EGHAM TOWN 1 CHALFONT ST PETER 1

EVO-STIK SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE CENTRAL
SATURDAY 31 DECEMBER 2015
EGHAM TOWN (1) (1) Dan Read (15)
CHALFONT ST PETER 1 (0) Remmel Clanue (80)

New bosses in Koo Dumbuya and Trevor Norris; an improved performance against a very good Chalfont St Peter side that beat Egham 4-1 mid-November. Egham rose up one place to 12th with this draw that could have been 11th with a win. New faces made their debuts and performances all round were solid enough to give perhaps some early selection problems before Tuesday’s Red Insure Cup- Quarter-Final against North Greenford United, unexpectedly 4-3 winners against Premier Division Chesham United on Thursday. Yinka Salami played his first game, alongside fellow centre-back Simon Cox, signed on dual registration from Farnborough Town.
Chalfont had the better of the first fifteen minutes but found themselves a goal down after Reis Stanislaus, on the hallway line, swept the ball out to the right wing for Josh Andrew. The winger cut inside, bided his time and clipped a perfect cross for Dan Read, who leapt and twisted in one deft movement to guide a header beyond the grasp of Saint’s keeper Mikey Pearce for a 15th minute lead. Twelve minutes later Dwayne Antonio raced down the left wing and delivered a cross that once met by Andrew should have met a better fate than being sent flying over the bar. In the long term it was important, as was Antonio having a shot blocked shortly thereafter. At the other end Jamie Norris pulled off an excellent save from Myles Stephenson after the Saints’ striker had beaten the offside trap, but Egham finished on top with Stanislaus embarking on a meandering run before passing to Seb Castello, whose shot was saved, and in the final minute Andrew advanced and shot, Pearce saved and Read was just half a boot length away from knocking the ball home.
Half time saw Salami replaced by Michael Gutteridge, signed from Metropolitan Police. After five minutes Cox headed Costello’s corner just wide, and just before the hour Dan Read was through and had placed the ball in the net before the assistant referee raised his flag to stifle home cheers. The comeuppance for these missed chances and erroneous officiating came ten minutes from the end as Liam Fowler crossed from the right and Remmel Clanue rose to steer his header into the far corner. The rest of the game became frantic without any clear chances being created and, at the end, a draw was perhaps the right result. Egham must re-learn the art of converting chances into goals.
On Tuesday the Sarnies will face North Greenford United for the first of two meetings on consecutive Tuesdays. The first, as mentioned above, is in the League Cup and the second, away, in the League. In between Egham are at home to Marlow on Saturday.
EGHAM TOWN: Jamie Norris, Danny Williamson, Seb Castello, Wilson Gondwe, Simon Cox, Yinka Salami, Josh Andrew, Wayne Jackson, Dan Read, Reis Stanislaus, Dwayne Antonio. Subs: Chris Smith (Gondwe, 83), Ashley Quashie (Jackson, 71), Michael Gutteridge (Salami, HT), Brendan Matthew