EGHAM TOWN 2 SLIMBRIDGE 2

THE EMIRATES FA CUP PRELIMINARY ROUND
SATURDAY 29 AUGUST 2015
EGHAM TOWN 2 (1)
DANNY BASSETT (45 + 3), BRENDAN MATTHEW (68)
SLIMBRIDGE 2 (1)
ADAM MACE (42), PAUL FAHY (pen, 80)

Egham Town and Slimbridge must meet again on Tuesday to see who will travel to Greenwich Borough of the South East Counties League on 12 September. Whoever the Step 5 London side, who won 4-0 at league stable mates Beckenham Town, encounter will have got through on merit if this entertaining draw is any yardstick. Given that Gloucestershire side Slimbridge were only elevated to the Evo-Stik Southern South & West division in the close season it is not surprising that this was their first ever trip to the Runnymede Stadium. Egham, on the back of three straight losses, were anxious not to add to the sequence and Danny Bassett’s run and shot in the first minute gave notice that they were up for this one. Down the other end Jamie Norris made a decent save after 14 minutes form Alex Hoyle’s shot, then almost immediately Brendan Matthew was in on Slimbridge keeper Adam Thomas, who saved the Egham striker’s shot. From Thomas’ clearance Slimbridge attacked again, only for Norris to save again. With three minutes before the break the visitors’ Adam Mace steered in a pass from Sean Lawson for a lead that was barely deserved, then, to their credit, Egham hit back. Three minutes into injury time Josh Andrew’s corner was met with a thumping header by centre back Mitchell Gutteridge, Thomas parried, and Bassett (pictured) slammed the ball into the net.
A jittery start to the second half by Egham meant relying again on Norris to keep parity, saving from Sam Blackie and Paul Fahy. There was little to choose between the two sides and then, all of a sudden, Egham were ahead. Matthew carried the ball down the inside right almost to the byline, assessed his options, and slammed the ball into the far corner of the net. That came in the 68th minute, leaving plenty of time for more goals. Only one came, from a Fahy penalty with ten minutes remaining, after Jamie Martin was, allegedly, fouled in the box. It was perhaps telling that the Slimbridge keeper Thomas turned to the Sarnies and said “bit of a dive, that”. Fahy walloped the ball into Norris’ net, then Egham tried to restore their lead. They could have had a spot kick of their own had referee Christopher Wicks seen Edward Ward’s handball off a Bassett cross. Instead a corner was given, Andrews took it and Gutteridge rose with Thomas before landing awkwardly and damaging his left shoulder. He carried on after treatment but went off with his arm across his chest as an inordinate amount of injury time played out. Egham could do without any more injuries after losing Louis Chandler-Joseph to a broken wrist in the St Ives game.
Egham now have a 220 mile round trip to Slimbridge for the replay, which, if nothing else, will help them to find the same ground on 3 October when the teams meet in the FA Trophy Preliminary Round. The draw means that the scheduled game at Beaconsfield SYCOB will have to be rearranged.
EGHAM TOWN: Jamie Norris, Wilson Gondwe, Mason Welch-Turner, Larry Boateng, Mitchell Gutteridge, Luke Neville, Josh Andrew, Tarome Hemmings, Danny Bassett, Brendan Matthew, Haluna Masembe. Subs: Jonathan Hippolyte (Gutteridge, 90 + 7), Philip Appiah, Seb Castello (Masembe, 77), Nadean Fosu (Boateng, 78), Jamie Cunningham.