CORINTHIAN CASUALS 1 EGHAM TOWN 1

THE SURREY COUNTY FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION SATURDAY SENIOR CUP SECOND ROUND
TUESDAY 24.11.15
CORINTHIAN CASUALS 1 (0) – Josh Uzun (52)
EGHAM TOWN 1 (0) – Bajram Pashaj (73)
Corinthian Casuals won 4-2 on penalties (Egham Town scorers Bajram Pashaj and Chris Henry)

Egham Town’s involvement in the Surrey County Football Association Saturday Senior Cup came to an abrupt end at Corinthian Casuals’ King George V Field HQ on Tuesday. Manager Gary Meakin used the tie as an opportunity to rest some players and bring some in from the bench or in the case of former Beaconsfield SYCOB pair Elliott Carey (midfield) and Ryan De Battista (forward) their debuts. This was understandable after collecting one point from nine in the league and wasting a hard earnt lead at Bedford Town. Hopefully tonight will help him find the right formula on Saturday to beat the Aylesbury outfit who beat Trevor Norris’ charges 1-0 in the dying minutes of the opening game of the season.
The first 32 minutes of the first half ambled by to no great effect, both sides seeing shots charged down, both playing some decent passing moves and neither threatening the other’s goal until Casuals’ Matt Reece fired a shot straight at Egham’s keeper Jamie Norris. Three minutes later Tom Connor’s corner was headed goalwards by Luke Neville, only for a home defender to hack the ball away.
Egham started the second half with Jake Cass replacing Carey, who had had a decent enough start to his career as a Sarnie. The game sprang to life courtesy of an absolute howler by Egham keeper Norris, who tried to find a lime shirted Egham colleague with a casual kick and found home striker Josh Uzun instead. The goal was empty for about two seconds and then there was a ball in it.
It may be a coincidence but Egham’s recent poor run, after a stellar start under new management, began with the first game in which right back Jerome Ecclestone did not finish the whole 90 minutes. It was good, therefore, to see him back on the pitch and in the first half using his skills and timing to break up attacks and create forward momentum for his team. Unfortunately one such run, into the penalty area after good work by Cass and Henry, sent him back to the bench. He had already been limping but carried on. He was replaced by Reece Yorke and Connor gave way to Bajram Pashaj. The former sub headed a free kick from the latter into the arms of home keeper Danny Bracken but soon after Egham were level. Mason Yorke’s fine cross field pass found Webb, who cut in from the right, shot, and when Bracken spilled the ball Pashaj pounced. Two minutes after that Cass hit the right post with a powerful shot. That was the last of the legitimate action; all that was left was a hefty challenge on Pashaj from which he thankfully recovered and some everybody-stand-really-close-to-each-other-and-look-threatening on the halfway line before the game went straight to penalties.
Danny Duchy went first and Norris saved comfortably. Bajram Pashaj smacked his to the right side of the net. 0-1
Bracken hammered in his spot kick against his fellow custodian just where Pashaj had put his. Chris Henry went bottom left. 1-2
So did Uzun to make it level, then Ryan De Battista hit his spot kick plumb in the middle of the cross bar. 2-2
Charlie Girdler to the right for 3-2. Jake Cass had urged his team mates, before the kicks “no s*** penalties” then took one of the worst I have seen in aeons as he lashed his high over the bar. The ball probably landed at the back of the car park. 2-3
Michael Salako stuck his shot into the top right corner. 2-4
Perhaps going out now is a blessing in disguise. This Surrey County competition called the Saturday Senior Cup that has already seen Ashford Town of Middlesex defeat Beckenham Town of Kent is almost always played midweek and that may not be good for a side looking for a top five finish. Other results tonight saw Egham slip down one more place to 8th.
EGHAM TOWN: Jamie Norris, Jerome Ecclestone, Ryan Phillips, Mason Yorke, Luke Neville, Kurtney Brooks, Callum Webb, Elliott Carey, Ryan De Battista, Tom Connor, Chris Henry. Substitutes: Reece Yorke (Ecclestone, (68), Ollie Jones, Jake Cass (Carey, HT), Bajram Pashaj (Connor, 68), Tarome Hemmings.