Simon Lane was relieved of his duties as Egham Town manager after this heavy defeat at Chalfont St Peter. The Sarnies drop to 19th place, with three defeats in the opening four games. Lane took over in January after Chris Moore was dismissed with 19 league games left last season and recorded notable back-to-back victories over AFC Rushden & Diamonds and Hayes & Yeading United, while also suffering some heavy defeats. A reasonable pre-season prefaced two defeats in the newly constituted Bostik League South Central Division before winning at Combined Counties League Cobham in the FA Cup. Collecting three points at home to Westfield seemed to signify improvement but it was the nature of the loss at Chalfont St Peter as much as the size of the scoreline and Lane’s statistical record that forced Chairman Pat Bennett’s hand. Whether it was the thought of playing within themselves in readiness for facing neighbours Staines Town next Saturday in the Preliminary Round of the Cup or some other reason, this was a truly awful performance by those chosen to represent the club. Regardless of the dismissal of the manager this was going to be a critical match report from the 54th minute, when the second goal went in and any hope of picking up points vanished into thin air.
Chalfont had gone into this match with one point from nine, 17th to Egham’s 16th, so there was hope that the visitors would improve on the 0-3 reverse here at the fag end of last season. The task became difficult when, having already seen Alex Paine force a good block from keeper Xavi Comas Leon, the home side took the lead. A poorly delivered corner kick somehow was allowed to find Charlie Mitchell, whose shot took a deflection on the way into the Egham goal. Had Jermaine Osei had better fortune with his header from Kezie Ibe’s cut back than seeing the ball ping off Carl Dennison’s bar things might have been different. Egham, when they managed to retain possession, played some attractive football but the final ball was always missing and Dennison was another opposition goalie untroubled by shots on target. Dan Fleming’s fierce drive into the net nine minutes after the break did for the Sarnies, who hadn’t looked in the least bit capable of pulling one goal back, let alone two. Intricate passing moves which work in training, and/or on plastic don’t necessarily translate into dangerous moves on bobbly, sloping pitches. Time and again the wrong choices were made and when opportunities arose for at least a hopeful attempt on goal there always seemed to be either a fear of shooting or a desire to find yet another pass. One alternative then would be to try a longer game but when the passing is wayward and no-one in green wanted to risk getting hurt in forcing the home defence onto the back foot then it was no surprise when the winning of a corner was greeted by the travelling few supporters as light at the end of the tunnel. Adam Morris’ free kick, touched by Comas Leon onto his bar, came four minutes after the second goal and three before Mitchell was granted the freedom of the Egham area to rifle in a third. Substitutions either side of that goal enlivened Egham somewhat, but towards the end Mitchell was denied a hat-trick by Comas Leon, skipper Greg Haydon clearing up, and when Ibe nipped in on a back pass he was denied what some might have called a consolation as the ball drifted over Dennison but wide of the mark. A loose pass by Joe Pratley-Jones to Danny Julienne let Fleming in, his chip beating Comas Leon and bouncing off the bar. After a call for handball in CSP’s area after a 47th minute corner was ignored by the referee, the whistle went, and, amid fears of Staines having a field day in the Cup match, moments later so too did the managerial career at Egham Town of Mr Simon Lane.
In total, not including the FA Cup win, his record reads:
P23 W5 D3 L15 F23 A55 – Win percentage 21.7 – Points percentage 26.1.