BOSTIK SOUTH CENTRAL
EGHAM TOWN 2 (1) CHESHUNT 1 (0)
Curtis Ujah (10), Ryan Hill (90+5) / Yanick Kamaman (54)
MOM Ryan Hill (Egham Town), Entertainment 5/5

Egham Town ripped up the form book with this gutsy win against third-placed Cheshunt. The Sarnies had lost their previous eight league matches, following a 1-1 draw at home to Hertford Town on 15 September. The win gave Ashley Smith his first league success, and Egham only their second three point haul in what has been a very trying campaign so far. Cheshunt had travelled to Runnymede Stadium with a 3-3 draw against Chipstead (who have already beaten Egham 5-0), and a 2-0 midweek win against the Bracknell Town side that won 7-1 against the Sarnies. In Olowule Akinsanya the Hertfordshire side also had a striker in form, but the hard work of an excellent back line kept him quiet.
After a 2-1 Surrey Senior Cup win away to Virginia Water, a potentially tricky tie, Egham were on the front foot from the start, to the extent that, unusually this season, it was no real surprise when they took the lead. Ryan Hill, a tricky winger who shone in the defeat at Uxbridge, had already shown his willingness to work hard and in the 10th minute swung in a corner that Curtis Ujah met with a powerful header for his first Egham Town goal. That early breakthrough, only Egham’s 10th league goal, gave Ashley Smith’s men something to defend, and defend they did with Tochukwu Okolo making crucial interventions to prevent Giuseppe Re and Akinsanya from equalising.
Crowd trouble at Runnymde Stadium is as rare as hens’ teeth, if only because the word “crowd” could more accurately be substituted by the words “random scattering” or occasionally “huddle”. However, four minutes into the second half there was a frank exchange of views between some of the clubs’ supporters after the award of a goal kick to the home side. Perhaps it arose because Cheshunt were not expecting such a determined display from the Sarnies, but the Ambers’ contingent were happier when, following a brief on-pitch mirroring of the argy-bargy, soon after, their side was awarded a free kick 20 yards from Matt Nolan’s goal. There was no arguing with Yanick Kamanan’s dead ball delivery, arcing the ball into the top left corner. [The only problem for me is that for the report in the NLP I credited Akinsanya with the goal. Oops.] Fortunately temperatures cooled on and off the pitch, with the Egham fans delighting in seeing one of the best performances since Smith’s fabulous Staines-beating debut. With former Stoke City and Hampton & Richmond Borough midfielder Hill’s tireless running at the visiting defence the home side were always capable of nicking another goal, but had to wait. Some of that waiting was down to the lack of protection he got from referee Stuart Smith, who allowed full back George Casey to get away with a deal of rough-housing on the Egham man. At the other end a horrible bit of defending saw the ball presented to Re, who, fortunately, belted the ball into the trees at the Jungle End. Four minutes into injury time Hill attempted to lob the keeper but got his timing wrong. In the 92nd minute Rhys Rabess was subbed by Brandon McCarthy, a decision that was to prove decisive. Cheshunt surged forward and won a corner, which Egham cleared as far as McCarthy, standing on the half way line. The rangy forward advanced, supported by Hill who had raced from his own penalty box. McCarthy’s square pass was perfection, Hill moved the edge of the other box and this got his timing just right as he unleashed a howitzer of a shot that left Mason rooted to the spot as the ball smashed into the Cheshunt net.
From front to back this was an excellent performance by Egham Town. However, it is only the second league win in 14 games, they are still second from bottom and next week face the same kind of challenge as when they visited Molesey, who were then bottom, and that went very wrong. Now it is South Park, to whom the Sarnies travel on Saturday, who occupy last place, and trips there were never easy in the Combined Counties League. They did not play yesterday, as their opponents Hayes & Yeading United were involved in the FA Trophy. The gap between the Sarnies and South Park is four points, Park having played one game fewer. Something has to give; South Park have played seven home games without reward; Egham have not picked up so much as a point away. Egham are two points behind Molesey and FC Romania, the Moles having drawn at Chalfont St Peter while FC Romania were thrashed 0-6 at home by Ware. Egham, without a game in midweek, have seen Josh Andrew move on to Harrow Borough and were missing Sean McCormack and Merrick Lewis-James (both ill) and new left back Jordan Lee Brown yesterday so they will presumably be in contention for a place. It has been no bed of roses, no pleasure cruise (sorry, Freddie) but there are definite signs of progress.
EGHAM TOWN: Matt Nolan, Tochukwu Okolo, Alessandro Sancese, Charlie Malin, Darren Abbey, Curtis Ujah, Ryan Hill, Daniel Julienne, Kezie Ibe, Bradley Pearce, Rhys Rabess. Substitutes: Harry Tucker, Mason Tunbridge, Abraham Eze (Ibe, 73), Ashley Lodge, Brendan McCarthy (Rabess, 90+2).