Latest News
FA VASE SECOND QUALIFYING ROUND
SATURDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2008
EGHAM TOWN 4 (1) CRAWLEY DOWN 2 (1)
EGHAM TOWN SCORERS:
LEE WHITE (13), STEVE LOVERIDGE (56), CHARLIE MULDOWNEY 2 (86, 88). Egham Town comfortably overcame Sussex County Division Two side Crawley Down in the FA Vase Second Qualifying Round on Saturday, despite having to cope with another reshuffle of their starting line-up. Player-manager Jack McKinlay was at a wedding, Neerav Patel is out for at least two months with a fractured shin (suffered at Horley Town) and Leeroy Phelan was injured. Billy Sentence maintained his place at left back, Anthony Oaks returned to right back and Tom Martin, skipper for the day, was partnered as ever by Tom Bentley at centre back. In midfield Adam Foulser put in a solid shift with Mark Smith and Karle Andrews, but the revelation against awkward opponents was the combined display from Steve Loveridge and Charlie Muldowney, especially in the second half.
The initial interest in the match stemmed from the return to the Runnymede Stadium of Mo Shuga’a, a former left back whose speed used to terrorise opponents. The Sussex team, though, use him in midfield, which nullified his threat to Egham. The only danger he posed was to the numbers of his own side on the pitch as the other side of his character – verbal ill discipline – earnt him a yellow card while the teams were leaving the field at the break. He was only a peripheral figure thereafter. That suited Jamie Cleary and Steve Baker, the duo in charge of the team in McKinlay’s absence, the pair having seen their side take a 13th minute lead from White, touching the ball past keeper Shayne Goldsmith after a superb break down the right from Muldowney. Sentence saw a corner kick cleared off the line on 20 minutes, a fate that befell Andrews’ effort minutes later. The one major concern for Egham was the hot goal scoring streak from Darren Tidy, comfortably the top marksman for the side lying 3rd in their division. After a stop for Muldowney to get treatment the side lost concentration and an appalling return to bad defensive habits saw Tidy taking advantage of space on the right before he steadied himself and drove the ball past Clark Gooding.
The game did not look as if it would end up with six goals, and for the majority of the second period Loveridge’s first goal for the club looked as decisive as it was simple in its creation and execution. Determined play by Muldowney forced the visitors back, and from his pass Loveridge played a neat one-two with Foulser before rolling the ball inside the right post. Oaks and White gave way to Jamie Houghton and Mark Scotchford, without disrupting Egham’s tightening grip on proceedings. Muldowney hit the side netting with a powerful shot and Goldsmith produced a superb save from Houghton after intelligent play from Muldowney and Loveridge. The understanding between Muldowney and Loveridge was increasing as the game progressed, but it was still clear that the former was in need of a goal to settle his nerves. He had over-deliberated when presented with a clear chance from Loveridge after 78 minutes, and had no chance with a poor pass from his strike partner soon after, but when the two combined with four minutes left Muldowney bided his time before guiding a neatly taken header from close range past Goldsmith. From the kick off the old demons came visiting again, Graeme White reducing the deficit, but it was only seconds before Muldowney’s close range wallop sealed the win, Loveridge setting up the chance with a soft header off Scotchford’s free kick. EGHAM TOWN: Clark Gooding, Anthony Oaks, Billy Sentence, Mark Smith, Tom Bentley, Tom Martin (c), Stephen Loveridge, Karle Andrews, Adam Foulser, Charlie Muldowney, Lee White.
Subs: Mark Scotchford (Oaks, 70), Jamie Houghton (White, 70), Steve Baker, Andy Walker (Loveridge, 89), Jamie Cleary. Egham’s forthcoming fixtures: Weds 20.9.08
Guildford City EL Premier Challenge Cup 2nd round
Sat 27.9.08
Banstead Athletic CCL Premier
Weds 1.10.08
Raynes Park Vale CCL Premier
Sat 4.10.08
FA Vase 1st round. (This replaces BEDFONT, CCL Premier).
