Egham Town 4 Banstead Athletic 0

COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 10 SEPTEMBER 2011
EGHAM TOWN 4 (0) Banstead Athletic 0 (0)
Egham Town scorers: Brendan Matthew 2 (25, 33), Dale Marvell (74, pen), Grave (40)

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Egham Town made, eventually, light work of getting back in to League harness after a four game winless run that included two splendid FA Cup performances against Merstham. It will please the Sarnies manager John Hamsher that, against a side unbeaten in their own last four games, his charges won 4-0 without playing particularly well.
That undefeated run gave Banstead, whose record against Egham Town is pretty poor, hope for getting a rare win, and a fine solo run by Matthew Norman twelve minutes in ended with a shot that keeper Paul Borg saved for a corner that was easily cleared. On 19 minutes a Banstead free kick was not dealt with efficiently and Athletic skipper Steve Tyson show just past Borg's left post. Apart from an early corner Egham had done little to suggest the comfortable win this turned into, but after 25 minutes the home side got a grip on the match. Leading scorer Dale Marvell had found room to attack but was denied by centre half Chris Horwood, who conceded a corner that Marvell whipped to the back post. There, marvellously, was forward Brendan Matthew, jumping to head home his first ever League goal. Matthew, only recently turned 17, is a very promising forward who has featured in almost all of Egham's fixtures this season. He made his first team bow last season, and scored twice in a County Cup win away to Mole Valley SCR. His goal here was a fine reward for his tireless effort and skilful play and his team mates were only too happy to congratulate him for breaking his league duck.
Banstead were, of course, unaware of such landmarks and left back Anthony Sanderson took off on a long run that forced a corner, that again came to nothing. On the half hour Marvell walloped a shot goalwards; Colin Harris in the Banstead goal, ignored his suspected broken rib (he had looked pained in the warm up), pulled off a superb save as Marvell's effort took a horrible deflection off a defender's boot. The corner was not cleared and Marvell squared to Ross White, whose drive was blocked. Egham pushed on and after a foul on Jamie Houghton a Marvell free forced another pain defying save from Harris. Again the flag kick was taken by Marvell, and again Matthew was the man to benefit, steering home a low shot for his and his side's second goal. The young striker could and should have had a hat-trick when, six yards out, he was presented with the ball by Horwood, who looked on relieved as Matthew scuffed his shot and rolled the ball to Harris.
Just past the hour mark Matthew was replaced, to ovation, by Matt Grave, who linked up six minutes later with Moody to open up the Banstead defence, and give Marvell an opening for a shot which Harris saved at point blank range. The game was over with Egham's third, a fine run by skipper Moody leading to a perfect pass for Grave who carried the ball to just inside the area before rifling a low shot into Harris' bottom right corner. With five minutes to go Moody was upended in the box by Tyson, and Marvell thumped his penalty in. Marvell and Houghton went off, with Scott Todd and new boy Tom Brunton their replacements. Egham had chances to add to their tally with a Luke Muldowney free kick reaching of Aarron Taylor-Ives, whose header across goal clipped the base of Harris' left post. Seconds before the final whistle came an amazing sequence that should have made it a nap hand for the home side. Todd nipped in and clipped a shot instead of walloping it, and Harris made another good save. The ball ran loose, and Moody, running in, was denied as Harris, on the ground, tackled the forward with his left foot. Banstead could not clear their lines, and Moody, refusing to give the ball up, took control of it on the byline and laid on a golden chance for Grave, who blazed the ball over the bar from three yards. At least it came in a match already won; next up is a trip on Tuesday to Chessington & Hook United, where Egham lost 5-6 last season.
Egham have no game on Saturday 17th September. The game away to Horley Town has been postponed to Tuesday 11 October as the Sussex side play Dulwich Hamlet next week in the FA Cup.
On 24 September Egham face Mole Valley SCR in the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Vase.

EGHAM TOWN: Paul Borg, Dan Hartlebury, Jake Galbraith, Ken During, Aarron Taylor-Ives, Luke Muldowney, Jamie Houghton, Ross White, Dale Marvell, Brendan Matthew, Marcus Moody (Capt.). Subs: Paul Bartholomew, Tom Brunton (Houghton, 83), Scott Todd (Marvell, 83), Matt Grave (Matthew, 61).