SLIMBRIDGE 0 EGHAM TOWN 1

FA TROPHY PRELIMINARY ROUND
SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER 2015
SLIMBRIDGE 0 (0) EGHAM TOWN 1 (0)
EGHAM TOWN SCORER: CHRIS HENRY (78)

Egham Town made it three wins out of three under Gary Meakin with a dramatic FA Trophy win at Southern League South & West Slimbridge. The Gloucestershire side were already known to some of the Egham squad after two games in the FA Cup earlier this season, the Sarnies losing eventually 2-3 after extra time. That loss, the first game after Trevor Norris quit, saw Johnson Hippolyte sent off late on, a reduction in numbers mirrored on Saturday when Norris’ son, goalkeeper Jamie, was shown red after 57 minutes.
Prior to the dismissal Egham had struggled to stamp their authority on the game against determined opposition for whom centre backs Alex Hoyle and Ciaran Greening were dominant in aerial battles. The Sarnies had made the trip on the back of the record setting 7-0 success at Uxbridge, and were soon disabused of the idea that Slimbridge were about to buckle in the same way. Changes had been made to the starting line-up from Tuesday’s, with Ollie Jones, Tarome Hemmings and Danny Bassett coming in for Jake Cass, Callum Webb and Brendan Matthew. Egham were the better side throughout the whole match, even with ten men, but despite such dominance home keeper Adam Thomas was only really tested by Jones’ curling shot that he dropped before Callum Brown hacked out for a corner. In fact it was Norris who had been first tested by Sean Lawson’s well struck drive on the half hour.
It was by now evident that patience was going to be needed if Egham were going to break through, with, perhaps, some luck. Seven minutes after the break Bassett cut in from the right for a shot that nicked off a defender and was goalbound until Thomas’ right hand turned the ball over the bar. After 56 minutes Jones gave way to Matthew, who had been the emergency goalkeeper in the FA Cup replay. Soon after that Lawson latched onto a pass by Sam Blackie and was in on goal until he was clipped on the edge of the box by Norris. There were no mitigating circumstances for the Sarnies’ custodian; he was shown the red card, Lawson was, unfortunately, taken off on a stretcher after treatment (and Egham Town hope that he will be alright), but, initially, instead of the expected relocation of Matthew between the posts it was skipper Reece Yorke wearing the No 1 jersey. His first job was to face up to the free kick awarded for the foul, a job he did well, diving to his right to divert Adam Mace’s curling effort. Meakin then made a crucial substitution as Jake Cass replaced Bajram Pashaj; ten minutes later Egham were ahead. Matthew harassed the living daylights out of Ryan Thwaite then gave the ball to Cass. He took the ball to the byline, looked up, drilled the ball in and Chris Henry capped off an excellent performance with a close range conversion. Matthew and Bassett combined well before the latter was crowded out as Egham tried to seal the win. They were, though, grateful that Yorke was flexible enough to make a crucial left footed lunge that prevented Dean Turner from equalising. With five minutes of normal time left Matthew went into goal, allowing Yorke to resume his defensive duties. Egham held on as six minutes of added time were played and now, having posted their first ever away win in this competition, will look to continue their 100% home FA Trophy record against Frome Town, from the Southern Premier, on 31 October.
Egham go to Beaconsfield SYCOB on Monday 5 October hoping that they have got not only a hard match but also an extra-long trip home, after a fuel spillage on the M4, out of their bones in time. Saturday sees them away to Arlesey Town, for the first meeting between the two sides since 2000-2001 season when Arlesey came into Isthmian Three and went through the division like a dose of salts.
EGHAM TOWN: Jamie Norris, Jerome Ecclestone, Mitchell Gutteridge, Reece Yorke, Luke Neville, Kurtney Brooks (Captain), Ollie Jones, Tarome Hemmings, Danny Bassett, Bajram Pashaj, Chris Henry. Subs: Mason Yorke, Dean McDonnell, Jake Cass (Pashaj, 68), Callum Webb (Bassett, 90+2), Brendan Matthew (Jones, 56).