BOSTIK LEAGUE SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION
SATURDAY 2 FEBRUARY 2019
TOOTING & MITCHAM UNITED 3 (0)
Jordan Wilson (50')
Dominic Morgan-Griffiths (61')
Jordan Wilson (87')
EGHAM TOWN 0 (0)

The relegation trap door opened a little wider for the Sarnies with this loss against a Tooting & Mitcham United side who are on a good run of form. With nine points so far this season, and only one of those collected under Dickson Gill in his eight games in charge, Egham need to double that total just to be on the same points as South Park who, perhaps crucially, have already beaten the Sarnies and who, like Molesey (11 points), did not play yesterday. Egham have played twice more than both these clubs. Under three managers they have scored just 16 in the league all season, conceded four times as many, lost all 13 away games and have played an eye-watering 86 players in this horror show of a season. On the way home from Imperial Fields my satnav took me past the top of Grand Drive, the address for Combined Counties Premier side Raynes Park Vale, probably a useful pointer for next season. The last time Egham were relegated to the CCL they took seven seasons to get back out again. Even the campaign that led to that drop compares favourably with this one, which is shaping up to be the worst in the club’s history. I may get slated for this, but the statistics don’t lie; 9 points out of 72 = 12.5%. Some might say that we have 14 games left. True, but we have no forward momentum. If the Sarnies are to get clear of trouble they would have to build, in quadruple quick time, a squad capable of winning at least ten of those to give us a fighting chance. On the evidence of recent matches in which promising positions have been squandered (Ashford, Waltham Abbey, Tooting) that is not likely to happen, and there are some difficult fixtures coming up. The next two home games, on Tuesday and on Saturday week, are against promotion candidates Bracknell Town (who beat Egham 7-1 at Larges Lane) and all-but promotion certainties Hayes & Yeading United, who put 8 past Hertford Town yesterday.
The squad that played at Imperial Fields worked very hard in the Sarnies’ cause, but, even with the loan signing of renowned striker Perry Coles from Farnborough to partner Brandon McCarthy they could not quite work out how to beat a solid defence in which centre back Antonio Simeone was the kingpin. Egham keeper Yannick Makiese, reclaimed his shirt from Jack Wingate after being injured for the home match against Ware, and cup-tied for the County Cup visit from Woking, and pulled off excellent saves from Stefan Ilic and Danny Bassett. He also got something on Peter Wedgeworth’s thumper of a free kick that smacked the bar; Bassett, like Wedgeworth, struck the goalframe. The blank scoreline at half time didn’t please the locals but, after Coles had mistimed an attempted lob early in the second half, they would have felt better when Jordan Wilson bundled in Wedgeworth’s low cross in the 50th minute. That advantage was doubled ten minutes later, Dominic Morgan-Griffiths finishing off a decent run with an emphatic shot. Wilson missed from eight yards but took his next chance well, firing an angled shot in from the edge of the box.
After Bracknell’s visit on Tuesday the Sarnies go to Hanwell Town, managed by the last manager but three, Chris Moore. The Geordies, who visited Runnymede Stadium on the opening day of the season and won 2-0, have a safe mid-table berth, but have been thumped 1-9 at home by H & Y, and 0-6 by Marlow. Right now, not losing 14 on the road on the spin would be a victory for Egham.
EGHAM TOWN:Yannick Makiese, Luke King, Temi Oladejo, Luke Randall, Joe Morrison, Tristan Toney, Lamin Ceesay, Declan Nche, Perry Coles, Brandon McCarthy, Kieran Scantlebury. Substitutes: Ibrahim Kehinde (Nche, 68), Palmiro Cabo-Verde, Connor Chapman, Levi Shango (Scantlebury, 75), Jonathan Miller-Annor (Ceesay, 59).
Mark Ferguson