CHERRY RED RECORDS COMBINED COUNTIES PREMIER LEAGUE
TUESDAY 13 JANUARY 2009
EGHAM TOWN 0 (0) RAYNES PARK VALE 3 (0)
installation of Steve Baker as manager, with Roy Butler as his assistant. Now Mr Baker knows what he has to do, and it is a big task. Four scored and sixteen conceded in five straight defeats is relegation form.
The first thing must be to get a defence that can actually defend. The problem with our own back line is that it is slow and ponderous, relying far too much on the amazing heroics of keeper Clark Gooding; they could have conceded several before half time but for his energy and athleticism. The back four’s composition has altered. Mark Smith – who knows? Billy Sentence has moved on, and Stuart Derry was making his debut at left back. Jack McKinlay and Dan Lucas are not renowned for their speed, but always put in 100%, as does the younger Tom Martin, but in the second half they were torn to pieces, and Lucas did not last long into the second period. Tom Bentley, meanwhile, is still fighting to get fit again. Gooding was forced by Joshua Williams and Mark Skinner into making a brilliant triple save, and when Williams’ free kick again saw Gooding produce a superb save it was Martin who was alert enough to head twice off the line from the subsequent rebound. That settled things down again, until the break.
At this level not all opposition rearguards will be as efficient as that of Raynes Park Vale, and though new striker Matthew Graves was not able to mark his debut with a goal there were some signs even in this thumping that he and Muldowney could forge a useful partnership. However, they need more support. Even though the second half started with Egham on top in terms of possession the tell-tale was that, not for the first time this season, the opposition’s kit man perhaps did not bother washing the keeper’s jersey. Matt May had little to do despite some fine interplay between Anthony Oaks, Graves and Muldowney up to the box but Egham created little in it. Once again they flattered to deceive and lost because RPV took their chances. With little thrust coming from the usually dominant Adam Foulser, Jamie Houghton only shining in the first half and Karle Andrews (on for the seemingly jinxed Lee White after just 15 minutes) showing his talents intermittently, only Oaks played consistently. Egham seemed to be relying on a lucky rebound or a mistake for any openings, but facing a well-drilled side they had not the wit to open them up. At the other end Jermaine McGlashan’s angled wallop was met with yet another stunning save from Gooding, and Dean Souyana – who had replaced Lucas – made a well-timed tackle on Ross Chalke in the area. Then it went all wrong again. On the break from a really poor Egham free kick, Skinner raced clear, leaving the Egham defence in tatters before rifling home from a narrow angle after 69 minutes. With eight minutes left a free kick from Tom Dilloway seems to have found the net without anyone else getting a touch, and a minute into stoppage time the third goal, Rob Sheridan loping through a by now utterly dishevelled defence to roll the ball past the unfortunate Gooding, sealed Vale’s win. They surely were expecting a much harder battle than this.
On 28 January Egham face RPV again – the first attempt to play this fixture was aborted due to floodlight failure.
Egham next entertain Ash United (17 Jan), and then go to North Greenford United on the 24th.
Egham Town: Clark Gooding, Dan Lucas, Stuart Derry, Tom Martin, Jack McKinlay, Adam Foulser ©, Anthony Oaks, Jamie Houghton, Matthew Graves, Charlie Muldowney, Lee White.
Subs: Gary Brown, Karle Carder Andrews (White, 15), Dean Souyana (Lucas, 52).
CHERRY RED RECORDS COMBINED COUNTIED LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
TUESDAY 16 DECEMBER 2008
BOOKHAM 3 (1) EGHAM TOWN 2 (0)
EGHAM TOWN SCORERS: JACK McKINLAY (46), CRAIG PRENDERGAST (48) Egham Town’s last game was the thoroughly disappointing 1-2 home reverse against Sandhurst Town. Postponements due to bad weather meant that there was a 17 day gap before this trip to Dorking’s Meadowbank stadium to play their tenants Bookham, a fixture in which Egham had failed to score in their previous two visits. So what had happened in the meantime? Well, on this showing, nothing that will improve Egham’s mid-table standing in CCL Premier. Steve Loveridge was again left kicking his heels on the bench, Leeyon Phelan did little to threaten the opposition goal (one on-target header in the first half, easily held), Adam Foulser was booked again for dissent, the defence looked vulnerable again to pace, Craig Prendergast grabbed a goal (OK, it was from a Phelan cross cum shot) and, to no-one’s surprise Charlie Muldowney proved once again that, for all his skill, he is utterly incapable of keeping out of trouble. Brainless is one of the kinder words that could be used; booked for failing to retreat from a free kick, despite being warned twice by the referee, he got himself sent off late in the match for dissent. There were some (barely) mitigating circumstances, in that McKinlay and Alex McGregor got tangled up in chasing for the ball in midfield, and Mr G Collins seemed to have blown for an Egham free kick, only to change his mind and award a drop ball, but what was Muldowney was doing getting involved? Stupid is another word to describe him, his actions leaving his team-mates looking on open-mouthed as he trudged off the field. Not there is much of an example for him to follow on the filed, as most of Foulser’s performance on Tuesday seemed to comprise of using his armband as a ruse for niggling at the ref, a tactic that will never work. It was not one incident that earnt the Egham skipper his 44th minute caution, it was Mr Collins’ exasperation at being badgered throughout the first half.
