EGHAM TOWN 1 RUGBY TOWN 4

SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE CENTRAL
SATURDAY 4 OCTOBER 2014
EGHAM TOWN 1 (1) RUGBY TOWN 4 (3)
Scorers: Reis Stanislaus (p) (34)
David Kolodynski 2 (4, 41), Seb Lake-Gaskin (p) (15), Will Grocutt (55)

Egham Town Chairman Pat Bennett missed this game against Rugby Town. It was probably as well; he’d have had kittens as this inept follow up to the appalling non-performance at Bedford Town unfolded. It is probably harsh to say that the Midlanders had this game won after only four minutes, but the points were certainly going up the M1 before half time. Sarnies’ boss Lee Passmore named a defence that had been stitched together with one long serving skipper (Luke Muldowney), one debutant ex-Carshalton Athletic skipper (Adriano Moraes), one left back who’d not featured since 25 August (Jake Galbraith) and, surprisingly, the welcome return of Kingstonian man Wilson Gondwe. That meant sacrificing Ryan Lake, George Gould and Ishmael Thomas from the line-up at Bedford Town, which seemed particularly harsh on Gould, now on the bench. Gondwe had played in the Leighton – Northwood - North Greenford winning run, but at centre back, where he excelled. Today he was at left back. Apart from Joe Chandiram giving way to Dan Read the side was the same as at Bedford.
After four minutes Sean Youngs shot, the ball slipped through to ace marksman David Kolodynski (39 goals last season) and Egham were behind. Last season both games against this opposition showed that they can play fast, efficient and effective football. It is a benchmark for this level and Egham fell well short. With one sixth of the game gone it was 0-2, Mo Harkin bringing down Ben George in the box and seeing Seb Lake-Gaskin drill home the spot kick. Life flickered briefly as Egham exerted some pressure and on 34 minutes Reis Stanislaus converted a penalty awarded after a foul on Louis Chandler-Joseph by keeper Nick Bennion, who was yellow carded and lucky not to see red. Hopes of a revival died when Kolodynski rounded Egham custodian Jamie Norris and scored two minutes from the break.
Will Grocutt thought he had extended Rugby’s lead seven minutes into the second half; a raised flag cut short his celebrations. Three minutes later he was the recipient of a square pass by Lake-Gaskin and scored with a shot into the roof of Norris’ net. Belatedly Egham got something together, Stanislaus featuring with one fierce shot that grounded Mason Rowley and another that forced Bennion to parry. Gondwe then went solo from deep before his on-target shot was blocked. With twenty minutes to go Brendan Matthew replaced Read, who worked hard but has not added yet to the one goal he scored on the opening day of the campaign. At the same time Wayne Jackson, signed from Northwood came on for a strangely quiet Josh Andrew, and so took to 31 the number of players used thus far. Rowley headed over and Norris had to leap to his left to save from George’s 20 yard piledriver as Rugby saw out the game.
On Tuesday Egham welcome the Royston Town side who had today a 3-1 home win over the Marlow side Egham visit next Saturday. That is followed by a home Red Insure Cup tie against Slough Town.
EGHAM TOWN: Jamie Norris, Wilson Gondwe, Jake Galbraith, Luke Muldowney (captain), Adriano Moraes, Mo Harkin, Louis Chandler-Joseph, Ricky Farnden, Reis Stanislaus, Dan Read, Josh Andrew. Subs: George Gould, Brendan Matthew (Read, 65), Joe Chandiram, Wayne Jackson (Andrew, 65).