Windsor 4 Egham Town 1

COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
TUESDAY 27 DECEMBER 2011
WINDSOR 4 EGHAM TOWN 1 H.T. 1-0
Egham Town scorer Dan Hartlebury (85)

Egham signed off from 2011 with a spirited but ultimately fruitless trip to Stag Meadow for a CCL Premier game against new boys Windsor. In front of a massive crowd of 806, boosted to some considerable extent by entrance being free, they succumbed to the side that must now be favourites for the Premiership title. Egham were short handed; Ken During, I hear, has been let go because of his inability to commit to the club, which gave meant Paul Bartholomew coming back into the side after a long injury absence. Because that injury was to his head he took to the field sporting a Petr Cech style head guard. In midfield Tom Brunton took the place of Luke Muldowney, who was not fit enough to make off the bench, and John Hamsher names himself on the team sheet only when needs must. Steve Elpenyong and Marvin Alebiosa were also not available. It looks as if the squad needs reinforcement, and with the awkward squad known as Hanworth Villa coming to visit on Monday 2 January Egham's hold on 4th place is beginning to look less secure.
That 4th place is essential for getting byes in the early rounds of next season's FA Vase, and with rumours starting up again about another non-league reshuffle clearly the higher a club finishes the better it would fare (perhaps).
Windsor's last game was a 10-0 romp against Raynes Park Vale, with new man Michael Chennells getting half of them. The Stags (no longer the Royalists), though, were not going to rip through the Sarnies with equal abandon, and in a tight first half had just the one goal to show for their efforts, on the break in the 9th minute after a Jamie Houghton long throw was returned with interest. Chennells got on the end of the cross for a 9th minute lead that the goalscorer would have two chances to increase but for excellent goalkeeping by Paul Borg. Egham's top scorers, Dale Marvell and Matt Grave, worked hard but found few opportunities to show their skills. Tom Hedges was well shackled too, and fired his one first half chance, from Brunton's pass, over Rob Bullivant's bar.
A Marvell free kick stung Bullivant's hands on 52 minutes. Just before the hour a low cross was turned in by Chennells, and in the 65th and 66th minutes further damage was done by Yashwa Romeo and Ryan O'Toole. With five minutes left Dan Hartlebury played a 1-2 with Hedges before sweeping home his first goal for the club.

EGHAM TOWN: Paul Borg, Dan Hartlebury, Jake Galbraith, Paul Bartholomew, Aarron Taylor-Ives (skipper), Tom Brunton, Jamie Houghton, Tom Hedges, Dale Marvell, Matt Grave, Lee Pasmore. Subs: Luke Muldowney, Brendan Matthew (Grave, 61), Louis Chandler-Joseph (Brunton, 67), John Hamsher.