NORTHWOOD 0 EGHAM TOWN 2

EVO-STIK SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE CENTRAL
SATURDAY 12 MARCH 2016
NORTHWOOD 0 (0) EGHAM TOWN 2 (0)
Own goal (62), Bajram Pashaj (74)

Egham Town’s manager, Gary Meakin (pictured), signed a three year contract for the Sarnies in the middle of a good week for the Runnymede Stadium club. Having tightened their grip on third place in the Evo-Stik Southern One Central with a 2-1 win at home to Arlesey Town and moved up to second with a 4-0 away demolition of Hanwell Town on Tuesday the Sarnies made the short trip to Northwood, who started the day in 7th place. The teams had contested a 1-1 draw in December and the Middlesex side are always tricky opponents.
Egham had to make changes to the side that won at Hanwell, with Aaron Morgan and Chris Henry unavailable and Hassan Sulaiman another absentee. Ollie Jones and Callum Webb came in. The visitors created the first chance with Bajram Pashaj turning George Ehui before curling a shot wide of the far post. It was not until the 20th minute that the home side created their first chance, a good interpassing move involving Niko Muir, Louis Stead, George Nicholas and Rob Hastings, whose shot nicked off Egham skipper Luke Neville for a corner. An Egham free kick for a foul on Webb caused discomfort in the home defence with Brendan Matthew almost in for a shot before Reece Yorke hammered in a shot that Berkeley Laurencin could only parry. From Pashaj’s nod down Matthew was unlucky with the next chance, his angled shot rising too high over the bar. Jones was next, a shot from Pashaj’s free kick taking a deflection or two on its way to Laurencin. More dangerous was Muir’s rocket of a shot that Egham keeper Jamie Norris turned over his bar with four minutes of the half left.
In a fixture that always seems to be more heated at Northwood Park a heavy foul by Stead on Jones saw the home no. 10 booked early in the second period. More of the same was to come. Jones went off on the hour, replaced by Ryan De Battista. Almost immediately Stead flattened Wes Daly and was shown a second yellow. He took his time leaving the pitch but it gave Egham time to recover. Pashaj curled in a free kick that was not cleared. De Battista was free at the back post and drilled in a shot that hit one defender before cannoning onto another and back over the line for the opening goal of the game. After 65 minutes a cynical hack by James Burgess on Pashaj earnt the home no. 8 a straight red. When Andy Lomas pulled Matthew’s arm in the area as the Egham marksman chased a half chance Northwood should have faced a penalty but referee Lee Marshallsay waved play on. Webb was replaced by Jake Cass, and almost immediately Northwood surged upfield and would have scored but for Norris’s excellent keeping. It was a crucial intervention. Four minutes later Matthew linked beautifully with Pashaj who lashed an unstoppable screamer of a shot into the roof of the net. Now you’d have thought that with a two goal and two man advantage the Sarnies would pile on the pressure but Northwood girded their loins and mounted a spirited comeback with Lomas firing a free kick over after a foul on Muir and the nine men working hard to keep the score respectable. Ryan Phillips came on for Matthew and created with Pashaj a chance for Cass, the ball ending up in the neighbouring graveyard.
Kings Langley beat Aylesbury 2-0, St Ives won 4-2 at Uxbridge and in the match between the other sides in the top five Royston Town vanquished AFC Rushden & Diamonds 1-0. It all means that the race for promotion is hotting up with no side able to take their foot off the gas.
Egham face Bedford Town and Godalming Town on Tuesday and Saturday.
EGHAM TOWN: Jamie Norris, Ryan Parsons, Mitchell Gutteridge, Reece Yorke, Luke Neville (Captain), Callum Webb, Wes Daly, Brendan Matthew, Ollie Jones, Bajram Pashaj. Substitutes: Ryan Phillips (Matthew, 76), Jake Cass (Webb, 70), Ryan De Battista (Jones, 60), Chris Moore, Elliott Carey.