EGHAM TOWN 2 NORTH GREENFORD UNITED 1

EVO-STIK SOUTHERN LEAGUE
RED INSURE CUP QUARTER-FINAL
TUESDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2015
EGHAM TOWN 2 (0) BRENDAN MATTHEW (54) WAYNE JACKSON 56, pen)
NORTH GREENFORD UNITED 1 BRADLEY MORRIS (88, pen)

For the second season running Egham Town have made it to the semi-finals of a major competition, beating fellow Evo-Stik Southern League Division One Central side North Greenford United in a well-contested match. Last season the Sarnies made it to the last four of the Surrey Senior Cup before being swept away by Woking by 7-1. The winners of this tie were always going to be feeling anxious about the composition of the semi-finals with Swindon Town, North Leigh, Rugby Town, Corby Town, Poole Town and Truro City also involved. The good news is that Truro are out; Egham would not have fancied another trip there having lost 0-3 in the FA Trophy on 1 November. The other three sides are North Leigh, Corby and Poole. North Leigh are just off the play-off places in South & West, and Corby sit in 4th in the Premier, eight points adrift of leaders Poole. Whoever Egham get, home or away, will be a massive test for Koo Dumbuya’s men, whose ranks were further augmented by the addition of Hampton & Richmond Borough’s Ben Hunter, a full back, and Fleet Town midfielder Jordan Carter. Both slotted in well in a side that had top marksmen Dan Read and Reis Stanislaus named as subs.
It may have been the prospect of playing Truro away midweek that influenced the first half, because both sides gave the ball away with frustrating frequency. It seemed as if neither side wanted to win. NGU had the ball down the Egham end far too often for home comfort, but when the Sarnies broke it was Haluna Masembe who was at the heart of all that was dangerous. Only six minutes in he was in the opposition area to square the ball to Dwayne Antonio, who either ignored or did not hear the call for a touch by the incoming Brendan Matthew and instead turned and shot over the bar. Masembe fired a chance over and then he and Danny Williamson were denied by Christian Pal in the Greenford goal.
North Greenford United had reached the quarter-finals with a stunning 4-3 win at Premier Division Chesham United, which is not bad for a side facing relegation back to the Combined Counties League after only three league wins, as many as they had to get to face Egham tonight. There was a grit and determination about their play that will surely see them add to their meagre total in the “W” column; Egham, who scraped past NGU 2-1 in the league at home, know they will be in for a tough game on the Berkeley Fields slope in mid-March. They fought hard in this tie but were eventually opened up by Masembe’s pace. First the wingman sped down the left and found Seb Castello, whose excellent cross found Matthew rushing in to hammer a header into the Jungle End net after 54 minutes. He should really do this more often; on the other two occasions he has scored this season Egham have won. Two minutes later Masembe was floored in the box by Borjas Camacho’s mistimed tackle and Wayne Jackson, who was one of Egham’s five to convert spot kicks in the shoot-out win at Burnham in the last round, steered this one past Pal, who got a hand to it. Pal got more than a hand to Antonio’s piledriver of a half volley on 64 minutes, pushing the ball over his bar. Egham were unable to add a killer third and conceded a late penalty for a foul on Bradley Morris, who scored with three minutes left.
Egham face a difficult trip to Aylesbury (3rd) on Saturday and then entertain Bedford Town on Tuesday looking to avenge an awful 0-1 reverse at The Eyrie.

EGHAM TOWN: Jamie Norris, Danny Williamson, Ben Hunter, Wayne Jackson, Wilson Gondwe, Mitchell Gutteridge, Dwayne Antonio, Jordan Carter, Haluna Masembe, Brendan Matthew, Seb Castello. Subs: Reis Stanislaus, Chris Smith (Masembe, 75), Chad Goulter Antonio, 78), Dan Read.