AFC RUSHDEN & DIAMONDS 0 EGHAM TOWN 1

EVO-STIK SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE SOUTH
TUESDAY 22 DECEMBER 2015
AFC RUSHDEN & DIAMONDS 0 (0) EGHAM TOWN 1 (0)
Brendan Matthew (53)

Egham Town completed a memorable away double against promotion rivals with this splendid win at the home of promotion favourites AFC Rushden & Diamonds.
A superb finish by Brendan Matthew after 53 minutes moved the Sarnies up to 3rd in the table, and came hard on the heels of the 1-0 win at St Ives Town on Saturday. In so doing he reached the same total he achieved in the whole of season 2012-2013, which we ended with promotion into this division. Pre-season he set himself a target; I won’t pressurise him by saying what it was but he has 21 games to get there. It’s a wonderful achievement B, well done,
aA good part of the Sarnies contingent had had to make their way up the M1 contending with rubbernecking twits slowing down to gawp at an accident on the southbound carriageway, a shunt bad enough to warrant lane closure by the time we all wanted to go home, and were obliged to use the M40 instead. There was also the jeopardy of turning up for the game and it being called off with incessant and at times torrential rain falling on the pitch at the wonderfully named Dog and Duck Stadium, home of not just the Diamonds but their landlords Wellingborough Town, habitués of the United Counties League Premier Division. The ground is excellent and the pitch stood up very well to having grown men tramping all over it for 90+ minutes.
The good news for the visitors was that centre back Reece Yorke was fit to play despite receiving hospital treatment on Saturday for damage to his gentleman’s area. Wild speculation about the nature of the injury and the subsequent consequences proved unfounded, thankfully, because he was as key a figure in the back line as his companion Luke Neville. The rain made the surface slippery and from a Yorke long pass as early as the second minute Chris Henry made the first of many dangerous runs into the box, forcing keeper Matt Finlay to get muddy. It would be true to say that R & D looked more threatening in the first period, after Matthew’s sixth minute pass released Callum Webb for a shot that went wide. Shaun Richards headed wide of, and Tommy Berwick lobbed the ball into, Jamie Norris’ net, the latter being ruled out for offside. The home team’s Hoban Claudiu got away with dumping Webb on the deck with a horrible challenge in the 20th minute, then Egham’s Bajram Pashaj picked up a yellow card for a shirt tug. No wonder players and supporters get out of their respective trees. Claudiu then showed comical maladroitness with an appallingly executed shot that skewed yards wide and towards the break Berwick shot over the bar. Egham finished the first half action with Norris’ long drop kick finding Matthew on the right and from his cross Henry’s shot was deflected wide.
Jake Cass replaced Elliott Carey in midfield at half time, and the rain began to lessen in its annoyance. Four minutes Webb had a strong shout for a penalty and a minute later a header from Berwick hit the foot of Norris’ right post. Reprieved, Egham took the lead as Cass threaded a pass perfect in weight and direction to the feet of Matthew, who ran on to beat Finlay with ease. Egham were getting more traction up front as the crowd of 443 (that’s 433 of them and 10 of us) bayed their disapproval of any and every adverse decision. Bunting, who later, ludicrously, picked up the home MOM award, flattened Matthew with an assault every bit as crude as that on Webb in the first half. This time the assailant was punished, if only with a yellow card. Egham’s top goalscorer got up and lasted long enough to fire in an angled shot that was blocked before being replaced by the equally pacy Ryan De Battista. Of our other Ryans Mr Phillips replaced Mr Parsons at left back as Egham pushed on, three times eschewing the chance to take the ball into the corner and waste time, instead cutting in to press the Rushden defence. There was a late scare, five minutes from the end, Norris dropping to his right to save from Shawn Richards but the game ended with a cross shot by De Battista being diverted for a corner for which there was no more time.
Egham played with spirit and determination and the home idiot who after the final whistle called out "well done cheats" will hopefully have time to reflect on, and rue, his disgraceful slur. The truth is that the first half was even but in the second Egham were the better team.
EGHAM TOWN: Jamie Norris, Solaman Hassan, Ryan Parsons, Luke Neville (Captain), Reece Yorke, Elliott Carey, Callum Webb, Wes Daly, Brendan Matthew, Chris Henry, Bajram Pashaj. Substitutes: Ryan Phillips (Parsons, 77), Tom Collins, Ollie Jones, Jake Cass (Carey, HT), Ryan De Battista (Matthew, 72).