BOSTIK SOUTH CENTRAL
SATURDAY 9 MARCH 2019
EGHAM TOWN 2 (1)
Joseph Morrison (15')
Alexandre Miranda Amorim (77')
UXBRIDGE 2 (1)
Luke Maguire (44')
Matthew Woods (68')

While there is life there is hope? Egham Town picked up only their 11th point of the season and have just nine games left. Even with fellow relegation candidates Molesey (21 points) going down 0-2 at FC Romania, and South Park (22) being thrashed 0-4 at Bedfont Sports it is clear that Dickson Gill’s men still need miracles and snookers, and even though Bracknell Town, who come visiting on Tuesday, surprisingly lost by the odd goal in three at Hanwell Town the Sarnies will have to play at the very least at the level they showed here for the rest of the season. However, it is perhaps wrong to be overly negative after picking up a point from a game that appeared to be slipping away despite an encouraging start. Egham had played a Hampton & Richmond Borough XI at Bedfont Sports on Tuesday and only lost 0-1, but a change of formation had played Tristan Toney (hitherto used in central defence) up front and Jonathan Adoo-Peters at centre back to add some height in crucial areas. It looked good, and it was no surprise to see it deployed here. In a season in which one interesting sideshow was how many players have been named on team sheets there was history made again as the total reached a round 100. Kiemon Robinson came straight into the team at left back, and Brazilian player Alexandre Miranda Amorin was one of the subs, one who made an eye-catching debut.
Egham started well, giving Uxbridge plenty to think about in the opening exchanges, but could have been undone when Tyrone Pink broke free after 11 minutes before shooting over Josh Bramwell’s bar. On the quarter hour the home side took the lead. From their first corner of the game Adam Mohammed’s corner was headed off the line and as the Sarnies kept the pressure up Dean McDonald fed the ball to Ashley Carew, whose was partially blocked by Uxbridge centre half David Thomas. As the ball ran across goal it was Egham centre half Joe Morrison who was at the back post to ram the ball beyond keeper Paul McCarthy. The game was held up by a full on display of histrionics by visiting striker Radu Stefanaioca after a challenge by Carew then play was pretty even until the 40th minute. Toney was fouled 25 yards from goal, and from the free kick Carew curled the ball towards the top right corner where it was met by McCarthy’s outstretched left hand for an excellent save. Mr McCarthy seems to have given up making rickets and giving Egham free strikes at goal. The save was important because a couple of minutes later a break down the left and a decent cross gave Luke Maguire room for a header that he planted beyond Bramwell.
After the break Uxbridge brought on Matt Woods, exactly what Egham could have done without. He was scoring freely for Egham last season before injury at Ramsgate curtailed his participation, and he scored the Middlesex side’s third in a 1-3 loss for the Sarnies at Honeycroft in November. Egham replaced Connor Chapman with Luke Randall at right back. Toney had a header cleared off the line on 51 minutes, then Maguire failed to convert in a scramble in the Egham box. Home voices were raised in appeal for a penalty after Toney trapped the ball for McDonald’s volley which clearly hit an Uxbridge hand in the box but the referee ignored the shouts. It mattered; from a free kick the ball fell to Woods, whose predatory instincts are still intact and The Red Army had taken an undeserved lead. In the 75th minute Gill took off Brandon McCarthy and sent Miranda Amorin on. Seconds later, off Toney’s nodded pass, the new striker leapt for an expertly guided header that looped into the bottom right corner – one touch, one goal. Egham had not scored two in a league game since beating Cheshunt 14 games ago. [Next up; Cheshunt away.] Woods, for whom tackling is not a strong point, was lucky not to be punished for a challenge on Adoo-Peters, and McDonald fired wide with the sort of shot that normally would not get a mention, but given recent inadequacies up front seemed perhaps to point to a more positive attitude.
As mentioned Egham take on Bracknell Town on Tuesday and then go to Cheshunt looking for a league double and a cure for the travel sickness that has seen them lose 15 league games on the spin away from Runnymede Stadium. Every match is important.
EGHAM TOWN: Josh Bramwell, Connor Chapman, Kiemon Robinson, Joseph Adoo-Peters, Joe Morrison, Adam Mohammed, Dean Lodge, Ashley Carew, Tristan Toney, Dean McDonald, Brandon McCarthy. Substitutes: Samir Bajja (Mohammed, 59), Luke Randall (Chapman, 49), Ahkeem Belford, Oluwadimola Owolana, Alexandre Miranda Amorin (McCarthy, 75).

Tue 12th Mar H Bracknell Town 7.45pm
Sat 16th Mar A Cheshunt 3pm
Sat 23rd Mar H South Park 3pm
Sat 30th Mar A Northwood 3pm
Sat 6th Apr H Bedfont Sports 3pm
Sat 13th Apr A Hertford Town 3pm
Sat 20th Apr H Ashford Town (Middx) 3pm
Mon 22nd Apr A FC Romania 3pm
Sat 27th Apr H Chipstead 3pm