The game had started well enough, and after nine minutes Billy Sentence’s 35 yarder clipped the top of the bar, but the forward momentum came largely from the home side. There were signs that Dean Cupit was not the safest pair of hands for Bookham when he fumbled a Foulser header over his bar. Clark Gooding, at the other end, made a superb point blank save from Mark Jarman’s header, but even with four defenders around him Gooding was left exposed when Sam Currie’s cross was nodded into the bottom right corner of his net by Chris Woodward. Egham put together their best move of the half as Karle Carder Andrews and Mark Smith linked up for the former to play the ball into Muldowney, whose shot was smothered by Cupit.
The second half got off to a fantastic start for the visitors as a free kick was knocked in by Sentence, not cleared and, somewhat unexpectedly, landed at McKinlay’s feet. Turning quickly, he drove a low shot into the net off the inside of the right post. Almost from the kick off Egham were on the attack again, Phelan giving the ball some welly from the right and Prendergast sliding in at the far post to give Egham the lead. Phelan lobbed the ball just off-target as Egham tried to take hold of the game, but they could only admire the equalising goal from William Romsey, a ferocious thump from just outside the box giving Gooding no chance. Dan Lucas replaced Gary Brown after 69 minutes, and ten minutes later Phelan and Carder Andrews went off for Remi Sellars and Jamie Houghton. Unfortunately it was from a Sellars crossfield pass that Bookham were able to break at pace, Jarman outstripping Tom Martin before rifling his shot into the net. Even with the disappointment of losing the lead Egham should have left with a point, but when Martin’s header off Sentence’s free kick was fumbled by Cupit, McKinlay belted the ball over the bar from just three yards out.
The match ended on the low of Muldlowney’s idiocy, and the team must now pick itself up for the home game on Saturday against Molesey before the short trip to Chertsey on 27 December. Egham Town: Clark Gooding, Mark Smith, Billy Sentence, Gary Brown, Jack McKinlay, Tom Martin, Karle Carder Andrews, Adam Foulser (c), Craig Prendergast, Charlie Muldowney, Leeyon Phelan.
Subs: Anthony Oaks, Steve Loveridge, Jamie Houghton (Andrews, 74), Remi Sellars (Phelan, 74), Dan Lucas (Brown, 64). PageContent
COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 21 MARCH 2009
EGHAM TOWN 0 (0) HORLEY TOWN 1 (0)
It started off brightly enough, Michael Burton haring down the left wing to fire in a cross that bounced off the face of Horley keeper Simon Lockwood and out for a corner within 15 seconds. From a Anthony Oakes’ flag kick the ball was headed over by Tom Martin. For the next 25 minutes almost nothing whatsoever of any note took place save for some nice touches in midfield. When it did it involved some needless antics by Horley’s Nathan Jupp, who, after lobbing Clark Gooding and seeing Tom Martin run into a post after a spectacular goalline clearance, then goaded the injured Egham man while he received treatment. The problem was that even Jupp’s manager saw, eventually, how bad a player he was by replacing him with Matt Scutter, who scored the only goal of the game, eight minutes from time. Egham could have taken tea a goal adrift but for yet another top drawer save from Gooding, diving full length to deflect Kieran Lavery’s long range shot onto his left post.
