Baitup at the treble to settle local derby
The game started at a lively pace and it was an opportunist volley from Baitup after just four minutes that opened the scoring. A robust challenge in midfield from Kevin Keehan saw the ball land at Baitup’s feet 25 yards out and James Fernandes could do little about his spectacular shot.
The lead did not last long as Scott Tipper found himself in acres of space on the edge of the six-yard box from a corner on nine minutes and his header looped into the far corner.
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Hide AdGenuine chances were hard to come by in the remainder of the half, despite the free-flowing nature of the game.
Arundel did almost take the lead in the final minute, but Tipper’s volley shaved the wrong side of the post.
EP restored their lead just three minutes into the second period as Arundel took a leaf out of the hosts’ marking at corners, allowing the prolific Baitup to nod home from a tight angle beyond the far post.
Things could have got worse for the visitors as Adam Bibb almost turned a Darren Boswell cross into his own net, but the defender’s blushes were spared by a sharp save from Fernandes, before Nathan Da Costa bravely blocked Tom Levitt’s follow-up effort.
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Hide AdThe points were sealed in the 67th minute, with Adam Hunt’s surging run down the right wing seeing him totally out-pace the Mullets’ backline and cross to Baitup, who smashed home at the back post to complete his hat-trick.
EP boss Dominic Di Paola said: “We’ve had a tough week of games which led to us being slow to start. In the second half, I thought we were much better, sharper and moved the ball quicker, but Arundel did well in the first half.”
Arundel joint boss Simon Butler said: “I thought we did well tonight and were arguably the better side in the first half. I can’t fault the effort that the lads put in, it was just our defending at set-pieces that let us down against a quality team in EP.”
EAST PRESTON: Harding; Hunt, Pullan, Farmer, Axell; Shelley, Barnard, Keehan, Boswell; Baitup, Levitt. Subs: Boddy, Franks (Barnard, Axell 60), Foreman (Baitup 76), Lewis, O’Hagan.
ARUNDEL: Fernandes; Da Costa, L.Walker, Bibb, Hall; A.Biggs, J.Biggs, R.Biggs, Jones; Tipper, Wotherspoon. Subs: O’Connor, Richards (Wotherspoon, Jones 76), Thetford (J.Biggs 85), Gibb, Peake.