EGHAM TOWN 2 NORTH GREENFORD UNITED 1

THE SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE CENTRAL
SATURDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2014
EGHAM TOWN 2 (0) NORTH GREENFORD UNITED 1 (1)
Egham Town scorers: Dan Pearse (90+2), Reis Stanislaus (90 + 10)
NGU scorer: Michael Kinsella (15)

Reis Stanislaus’ very, very late winner lifted Egham Town to 7th place in Southern One Central and got the Sarnies out of a rather large hole that was largely of their own making. The win against a hardworking side was welcome, but what was perplexing as it was pleasing was the manner of the victory, coming as it did with the Sarnies a goal down and reduced to ten men once midfielder Calvin Thomas had been carried off the pitch with a groin injury in the 80th minute.
Egham, rested after last weekend’s inactivity, and with two straight wins behind them, started brightly, skipper Luke Muldowney heading a Mo Harkin free kick wide in the third minute and Greenford’s keeper Asen Agov had to palm the ball clear when Josh Andrew’s cross almost reached Danny Williamson at the far post. A Harkin free kick flew over and Andrew shot wide as Egham dominated but then an old failing re-introduced itself. Having failed to make the most of their clear superiority Egham had a collective lapse off a Greenford corner kick and Michael Kinsella rose to head home after 15 minutes. It took nearly 20 minutes for Egham to muster a response, another Harkin free kick bothering Agov. At the other end Egham were grateful that Jamie Norris, back after injury, was smart enough to make a good save from the marauding Chinua Cole.
Ibrahim Bah stretched Norris early in the second period and just before the hour a Dan Pearse drive forced Agov to dive full length to save. Williamson missed a good chance to level with a header from Thomas’ cross and then was substituted, with Dan Read, for Matt Grave and Stanislaus. With fifteen minutes left Harkin gave way to Joe Chandiram, who had a shot blocked two minutes later. Greenford broke, and Egham got away with it as a shot by Jack Hutchinson clipped the bar. Egham were getting frustrated, partly down to referee Neil Morison apparently thinking that keeper Agov was made of bone china and deserving of a higher than normal level of protection. When, three minutes from time, Thomas stretched for the ball by the halfway line and cried out in pain as his groin went it seemed that Egham would be leaving the pitch with an avoidable defeat and the loss of a key player. The second part holds true, and all at Egham will be wishing the vivacious midfielder a speedy recovery, but the five minutes taken to treat him on the pitch earnt his team mates a chance to redeem themselves. Two minutes into added time Muldowney clipped in a corner kick and Pearse equalised with a sidefooted shot, his second goal in two games. Egham won the game in the 100th minute, the move for the goal starting with a surging run from deep by centre back Wilson Gondwe, who managed to get deep into the opposition box before his cross cum shot which looked as if it was going nowhere. Egham got the ball back, and Pearse played the ball to Stanislaus, unmarked at the back post and he scored with his usual assuredness. Egham had threatened their recovery by conceding a dopy free kick after equalising, and got away with it, and then did the same after their second goal. A free kick came in, Norris made a comfortable enough save at the back post and a Greenford forward tried to kick the ball out of his hands as he landed. That provoked a robust reaction from the Egham team, and a melee ensued, as the cliché has it. Norris was not involved. He stayed grounded, holding the ball by his left post, and Egham could then be thankful that they got three points that perhaps they did not fully deserve.
Next week Egham Town travel to Bedford Town, who sit in 20th place and have lost their last four league games. Given that North Greenford are only below Bedford on goal difference that should warn Egham that nothing can be taken for granted.

EGHAM TOWN: Jamie Norris, George Gould, Ryan Lake (captain), Luke Muldowney, Wilson Gondwe, Mo Harkin, Danny Williamson, Dan Pearse, Dan Read, Calvin Thomas, Josh Andrew. Subs: Matt Grave (Williamson, 64), Joe Chandiram (Harkin, 75), Brendan Matthew, Dwayne Antonio, Reis Stanislaus (Read, 64).