EGHAM TOWN 4 POTTES BAR TOWN 0

EVO-STIK SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE CENTRAL
TUESDAY 20 OCTOBER 2015
EGHAM TOWN 4 (3) POTTERS BAR TOWN 0 (0)
Scorers: Bajram Pashaj (4), Brendan Matthew 2 (8, 26), Callum Webb (90)

Gary Meakin’s Sarnies rose to 2nd place after this comprehensive win against a Potters Bar Town who were punished ruthlessly for a sloppy start. With the game only four minutes old Ollie Jones found Bajram Pashaj free on the left wing. He had no defensive company to speak of as he cut in, sized up his options and rifled the ball into the far corner of Conor Sansom’s net. When the second goal went in, four minutes later, Egham fans were licking their lips at the prospect of at least another 7-0. Danny Bassett ran to the byline and pulled the ball back for Brendan Matthew, ten yards out and given the form Matthew is in the rest was a foregone conclusion as he rammed his shot low and hard past Samson. But for Liam Fowler’s decent covering tackle in the 10th minute Matthew would have been in again as he collected Reece Yorke’s long pass. Jones passed for his skipper Kurtney Brooks to try from 25 yards, Sansom getting away with spilling the ball. The build-up for the second goal was delightful, Tarome Hemmings at right back finding Jones, who touched his pass onto Pashaj. As Matthew saw an opportunity open up he ran forward, Pashaj’s through ball was perfect and the finish was instant and unerring. Apart from Bassett having a shot saved two minutes from half time all that happened was Jack Lyons’ hack on Jones from behind.
If that was bad then the lunge that Dave Lawrence used to flatten Jake Cass in the first minute of the second half was worse, perhaps deserving more than a yellow card. He was perhaps fired up by manager Steve Ringrose’s half time pep talk, loud enough to be heard at the tea bar. Egham were not unduly unsettled by Bar’s increased work rate and improved passing. Matthew left Joe Bennett for dead on the left and drilled in a shot that Sansom just about managed to divert for a corner. After 68 minutes Bassett gave way to Callum Webb, which turned out to be an important swap. Bar had a good portion of the possession and in Bennett posed more of a threat as he pushed forward from the back but the home defence was determined to keep another clean sheet. Chris Henry, on for Jones early in the second period, would have made it 4-0 but for a perfectly timed tackle by keeper Samson. Bennett had his clearest chance of the game to peg a goal back but Mitchell Gutteridge was in quickly to clear. With the end looming Matthew was met on the edge of the box, out towards the Egham left, by Sansom. The coming together left both on the deck, the ball broke for Webb and from 25 yards out the ball was sent on a neat arc into the back into the net.
AFC Rushden & Diamonds beat Fleet Town 5-2 to sit behind the Sarnies on goal difference but with two games in hand. Both are one point behind leaders Royston Town. On Saturday Egham welcome Chalfont St Peter, on Wednesday make the first trip to Petersfield since 1990-1991 season and on Saturday week face Frome Town from Evo-Stik Southern Premier in the First Round Qualifying of the FA Trophy.
EGHAM TOWN: Jamie Norris, Tarome Hemmings, Mitchell Gutteridge, Reece Yorke, Luke Neville, Kurtney Brooks (Captain), Ollie Jones, Jake Cass, Brendan Matthew, Danny Bassett, Bajram Pashaj. Substitutes: Mason Yorke, Dean McDonnell (Pashaj, 88), Jerome Ecclestone, Chris Henry (Jones, 49).