A Jake Rowley cross that evaded Karle Andrews just before the hour was followed by Horley’s crucial substitution. Kian Siabi was replaced by Jack McKinlay, up front. Immediately the action was at the other end, Gooding making a point blank stop from another sub, Luke Ragetti. Still both sides insisted on the big hoof, which made for a desperately depressing spectacle. McKinlay curled a 20 yard shot wide, but apart from one superb 40 yard crossfield pass to Charlie Muldowney, who was having one of his anonymous days, the decision to play the central defender up front cannot be said to have been successful. Martin headed a late corner at Lockwood and Burton walloped a volley againt centre half Danny Guscott, but this was a toothless showing from a side who, after other midweek results, slipped to 17th and, after this sorry defeat against woeful opposition, stayed there. EGHAM TOWN: Clark Gooding, Anthony Oakes, Jake Galbraith, Tom Martin, Karle Andrews, Adam Foulser (c), Jamie Houghton, Jake Rowley, Charlie Muldowney, Kian Siabi.
Subs: Paul Bartholomew, Jack McKinlay (Siabi, 72), Joe Taylor (Andrews, 79), Steve Baker.
SATURDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2008
EGHAM TOWN 0 (0) CAMBERLEY TOWN 2 (2) After another miserable defeat Egham Town are third from bottom, six games into the season. Comparisons with last season become more inevitable with each setback; the only improvements are in the “goals against” column, and one extra point. In the current campaign Egham have played four at home, with one draw and three losses, with a desperately unlucky defeat at Wembley and a win at Ash United making up the numbers. Four goals have been scored, two of those in the opening day draw with North Greenford United; neither Scott Wadge nor Lee White, Egham’s marksmen that day, have featured much since. The others have come from left back Mark Scotchford’s free kicks. Last season Egham had, after six games, been walloped three times, scored six and conceded twenty, gathering three points. This season, as last, the FA Cup ceased to be of interest after the Extra Preliminary Round.
At this stage last year Jack McKinlay stepped down from his first stint as manager, but stayed on as an influential presence off, and later on, the field. McKinlay’s dominance at the back was mirrored up front by that of Jamie Thornby, scorer of 25 league goals. Now neither is playing, with Tom Bentley in McKinlay’s place, while Thornby, looking from the stand, is undergoing long term physical rehabilitation after a series of injuries. On the field, without discernible leadership and goal-hungry strikers, Egham are missing both men.
Egham were, initially, overrun on Saturday, and the concession of a simple goal ten minutes in, a corner to the far post finding a six-foot plus centre back free to tap the ball in, was not the best way to start. There was some dispute, between Egham keeper Clark Gooding and Camberley’s Daniel Ker, about the latter blocking the former, giving Kevin Swift space to score, but all that resulted was a booking for the protagonists. Leeyon Phillips, a centre forward who has mustered two shots on target and a header against a post so far this campaign, headed wide from a Scotchford pass soon after, but the work he does in holding the ball up and trying to get his team mates into good shooting positions is continually wasted. Egham just aren’t creating chances, so it’s no wonder they’re not scoring goals. One of the major factors of being a successful side is continuity; Egham have used 25 players already, albeit one a keeper to cover for Gooding on the opening day and one an unused sub. The back four, however, has been constant, yet the marking was desperately inadequate when Swift came up to head wide from the visitors’ next corner. Anthony Oaks made a timely interception as Adam Cornell and Dean Thomas closed in on Gooding, and the home hackles were raised when Mark Smith was flattened by Jefferson Gowland’s reckless challenge. Egham were playing with a new forward, Elliott Frost making his debut on loan from Hampton & Richmond Borough. Dolland M’Vimvi, who had looked so lively up front while loaned from Croydon for the matches against Ash and Epsom & Ewell, was apparently “not required” for this game, but his pace would surely have been an asset. Egham’s best 124 minutes since the Cup loss at Selsey (all of the former game, and the first 34 of the latter – until the Es levelled) have come with him on the field. Frost won a corner after 24 minutes, and from the half clearance Tom Martin drilled in a shot that forced Justin Gray to make a superb save. Frost’s half volley, from Phelan’s headed pass, was held by Gray as Egham, bar one dreadful sequence of defensive blunders that thankfully came to nothing, clawed their way back into contention.
