DAVENTRY TOWN 0 EGHAM TOWN 4

EVO-STIK SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE CENTRAL
SATURDAY 21 MARCH 2015
Brendan Matthew (5), Danny Bassett 3 (15, 43 (pen), 85)

Danny Bassett’s hat-trick after a fourth in three games from Brendan Matthew saw Egham Town secure a league double over Daventry Town and rise to 11th in the Evo-Stik Southern Central table.
Egham had beaten the Northants side 3-0 at home in November. Of that side:

Norris, L Muldowney, Galbraith, Harkin, Gondwe, Lake, Matthew, Chandiram, READ 1, STANISLAUS 2(1p), Chandler - Joseph, Williamson, Jackson, Quashie

only a handful remain. Jamie Norris could not play as he is recovering from an injury to his left hand, Wilson Gondwe put in a commanding performance in midfield, Wayne Jackson was on the bench and a rather different Mr Matthew has been taking to the field of late. The big news this week is that leading scorer Reis Stanislaus continues his reported pattern of never completing a season at any club (he tried, and failed, at Hampton & Richmond Borough last season) and leaves having done his fair share in getting Egham promoted from the Combined Counties League, finishing as top marksman last season and 17 to his name in the current campaign. Capable of producing some sublime moments, such as his scorching drive at Poole Town in the Red Insure Cup Semi-Final, he can infuriate and frustrate as well, but Egham Town wish him well wherever he goes next.
In his place? Well, that changed Brendan Matthew is not doing too badly and five minutes into the game at Daventry scored a beauty of his own after excellent work by Haluna Masembe, restored to the side after a spell on the subs bench. Masembe ripped past two defenders and drilled in a cross that beat all but Matthew who steered the ball into the top left corner for an early lead that, crucially, gave The Purples something to worry about. They came to this match having lost 2-4 at North Greenford United, where Egham won on Tuesday with goals from Matthew (2) and Bajram Peshaj, who missed the trip up the M1 after picking up an injury. After a quarter of an hour Egham were 2-0 up, Matthew steering a bouncing pass into the path of Bassett, who advanced into the area. Home keeper Ben Heath came out, dithered, and Bassett touched the ball past him and into the net. A horrible miss by Anthony O’Connor from close range after a Daventry corner was all that Egham had to worry about until a bouncing ball nearly caught out Jamie Cunningham, making his case for more appearances in the keeper’s jersey with a confident performance. Egham ended the first half with another goal to their credit after Josh Andrew won and took a corner that Ricky Hill handled. Bassett’s penalty was confidently converted, after 43 minutes.
Four minutes into the second period Andrew flicked a pass forward for Bassett, who beat the defence for pace before slamming a fierce shot against the outside of the right post. He was then denied by Heath after running onto a Yinka Salami pass, the keeper rushing out to smother the shot. Andrew then went on a solo run that ended with a one-two with Matthew and a shot just wide. The next chance again fell to Bassett, Mitchell Gutteridge starting the move with a long ball out of defence to Masembe, whose cross found the Egham striker. Heath again saved his side with a good stop. It had been all Egham, until Aaron King’s header from a corner clipped the top of Cunningham’s bar. Finally Bassett got his hat-trick goal, from a pass by the only other Egham man to reach that total this season (Andrew, at Barton Rovers in the 5-4 opening day win). One on one with Heath, he gave the keeper no chance with a clinical 25 yard drive into the right hand side of the goal. He barely had time to celebrate before Koo Dumbuya hooked him, job done, for Jackson to sit in midfield to help to protect the clean sheet.
Odd stat; Egham have now scored 11 unanswered goals against Daventry in three games. The Purples won 2-0 at Communications Park early last season and took the lead in the return. Egham won that 4-1, Andrew having perhaps his finest hour in Egham colours with a pair of blistering shots from distance that destroyed the visitors’ chances of featuring in the play-offs. Neither Egham nor Daventry are in the picture this time round but Dumbuya’s midweek rallying call for a top ten finish has certainly been met with a positive response.
EGHAM TOWN: Jamie Cunningham, Mitchell Gutteridge, Ben Hunter, Troy Ferguson, Yinka Salami, Luke Neville, Josh Andrew, Wilson Gondwe, Danny Bassett, Brendan Matthew, Haluna Masembe. Subs: Seb Castello (Hunter, 78), Wayne Jackson (Bassett, 86), Chad Goulter (Matthew, 88), Harry Frost, Jamie Norris.