomas on 66 minutes while Oakley made the game safe 12 minutes from time after unselfish work from May.

And not even the worry of conceding a penalty after James Forster misjudged a long ball before bundling over Epsom striker Zalk Nightingale could spoil Turkington or Farnham’s day as home skipper Scott Murphy smashed the ball hopelessly high over Dease Kerrison’s crossbar.

“It’s the best performance I’ve seen from them in the two seasons I’ve been here, absolutely fantastic,” said a delighted Turkington.

“We knew how important a game it was, and I still predict that they will finish top four or thereabouts, but from the kick off to the final whistle we were just outstanding.

“It was really nice getting that 7-0 win at Cove and it was really good getting that win at Bedfont, but that this really topped the lot.

“We were outstanding in every department. We wanted it more, we had more tenacity, more engagement, more of a game plan. Everything just worked and it was only a matter of time that we were going to get those goals.

“We were very comfortable in the first half and my half-time message was just carry on. They did carry on and got what they fully deserved.”

The win, with impressive midfielders Joe Sowden and Jacob McDonald pulling the strings all afternoon and the back four, led by a superb performance by right back Jack Mitchell, giving nothing away all day, follows a decisive 3-0 Premier Challenge Cup win five days earlier which helped ease the pain of a 97th minute equaliser by British Airways in Town’s last league game – a goal which rattled Turkington to the core.

“I stuck it to them as a reality check and two games later you’re winning 3-0 in the cup at home and then you go away and win 2-0. You can’t really ask for a better reply and it shows the kind of character these boys have.

“We knew how much we had too be alert and on our game. I had full confidence in these boys and knew that if they listened to what we had to say that they would get the win. They did listen and the result was one of the best performances I’ve seen Farnham play in my tenure, which is so satisfying.

“Getting anything away against sides that I expect to be in the top four is good but to do it in that style was just superb, so I’m really pleased for the boys. We fully deserved that win on Saturday. The boys were so focused on the task in hand, everyone pulled together, including the subs, they all played a big part in the game.”

And he added: “The boys were elated after the game. They knew how good that win was and they knew themselves how well they had done. They knew the game plan worked, they knew they were the ones in control. It was a big confidence booster for them.”

Turkington and his boys now head up to Walton & Hersham tomorrow – the team they beat in that Premier Challenge Cup tie nine days ago – full of confidence as they look to build on a solid opening couple of months of the season that has seen them move up to third place in Division One of the Combined Counties League.

“We haven’t conceded away from home,” said the boss. “We’re keeping clean sheets, we’re scoring away from home, the midfielders are battling hard to dictate which way the game goes and we are looking to carry that on at Walton on Saturday.”