Charlie Muldowney, who, since an approach from Bracknell Town after the two clubs met pre-season, has failed to match the levels he reached last season, broke clear seconds from the restart but fired his shot straight at Gray. Phelan lobbed over four minutes later, but when Clark Gooding raised his hand in acknowledgement of his error in letting Thomas’s shot go through him on 61 minutes, it was almost as if he were waving goodbye to the points. A triple substitution with 17 minutes left saw Lee White, Billy Sentence and Jamie Houghton replace Frost, Smith and Phelan. Briefly the team looked reinvigorated, and Jeff Cavey was unlucky not to see a penalty awarded when Dale Webb tripped him in the box, but the result was not really in doubt. EGHAM TOWN: Clark Gooding, Anthony Oaks, Mark Scotchford (c), Karle Andrews, Tom Bentley, Tom Martin, Jeff Cavey, Mark Smith, Leeyon Phelan, Charlie Muldowney, Elliott Frost. Subs: Neerav Patel, Jamie Houghton (Smith, 73), Scott Wadge, Lee White (Frost, 73), Billy Sentence. Mark Ferguson
markeghamtownfc@aol.com Egham entertain Colliers Wood United on Tuesday 9 September, and go to Horley Town on Saturday 13 September. Wood were two up in ten minutes at Epsom & Ewell in the FA Vase First Round Qualifying, before losing 2-4. Egham had a bye in that round, and will face Crawley Down, at home, in the Second Round Qualifying on 20 September. Lest anyone take this for granted, what with Crawley Down being, as a Sussex County League Division Two outfit, graded a step below Egham Town, three things should be noted. Firstly, they have played four league games, won the lot, scored nine and conceded none. Secondly, they went to Worthing United, a Sussex One side, albeit one having an even ropier start than Egham’s, and won 2-0. Thirdly, and intriguingly, they have in their side one Mo Shuga’a, a lightning fast left sided player who used to play for Egham Town.
In the EL Records Premier Challenge Cup 2nd Round Egham Town go to Guildford City on Wednesday 24 September, Guildford having won at CB Hounslow United on penalties after losing a two goal lead in normal time, and equalising with a minute of extra time remaining.
COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2009
COVE 3 (1) EGHAM TOWN 0 (0) Egham ended up well beaten at Squirrel Lane but can justifiably feel a little hard done by. The Sarnies were a goal down after only two minutes, seconds after Jack McKinlay’s challenge on Alex Jeffers would have been seen worthy of at least a penalty kick, when the same player was given time to drill the ball low into the bottom left corner. That was down to bad defending, but when Adam Foulser’s perfectly legal header into Chris Foster’s net, from new left back Jake Galbraith’s corner, was ruled out it indicated that this was not going to be a good day for the visitors. Cove, almost immediately, also saw a goal ruled out, Jeffers being pulled up for a foul as Clark Gooding hesitated. Galbraith, and Wayne Noad, back in the Egham fold after a gap of several years, picked up cautions, and then McKinlay was sent off, for denying a goal scoring opportunity by handballing in the area. That he was clearly pushed in the back as he fell, handling in the process, did not seem to bother Roger Wells, the referee. Soon after that Egham’s already atrocious disciplinary record took another downward turn as Steve Baker was sent from the dugout because of some perceived ill-discipline regarding bench protocol. The assistant referee was not so ready to call to the referee’s attention the same ill-discipline from the Cove management team. (There seems to be a massive problem in this regard; at North Greenford United the assistant spent more time shouting at the benches to sit down than he did watching the match.) Cove’s Ashley Childs missed an absolute sitter after a strong run, which at least kept the score at 0-1 at the break.
