ROYSTON TOWN 1 EGHAM TOWN 0

EVO-STIK SOUTHERN LEAGUE CENTRAL DIVISION
SATURDAY 7 MARCH 2015
ROYSTON TOWN 1 (0) EGHAM TOWN 0 (0)
Chris Watters (66, pen)

Jamie Norris, GEORGE GOULD, JAKE GALBRAITH, RYAN LAKE, RICKY FARNDEN, MO HARKIN, Josh Andrew, JOE CHANDIRAM, DAN READ, Reis Stanislaus, LOUIS CHANDLER-JOSEPH. Subs: Brendan Matthew, (Chandler-Joseph, 81), DWAYNE ANTONIO, (Stanislaus, 90+5), LEE MORLEY, MATT GRAVE (Andrew, 90+3), ASHLEY QUASHIE.

This was the Egham Town line-up that, on 7 October 2014 beat Royston Town in the first match of Luke Muldowney and Ritchie Byrne’s short-lived tenure as the first team management. This is the one that played in the reverse fixture:

Jamie Norris, Wilson Gondwe, MITCHELL GUTTERIDGE, Wayne Jackson, Yinka Salami, LUKE NEVILLE, Josh Andrew, TROY FERGUSON, DANNY BASSETT, Reis Stanislaus, BASRAM PASHAJ. Subs: BEN HUNTER (Gutteridge, 83), Brendan Matthew (Norris, 69), JORDAN CARTER (Jackson, 75), Harry Frost, HALUMA MASEMBE.

The point I am trying to make here is that the squad has had a radical upheaval. The men in capitals in the first squad are no longer with us (I hope I am wrong about LCJ), and in the second list are those who have joined since Koo Dumbuya and Trevor Norris took over from Luke and Ritchie. In the eighth game of the new set-up another new face took his bow, Basram Pashaj making a decent fist of fitting into the team down the left wing, and becoming in the process the fourth ex-Staines Town man to cross the Thames to join us. Basram Pashaj has, like the others (Luke Neville, Troy Ferguson and Danny Bassett), been a first team player at Wheatsheaf Park. The Sarnies are clearly looking to assemble a squad for a more successful season next time round, and, judging on recent performances – the Poole game the exception – need a cutting edge. Not for the first time in recent memory they mustered just one shot on target. There is a huge amount of ability within the Egham Town squad but, even with twelve wins and five draws that 41 point total is still, mathematically if not perhaps realistically, catchable by the two bottom sides, as can be seen in the table at the bottom of this report. Egham can put those worries out of their heads if they get those four points wit visits to North Greenford United on 17 March and AFC Hayes on Easter Monday, 6 April.
The Crows have also started their rebuilding and have a decent squad, and this three point haul puts them in the play-off positions, where Egham looked to be not so long ago. They are not so good, though, that Egham were overrun, and the goal that separated them was from a needless concession of a spot kick. On a pitch that slopes, was a springy as a trampoline and showing signs of wear, and with a capricious breeze creating havoc for all concerned one thing this match was never to have much of was quality. concession of a spot kick. On a pitch that slopes, was a springy as a trampoline and showing signs of wear, and with a capricious breeze creating havoc for all concerned one thing this match was never to have much of was quality. Ryan Wharton’s second minute cross found Scott Bridges, whose header hit Egham skipper/keeper Jamie Norris’ left post, and that was about it until, after half an hour, Egham remembered that Josh Andrew was out on the right wing waiting for some service. In the meantime Luke Neville was putting in a sterling performance in the centre of the Sarnies’ defence, with fellow centre backs Wilson Gondwe and Mitchell Gutteridge posted in the full back positions. Yinka Salami partnered Neville. Andrew was wide with two shots in two minutes and Reis Stanislaus saw home keeper Ron Yates pat down his 25 yard shot.
The second half was, until the penalty, utterly horrible to watch. Both sides misplaced passes even more than they had in the first period, long balls sailed out of play and there was no attacking threat until The Crows introduced Reece Dobson. He it was whose run to the byline meant he was going nowhere but still an Egham defender made the wrong call, fouled him, and Chris Watters converted the penalty. In amidst all this Egham keeper Norris damaged a hand and despite treatment had to go off. Striker Brendan Matthew was going to come on anyway; he did not expect to be featuring at the other end of the pitch. The penalty came in the 66th minute and the substitution two minutes later. Matthew had the sun in his eyes which made his blocking of Ryan Ingrey’s 30 yard belter almost heroic, and thereafter Royston did nothing much to trouble him until, six minutes from the end, he headed clear when a goalkeeper may have essayed a catch, and Gondwe threw himself in the way of Liam McDevitt’s follow up shot.
To these eyes Egham lost the opportunity to get something from the game in the period from the restart to the penalty. Royston were disjointed, their passing was atrocious and they looked decidedly vulnerable. A more determined assault, such as that with which Egham ended the match, would surely have reaped dividends. It was only towards the end that we saw red shirts pushing up the slope towards the home goal, but by this time Royston had something to hold onto and defended resolutely.
Egham face a trip to Kettering Town on Tuesday already knowing that Messrs. Stanislaus and Gondwe will not be travelling, due to work commitments, and praying that the initial diagnosis for Mr Norris Jnr is not the thumb fracture initially reported. In that case Jamie Cunningham, recently signed, will be making his debut at the home of the divisional leaders and champions-elect.

TO 7 MARCH 2015
MAX. PTS AVAILABLE P PTS MAX
KETTERING TOWN 33 77 104
BEDWORTH UNITED 34 68 92
AYLESBURY 33 66 93
RUGBY TOWN 33 62 89
ROYSTON TOWN 34 62 86
HANWELL TOWN 32 58 88
BARTON ROVERS 31 55 88
ST IVES TOWN 32 49 79
GODALMING TOWN 32 48 78
NORTHWOOD 34 48 72
UXBRIDGE 31 45 78
AYLESBURY UNITED 34 44 68
POTTERS BAR TOWN 34 43 67
MARLOW 31 41 74
CHALFONT ST PETER 34 41 65
EGHAM TOWN 31 41 74
DAVENTRY TOWN 34 37 61
BEDFORD TOWN 33 36 63
BEACONSFIELD SYCOB 34 31 55
LEIGHTON TOWN 33 30 57
AFC HAYES 33 18 45
NORTH GREENFORD UNITED 30 15 51