In a thoroughly entertaining Velocity Trophy First Round match Egham Town recovered from going behind to seal a home tie against Bracknell Town. A glance at the relative league positions, Leafe in 5th place in Bostik South East and the Sarnies 18th in Bostik Central would indicate the visitors as firm favourites for an encounter rescheduled after the lights at Runnymede Stadium failed prior to kick off. That may have influenced the number of fans heading westwards round the M25, a small crowd of 59 being treated to end to end entertainment from two sides determined to play fast and attractive football. Referee Tom Ellsmore played his part in allowing the game to flow. The crowd was boosted by burgeoning support from a gaggle of enthusiastic, noisy, well behaved and thoroughly welcome young men who have taken to coming to home midweek games. These young Sarnies give old crusties like me that the club has a long term future.
Egham gave a debut to goalkeeper Conor Hudnott, signed from QPR. Last season he was at Staines Town and has turned out for Harrow Borough. Xavi Comas was moved to the bench. Daniel Hogan moved up from Whyteleafe’s midfield to give the newbie an early test, only four minutes on the clock before Hudnott was flying to his left for a full length save off a 20 yard drive. Lewis Hobbs headed wide and Rhys Rabess took Enock Soganile’s short corner to fire in a drive that Oliver Webber (a young keeper on Crystal Palace’s books) dived to his left to save. On 28 minutes Leafe put together an incisive move that finished with a thumper of a finish from Lauris Chin, the shot from the edge of the Egham box whistling past Hudnott. Four minutes later Dan Julienne hit a long pass out to Rabess on the right, and his perfect pass across goal was met first time by home skipper Ashley Lodge for an excellent equaliser. Rabess was showing up well, instigating moves that threatened to put his side ahead before the break but Whyteleafe held firm.
Five minutes into the second half Lodge had Webber diving to his left to save, then Michael Kalu sprinted down the left and looped in a cross for Josh Andrew, who volleyed just over the bar. Egham were clearly set on dominating the second half and were unlucky when, ten minutes in, after Julienne had won a corner, Kezie Ibe’s header and Soganile’s follow up found the same spot on Whyteleafe’s right post. With an hour gone Egham had the lead they deserved, Andrew again pushing forward and playing a perfect ball to Ibe, whose exquisite turn preceded an emphatic drive into the Leafe net. Three substitutions from the visiting manager did not do much to turn the tide, just as the replacement of Rabess and Georges Ehui by Sean McCormack and Brandon McCarthy did not disrupt the home side’s momentum. Greg Haydon did have to time his challenge on Chin to perfection when the centre forward found space to run into but, after McCormack drilled a good chance into Webber’s hands, the loss for Leafe of impressive centre half and skipper Zahui Orone meant they were down to ten men for the final 15 minutes. McCormack had another shot saved by Webber and Lodge finished a run with a shot that hit the side netting as the game drew to a close.
The young supporters were delighted, singing “We’ve got Kezie Ibe” and, as they made their way home, one even rating the Egham forward ahead of Messi and Ronaldo. Nice to hear, even if a tad unlikely.
The win will do much to lift the side after the loss at Ware and in preparation for the Buildbase FA Trophy first qualifying round tie at Greenwich Borough, 12 places below Whyteleafe in the Bostik South East division.
EGHAM TOWN: Conor Hudnott, Georges Ehui, Enock Soganile, Danny Julienne, Greg Haydon, Lewis Hobbs, Josh Andrew, Ashley Lodge (Captain), Kezie Ibe, Rhys Rabess, Michael Kalu. Substitutes: Fabio Nunes, Sean McCormack (Rabess, 69), Stephan Hamilton-Forbes (Julienne, 78), Brandon McCarthy (Ehui, 69), Xavi Comas.