Remi Sellars and Karle Andrews gave way to Tom Martin and another new face, Joe Taylor, who took up position as attacking midfielder and left sided midfielder respectively. It seemed to work, even though Martin is normally a centre back. Egham were on top for the majority of the second half, notwithstanding the disparity in numbers, and had a good shout for a penalty when Matthew Grave was sent sprawling in the area on 67 minutes. Grave later saw his shot well saved by Foster after a superb move (on a very heavy pitch) that started with Anthony Oakes’ pass to skipper (and in my book Man of the Match) Adam Foulser and ended with Grave beating two tackles before his shot was smothered. Then a combination of pushing on to try to get the scores level and lack of match sharpness all round played their part as Cove, or more particularly sub Marco Torino, who loves playing against Egham, wrested control back again. Childs netted after Torino’s effort bounced off Noads on 83 minutes, and four minutes later Martin Girling made it three from the spot, Foulser having fouled Jeffers just inside the box. Jeffers almost made it four with a shot that hit the bar.
This latest defeat means that Egham have lost half of the 24 games they have played in the League, and have now slipped to 16th.
Egham next play at Raynes Park Vale on Wednesday 18 February, and on Saturday 21st are at home to Chessington & Hook United.
EGHAM TOWN: Clark Gooding, Stuart Derry, Jake Galbraith, Jack McKinlay, Wayne Noad, Adam Foulser (c), Anthony Oakes, Karle Andrews, Matthew Grave, Remi Sellars, Jamie Houghton. Subs: Paul Bartholomew, Joe Taylor (Andrews, 66), Tom Bentley, Tom Martin (Sellars, 66).
COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
TUESDAY 7 APRIL 2009
COLLIERS WOOD UNITED 3 (1) EGHAM TOWN 1 (1)
EGHAM TOWN SCORER: FRANKIE DRIVER (15)
Here’s a quiz question for the future: In which away match in season 2009-10 did Egham score three yet lose 1-3? Answer: this one. From a first half in which skipper Jack McKinlay (the first time he’s worn the armband in ages) scored a comical own goal and Frankie Driver scored his first in Egham’s red, to a second half of utter awfulness, and an own goal by the unfortunate Paul Bartholomew, Egham failed, again, to take apart a side who were there for the taking.
Clark Gooding had booked this particular week off for a holiday, and it was just our bad luck that this game was rescheduled for Tuesday, so in came Adam Foulser’s brother Brett, who did us a favour but whose communication with the back four is not quite the same as Clark’s. I may be wrong, I may be doing Brett a disservice, but I think that we have conceded at least three for all but one of the games in which Brett has played for us. However, he could not have expected McKinlay to lob the ball into his net just seven minutes into the game. Without Tom Bentley and Jake Galbraith on his way back from injury (but on the bench) in defence, Neerav Patel, club skipper Adam Foulser (Brett’s brother) and Jamie Houghton in midfield and Kian Siabi up front boss Steve Baker, who later saw McKinlay and leading scorer Charlie Muldowney limp off, was certainly impressed with the way Egham recovered from losing the first goal, but apologised for the second half display from his charges. When Muldowney’s whipped right wing cross found Driver for an assured finish it looked for all the world as if Egham would go on to record their first win at the Wibbandune Stadium. Egham though have a problem against sides with overweight goalkeepers in the goal they are attacking. Historically we are crap against custodians who look as if they belong on a Sunday morning park pitch. Craig Wellstead, who was to be seen leaning on the bar before the match, and whose girth probably matches my own, was not seriously tested after Driver guided the ball into the left side of his net, yet it was clear that he was hampered because he had a series of defenders taking his goal kicks, with varying degrees of success.Egham never took advantage of this, despite Sonny Farr running his man, home skipper Mark Hudson, to distraction in the first 45, and even with the nous and experience of Hampton & Richmond Borough man Ryan Lake making a rare, dual-registration, appearance for us. Egham dominated possession, but to no effect; it all petered out around the Wood box. The home side, who won by the same score at the Runnymede Stadium earlier in the season, were just two points above, so a win would have seen us crawl into 13th place, but a second half in which Michael Burton replaced the crocked Muldowney only four minutes in slipped away. Burton blasted a presentable chance over the bar and into the brambles soon after. Egham could perhaps ask why Hinga Amara, alleged to have hit McKinlay in the face, and certainly the man being earnestly questioned by the referee at the end of the first half, was still on the pitch but he was and he was alert enough to take advantage of a complete balls-up in central defence between Foulser and his centre backs to put Wood 2-1 up after 64 minutes. Nine minutes later Bartholomew steered the ball past Foulser, and we were sunk. Joe Taylor replaced McKinlay and Galbraith did the same for Karle Andrews, and Tom Martin looked in some distress after a long clearance, which does not augur well for Saturday. Egham made some inroads, but still without testing Wellstead, and face a trip to Stag Meadow, “home” of runaway leaders Bedfont Green and a home match on Easter Monday (11.30 kick off) against neighbours Chertsey Town, with a potentially devastating injury list. Bedfont Green, on 99 league goals this campaign, will be seeking their ton, against a side who, with Driver’s goal, notched only their 50th. Afterwards Steve Baker said he was “f***ing fuming” about the second half performance, calling it undisciplined (three bookings: Anthony Oakes (kicking the ball away) and Joe Taylor, for lip) but refusing to blame Foulser who was, it has to be granted, was doing Egham a favour at short notice. Brother Adam’s recovery is not expected to be soon enough for the holiday weekend double.
