Bedworth United 1 Egham Town 0

EVO-STIK SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE CENTRAL
SATURDAY 29 NOVEMBER 2014
BEDWORTH UNITED 1 (1) EGHAM TOWN 0 (0)
Danny Dubidat (40)

The thirteenth game of Luke Muldowney’s tenure as Egham Town manager saw the Sarnies take their longest league trip of the season to South Midlands team Bedworth United, and come up short in their first ever competitive match on a plastic pitch. Their opponents were on a five match winning streak while Egham’s form has been, after an initial burst of five wins out of five after Lee Passmore left, decidedly patchy. Without doubt the lack of continuity in team selection has its part to play, Josh Andrew back after a four game ban but Jake Galbraith injured, Joe Chandiram sick and Mo Harkin unavailable. The naming on the bench of Chris Smith (ex Badshot Lea and Slough Town), Sebastian Castello (Slough Town, Woking) and Nassim Dukali (Carshalton Athletic, Dulwich Hamlet), and the debut of central defender Harry Frost (Woking) sees the number of men named on Egham Town’s team sheets this season to 36.
Bedworth attacked from the kick off and Frost had to be alert straight away, using his height to advantage to clear the initial threat. The pitch didn’t seem to be a problem for Egham, and they created their first chance when Brendan Matthew almost beat home keeper Denham Hinds to a ball down the middle. A long ball down the right wing from Wilson Gondwe to Matthew, who passed inside for Andrew, created some alarm in the Greenbacks defence. When the subsequent corner came in Matthew flashed a header just wide. Jamie Norris, already a strong contender for player of the season before we see November out, made a terrific save at full stretch from Daniel Creaney’s 25 yard shot, and could only look on as Frost seemed to use the springiness of the surface to head the ball down and over the bar from Bedworth’s next attack. Egham were guilty of defending too deeply and not closing down efficiently in midfield, so the home side looked better than they were as they were allowed almost unfettered access to the edge of the Egham box. Eventually that pressure told, Wilson Gondwe bundling Dubidat over in the box before being grateful to Norris for his splendid save from the striker’s penalty kick. Dubidat was getting his name known, having been booked for a foul on Andrew in the 27th minute and he should have seen red after a lunge at Louis Chandler-Joseph which received only a speaking-to from referee Dumitru-Ravel Cheosiaua. That decision was critical four minutes from half-time as another attack was mounted, Frost missed a tackle in the area and Dubidat angled in a scoring shot. Mark Albrighton fired wide as the Greenbacks maintained their momentum.
A full length save by Norris from Ben Steane’s 25 yard strike, six minutes into the second period, and his block from a thumping drive by Daniel Crainey, earnt the Egham keeper the award for Man Of The Match by the home club’s writer for the Non-League Paper, as he did in the Trophy tie at Truro City. The recognition is nice but also indicative of how much pressure Egham invited on themselves. With an hour gone the ineffective Wayne Jackson was replaced by Castello, whose arrival sparked a reawakening in Egham team that they were only a goal behind and could get something to reward them for the long haul up the M1 and M6. Weak refereeing did not help their cause, particularly when skipper Ryan Lake was studded down the back of his right leg by Andrew Westwood, with the referee only two yards away. Westwood took heart from this and went on to flatten Reis Stanislaus, who was having another frustrating day in his “false no. 9” position sat behind Matthew, a tactic that has not worked so far and won’t as long as Stanislaus’ goal scoring potential is neutered. From the free kick awarded for Westwood’s foul on him Stanislaus touched the ball to Castello, who hammered in a shot that went just wide of Hinds’ goal. Stanislaus was then hauled back on a run to the Bedworth area by a floundering Kyle Cartwright. In case anybody thinks me blind to Egham misdemeanours debutant Frost was also cautioned, for a foul on Alex Naughton. Egham needed penetration, which Castello was doing his best to provide in an eye-catching first showing, but delaying the introduction of forward Smith to the line-up, on with only two minutes of regulation time remaining (for Muldowney) so long raised eyebrows. Dukali will have to wait before he can show the Egham faithful what he can do. Egham finally threatened the home goal as a Castello corner caused problems, leading to another flag kick from which Gondwe was unlucky to see a shot fizz just wide. Therein lies the frustration; United were beatable but Egham did not do enough to pressure them. There are few sides in this division that Egham need fear, as long as they use their resources efficiently. The match ended bizarrely as the stadium announcer had no sooner declared Dubidat as the Bedworth United Man Of The Match when the feisty forward kicked Stanislaus, saw the red he should have seen earlier, and gave vent to his feelings in a very public manner.
Egham entertain St Ives Town on Saturday, and will be looking to make a vast improvement on their performances in the two games last season against the Cambridgeshire side. Before that the Sarnies renew acquaintance with old rivals Molesey on Tuesday, travelling to Walton Road for a Surrey Senior Cup Second Round tie.
EGHAM TOWN: Jamie Norris, Lee Morley, Ryan Lake, Luke Muldowney, Wilson Gondwe, Harry Frost, Josh Andrew, Louis Chandler-Joseph, Brendan Matthew, Reis Stanislaus, Wayne Jackson. Subs: Daniel Williamson, Chris Smith (Muldowney, 87), Seb Castello (Jackson, 60), Nassim Dukali.