HANWELL TOWN 4 EGHAM TOWN 1

EVO-STIK SOUTHERN CENTRAL LEAGUE
SATURDAY 28 MARCH 2015
HANWELL TOWN 4 (1) EGHAM TOWN 1 (0)
Tom O’Regan (20), Eoin Casey (57), Bill Healey (78), Tom Duffy (82) / BRENDAN MATTHEW (58)

Even with Brendan Matthew scoring for the fifth match on the trot Egham Town fell to a heavy defeat at Hanwell Town’s Reynolds Field ground, perhaps feeling the effects of giving their all in recent performances. Recently The Geordies have lost 0-2 at home to Daventry Town and 1-3 at North Greenford United, whereas the Sarnies have won 4-0 at Daventry Town and 3-1 at North Greenford United. Odds on, therefore, for a comfortable win for the visitors? No, because football only occasionally works like that, as Egham found out with a performance that from the start lacked the zest and sparkle of even their midweek loss at play-off hopefuls Aylesbury. After only five minutes the home side should have taken the lead when Tom O’Regan hit the bar from six yards. A flat quarter of an hour later a free kick from the same player caught the whole Egham defence out, O’Regan’s 20 yard shot finding the back of Jamie Cunningham’s net. Eoin Casey missed an open goal for Hanwell on the half hour, and Egham went in to the break knowing that they would need a vastly improved performance to leave with anything at all.
The substitution of Mitchell Gutteridge and Seb Castello by Ben Hunter and Jordan Carter did not do much to change things. Egham were missing pace on the wing, with Haluna Masembe unwell and Josh Andrew banned until St Ives Town visit the Runnymede Stadium on 11 April. Casey scored Hanwell’s second with a touch at the far post off a looping free kick. Egham’s immediate riposte caught out certainly the home defence and would have embarrassed yours truly had not Jimmy Hughes shouted as Matthew raced down the middle and converted the one-on-one chance with the calm assurance with which he has been finding the net recently. Egham skipper Troy Ferguson limped off, replaced by Wayne Jackson, and Wilson Gondwe forced the ball over the line from a Bajram Pashaj corner – the trouble was that he forced the keeper over the line too and you can’t do that sort of thing nowadays. Bill Healy took advantage of slack defending to score the third and from a bog standard corner kick eight minutes from time Tom Duffy was given time to score with a free header.
Egham will be glad they have no midweek match before they face 4th placed Barton Rovers at home on Saturday and then AFC Hayes away on Easter Monday. The Sarnies won both the earlier games against these opponents. On the opening day of the campaign Egham were 4-1 up at half time against Rovers but let the home side back in to make it 4-3 before Andrew scored his hat-trick goal. The final score of Barton Rovers 4 Egham Town 5 was certainly eye-catching. At the other end of the table AFC Hayes have spent all season trying not to get relegated, and came to the Runnymede Stadium with a change of management recently installed. Egham were in good form that day, though, and won 4-0. The Middlesex side are currently 21st in the table. Egham should by now be savvy enough to realise that their position and the previous results (Egham won 4-0 at AFC Hayes’ Farm Park last season) will mean nothing if they do not give of their best. With these fixtures remaining after Easter

Saturday 11 April 2015
St Ives Town v Egham Town
Saturday 18 April 2015
Egham Town v Leighton Town
Saturday 25 April 2015
Egham Town v Bedworth United

there is still scope for Koo Dumbaya’s men, who have slipped back to 13th after this loss, to respond positively to his call for a top ten finish.

EGHAM TOWN: Jamie Cunningham, Danny Williamson, Mitchell Gutteridge, Troy Ferguson (Captain), Yinka Salami, Luke Neville, Bajram Pashaj, Wilson Gondwe, Danny Bassett, Brendan Matthew, Seb Castello. Subs: Ben Hunter (Gutteridge, HT), Jordan Carter (Castello, HT), Reece Brewster, Wayne Jackson (Ferguson, 68), Jamie Norris.