Egham Town 4 - 2 Mole Valley SCR

COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 13 MARCH 2011
EGHAM TOWN 4 (2) MOLE VALLEY SCR 2 (1)
Egham Town scorers: Matt Grave 2 (3, 21), Dale Marvell (78, 87)

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Egham Town moved from 5th to 2nd with this hard fought win over a side which, in the opening fixture of last season, left the Runnymede Stadium with a 4-1 win. On that occasion the chief architect of the win for the then newly promoted Division One Champions was Phil Page, who then moved to Chertsey Town (and for whom he scored a hat-trick in the Chertsey/Egham pre-season friendly). That warm up game was the first of four unbeaten games before last Saturday's season opener at Farnham Town, which was drawn, and Tuesday's 3-2 win over Ash United. On Saturday John Hamsher saw his side do it the Egham way, the hard way, but emerge with three points that give them seven points from nine. This will put them in good heart for their next two games, which will ask questions of their attacking ability and defensive resolve. On Tuesday the Sarnies take a run down the A3 to Godalming Town FC, landlords of Badshot Lea, who followed their brace of wins against Banstead Athletic (5-0) and Camberley Town (3-2) with a somewhat surprising 1-2 reverse at Chessington & Hook United. On Saturday Egham lock horns, again, with their former boss Steve Webb as Molesey host them in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round. Molesey recovered from an opening day loss at home to Horley Town (2-3) with a midweek win at promoted South Park 3-0 and a 3-1 victory at Banstead Athletic.
Enough of the preamble; on with the report. Matt Grave is a goalscorer, with a lot more than just putting the ball in the net to his game. He joined Egham Town in season 2008-9 but did not settle too well, it seemed, and left temporarily, to come back for 09-10 and score lots. He was on his way to doing so again last season, in partnership with John Pomroy, who now plays for Badshot Lea, but fell out with Steve Baker. Two pre-season goals against Chertsey and Ashford were followed by two blanks in the league, including a second half substitution on Tuesday. Three minutes into this game, from Lee Pasmore's raking pass, the ball control was superb in the inside right channel, and the finish, low and hard across keeper Leigh Bowden, was sublime. Given that excellent start it was not great that Nick Wightwick was given time and room to hammer a shot that Paul Borg saved with a full length flying save, or, worse, that a cross from the Valley right was headed in, off the underside of the cross bar, with a free header by Jay Holden after 14 minutes. Egham, though, just got on with it, as seems to be an encouraging trend thus far, and when Grave found space in the area, was baulked, perhaps unfairly, by Bowden, he was still able to prod the ball towards Tuesday's hat-trick hero Dale Marvell, whose shot was cleared off the line. Egham regained a lead they held until the hour with a fantastic assist from one player Hamsher must have been more than happy to see stay put, namely Jamie Houghton. The Egham midfielder gives everything, always, and (as Chertsey can attest, twice) score some beauties. Here he twisted and turned his way past three defenders hard on the byline before whipping up an inch perfect cross to the back post where Grave rose magnificently to slam a downward header past Bowden.
Egham skipper Marcus Moody was doing his best to influence the game too, taking great delight in turning right back Anthony Bremner inside out, to the extent that he needed extensive treatment midway through the first half. Moody had just spun past him, twice, laying the ball off unselfishly for team mates when, with his own powerful shot, no-one would have minded him having a go himself. Egham were looking well in control, Marvell and Houghton having shots, but they are still prone to letting the opposition back in, and three minutes from the end Liam Howden wriggled free for a shot that bypassed Borg but, happily, hit the covering Dan Hartlebury up the rear end.
After the break Egham carried on as before, Moody showing up early as he beat two men before a low cross for Grave, who saw his shot cleared. Egham have made a habit of smacking shots against the goal frame, and did it again with Marvell's curling free kick thudding against Bowden's bar. It, and Bowden touching Pasmore's 20 yard drive over, mattered, at least temporarily. On the break Jay Holden had the ball on the Egham byline before his cross, or shot, from an extremely acute angle, found its way beyond and past Borg for a 2-2 scoreline on the hour. The same Holden was in again from the restart but his attempted lob was easily held.
What to do now? Egham were the better side, by far, but had twice let the lead slip. It was clear something had to change, but taking off the man on a hat-trick must have surprised almost everyone at the ground. It certainly surprised me. Grave and Pasmore gave way to Brendan Matthew and Ross White. Moody moved into the middle, White went on the left wing and Matthew joined Marvell in attack. Inside ten minutes the switch worked, Marvell playing Matthew in, a loose foot caught him on the turn in the box, and Marvell rammed in Egham's third from the spot after 78 minutes. White hammered in a shot that Bowden turned over, and Moody forced another excellent save from the visiting keeper as time ran out. Moments after Moody's effort Houghton found the perfect pass again, through a gap in a creaking back four, and Marvell nipped in to round Bowden for an easy finish, and his sixth goal in only three league games. Being two goals ahead is not yet a clear enough margin to settle any jitters, as Egham showed midweek, and Borg had to make a great save to deny Jay Howden a hat-trick. Immediately the ball was down the other end, Marvell finding Houghton, whose low cross only failed to find Matthew, free at the right post, because Bowden pulled another fine intervention. The match ended with Bowden denying Marvell a second triple in a week as the Egham striker finished a 15 yard run with a 20 yard shot that, like so many before, Bowden tipped over.

EGHAM TOWN: Paul Borg, Dan Hartlebury, Jake Galbraith, Ken During, Aarron Taylor-Ives, Luke Muldowney, Lee Pasmore, Jamie Houghton, Dale Marvell, Matt Grave, Marcus Moody. Subs: Brendan Matthew (Grave, 69), Jake Joslin, Josh Henry, John Hamsher, Ross White (69) .

Other results: Banstead Athletic 1 Molesey 3; Camberley Town 3 Raynes Park Vale 1; Chessington & Hook United 2 Badshot Lea 1; Croydon 0 Sandhurst Town 2; Dorking 3 Farnham Town 2; Epsom & Ewell 2 Windsor 2; Guildford City 2 Hanworth Villa 1; Horley Town 0 Ash United 1; South Park 1 Cove 1; Wembley 4 Colliers Wood United 1.