Egham Town 2 Lordswood 3

FA VASE ROUND 1

EGHAM TOWN 2 (1) LORDSWOOD 3 (1)

Egham Town lost a winnable FA Vase tie against Kent League visitors Lordswood, who hail from Chatham, despite taking an early lead. Not surprisingly these two clubs had never met before, and not surprisingly another FA Vase home tie ended in defeat. Egham’s record in this competition is decidedly ropey. The Sarnies had to change the side that won at Bedfont Sports with Junior Wright replacing the cup-tied Jim Ward in defence. Unfortunately Egham skipper Arran Taylor-Ives looks likely to be out for some while with a groin injury, but on the plus side Matt Smith could be back soon. The Sarnies started well enough with a superb goal from the boot of Enrico Rossoni on 7 minutes, taking Jamie Houghton’s pass in his stride before skipping past two tackles and finishing confidently. Lordswood would have levelled after 14 minutes but for a magnificent save by Paul Borg, who was going the wrong way off Mark Murison’s shot before leaping and twisting to reach behind him and claw the ball clear. He had no chance when the Kent side did equalise, though, Murison lifting the ball over the defence from near the keeper’s right post to the other side of the goal, and onto the head of Matt McHugh, unmarked and able to nod the ball in. To be fair, the visitors had had more of the possession after going behind, but Egham had half-chances to go in at half time in the lead, with Luke Muldowney firing shots off target and Charlie McCarthy trying an overhead kick that was just too high.
After 63 minutes Egham were behind, failing to deal with an angled free kick, from some distance, by the Lordswood left back Adam Hooper. The response was impressive, and telling in its planning and execution. For once a decent cross, from Houghton, came in at pace, and for once it was aimed at the man most likely to be able to do something with it, McCarthy giving the delivery the thumping finish it deserved. Then it looked as if Egham might learn that fannying about with the ball in front of a screen of defenders is all well and good but it doesn’t score goals. The slow and patient build-up is very easy on the eye but bad for the blood pressure when passes are miscontrolled or don’t reach their target in the first place. This is something that all Egham sides do, irrespective of who is the current managerial incumbent; it must be something in the air, or the turf. Of course even route one can go wrong, especially when the officials decide to award a penalty for heaven knows what, which is what happened with 78 minutes on the clock. Murison scored. Rossoni had gone off, replaced by Jacob Lambe, and after the spot kick Charlie McCarthy and Brendan Matthew gave way to Jamie Read and Luke Craig. Houghton fired wide twice, before Lambe frustrated this scribbler in particular when, having reached the byline, in the box, and with space to advance towards goal, and time running out, he checked, span, and rolled the ball back to Tom Hedges when the scoreline absolutely screamed for a more direct approach. Goals are hardly ever scored if chances are not created.
Egham stayed top of the CCL Premier Division thanks to the shock 3-1 win Epsom & Ewell recorded at South Park. They will be looking to hold onto that elevated position on Saturday when Chessington & Hook United come visiting.
EGHAM TOWN: Paul Borg, Louis Chandler-Joseph, Jake Galbraith, Junior Wright, Alex Rodrigues, Luke Muldowney, Jamie Houghton, Tom Hedges, Brendan Matthew, Charlie McCarthy, Enrico Rossoni. Subs: Jamie Read (McCarthy, 86), Luke Craig (Matthew 86), Jacob Lambe (Rossoni, 66), Steve Coultas, Louie Hedges.