BUILDBASE FA TROPHY PRELIMINARY ROUND
SATURDAY 13 OCTOBER 2018
GREENWICH BOROUGH 4 (0)
Kayne Roberts (48'), Teshuane Tyreece Walters (63'), Reece Deakin (88')
Ryan King-Elliott (89')
EGHAM TOWN 1 (1)
Sean McCormack (9')

Two sides in 18th place in their respective Bostik South divisions; two sides who looked well matched until the South East based home side gave the Central visitors the very harshest of lessons in the art of finishing. Egham Town, travelling hopefully after beating Whyteleafe, 6th in Greenwich Borough’s division, 2-1 in a home midweek Velocity Trophy tie by playing fast, attractive and incisive football, would have been confident of continuing in the same vein but manager Ashley Smith was certainly not planning on a reshuffle of his team until three certain starters (Rhys Rabess, Josh Andrew and skipper Ashley Lodge) all turned up late, stuck in traffic on the South Circular.
The rejigged Sarnies started brightly, with Kezie Ibe’s horrible shot over the bar after fine approach work by Brandon McCarthy being soon (almost) forgotten when, nine minutes in, Michael Kalu’s not exactly comfortable pass to Sean McCormack was converted, via some exquisite control, into a ferocious drive that home keeper Thomas McGill could only admire as it flew past him into his top left corner. McCormack was in sparkling form all game, and missed narrowly after 18 minutes, but as Borough began to find their way back into the game with some patient passing (Simba Kumbwiya particularly impressive in the back four) they were able to find space down their right wing, Teshuane Tyreece Walters also coming close with, like McCormack, a shot that just beat the far post. Egham were also playing neat, controlled football, and did so to the end, but after the break they were up against a revitalised Greenwich side who, it can safely be said, had a better second half than their guests.
Three minutes in things began to unravel for Egham. Reece Deakin passed square to Kayne Roberts, who sized up his options and drilled a shot between the right post and the outstretched hand of Egham keeper Conor Hudnott. Having presumably done what their manager had required from them they then set about defending well and attacking with purpose and, crucially, incisiveness. When McCormack and Ibe combined and McCarthy had the ball at his feet the better option would probably
have been the ball out wide that Kalu was screaming for. When corners were taken there was little threat. When Roberts had a 62nd minute shot blocked the ball fell for Walters to put the Londoners ahead. On the other hand McCormack nipped down the wing again but his low cross to Ibe found the Sarnies’ striker unable to sort his feet out and the ball ran out for a goal kick. McCormack fired in an acrobatic volley that the home keeper parried, then the winger underhit his shot off a Kalu cross. Lodge had already replaced Stephan Hamilton-Forbes before Andrew and Rabess came on for McCarthy and Kalu. The travelling supporters hoped that the pace of the two replacements would force Borough back, but the home side were not finished yet. Once Andrew had taken too long on the ball, admittedly only a minute after coming on, before his shot was blocked, and then seen his cross for Rabess intercepted by McGill both Ibe and Rabess had shots closed down. There were only a couple of minutes left; losing 1-2 to a decent side would not have been too bad, but then Borough turned up the gas. At half-time the home chairman had bemoaned the tiki-taki playing from the back of his side, saying it lacked penetration. Their third goal proved him wrong as the ball was moved from the back with purpose and ended with Deakin firing beyond Hudnott. Moments later an angled drive from Ryan King-Elliott made it four, and, as the ball crossed into the goal, posted the Sarnies’ worst ever Trophy result.
Well, that’s it for national competitions this season. Egham don’t’ have a date yet for the home tie against Bracknell Town in the Velocity Trophy Second Round and the home fixture against Raynes Park Vale in the Surrey Senior Cup is shown on the Surrey FA site as Thursday 25.10.18. The winners travel to Virginia Water at their Windsor home.
On Tuesday Egham travel to Chipstead in an attempt to improve their league standing. Chipstead won in the Trophy yesterday, at home, beating Southern One Central Welwyn Garden City 2-1 with a brace from Izzy Bademossi. Chipstead have in their ranks one Anthony Oaks, former Sarnie and Abbey Ranger.
EGHAM TOWN: Conor Hudnott, Georges Ehui, Enock Soganile, Stephan Hamilton-Forbes, Gregory Hayden, Adam Richards, Sean McCormack, Daniel Julienne, Kezie Ibe, Brandon McCarthy, Micheal Kalu. Substitutes: Joshua Andrew (Kalu, 75), Lewis Hobbs, Ashley Lodge (Hamilton-Forbes, 59), Rhys Rabess (McCarthy, 75), Ashley Smith.