EGHAM TOWN: Brett Foulser, Anthony Oakes, Ryan Lake, Tom Martin, Jack McKinlay (c), Paul Bartholomew, Karle Andrews, Jake Rowley, Charlie Muldowney, Frankie Driver, Sonny Farr. Subs: Michael Burton (Muldowney, 49), Joe Taylor (McKinlay, 79), Jake Galbraith (Andrews, 82).
CHERRY RED RECORDS COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2008
COBHAM (0) EGHAM TOWN 1 (0)
EGHAM TOWN SCORER: CRAIG PRENDERGAST (90) Egham Town took their unbeaten run in League matches to six with this narrow, and barely deserved, success at the Leg O’Mutton Field on Saturday. The three point haul has taken Town back to 12th place, a place that would have, thanks to other results, been achieved even with the single point that seemed to be the best reward for a performance usefully described as scrappy, though some may think the “s” superfluous. Egham were able to welcome into midfield former Bedfont Green man Gary Brown, whose showing promised good things for the rest of the campaign. Billy Sentence was back from suspension, adding solidity to the back four, but with leading marksman Charlie Muldowney playing deep the main threat on Cobham’s goal came from Adam Foulser’s forays from midfield, in particular midway through a generally sterile first half when his header from the edge of the box left keeper Nick McGregor stranded but was cleared off the line by James Allcott. Jack McKinlay had ventured up for a handful of corners, all of which came to nothing.
The second period was no improvement on the first, Egham not having the speed or guile to open up a defence which Molesey had breached five times on Tuesday. This lack of clout, as ever, left Egham vulnerable to a sucker punch, and when a hasty free kick hit referee Simeon Potter up the bum the home side were quicker to react, Clark Gooding saving superbly from Alex Phillips’ drive. Smith saved Egham’s skin with a beautifully timed intervention when the next Cobham break saw the home side outnumber their guests 4-2. Remi Sellars, who had worked hard, was replaced by Prendergast with a shade under half an hour to go, which injected some life into a dull game, but the next action of note came with ten minutes left. Phelan headed to Prendergast, the cross was met by Rob Anderson, and Rob Wilson raced down the pitch before his shot clipped Tom Martin and forced Gooding to show again why he is one of the best keepers in the CCL Premier. Brown and Karle Carder Andrews (after another sterling performance in midfield) were replaced by Loveridge and Anthony Oaks. The goal came from a combination of fine play by Muldowney, catastrophic home defending and wonderful skill by Prendergast; Muldowney crossed from the left, the ball went across the face of the goal, Dan Rousell tried, it seemed, to knock it back to his keeper, and Prendergast dived to head a ball barely off the ground into the net. Undeserved and ugly though this win was, it was welcome. Egham’s previous trips here in the CCL had ended in narrow defeats. Egham face Sandhurst Town next, at home, having won 3-1 and 2-0 in previous meetings at the Runnymede Stadium. EGHAM TOWN: Clark Gooding, Mark Smith, Billy Sentence, Jack McKinlay, Tom Martin, Adam Foulser (c), Charlie Muldowney, Karle Carder Andrews, Leeyon Phelan, Gary Brown, Remi Sellars.
Subs: Anthony Oaks (Andrews, 81), Craig Prendergast (Sellars, 62), Steve Loveridge (Brown, 81), Tom Bentley, Steve Baker.