Raynes Park Vale 2 Egham Town 1

COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
Saturday 24 March 2012
Raynes Park Vale 2 (1) Egham Town 1 (1)
Egham Town scorer: Dale Marvell (38)

Trips to Raynes Park Vale are never easy. In addition to the steep incline on the pitch, on Saturday Egham had to contend with a side who are in good form with eight wins and three draws in their last dozen games, which is why they have recovered from a bad start to sit in 9th place. They won 3-1 at Molesey on Tuesday, something Egham will be looking to emulate on 7 April. Egham had won by that margin at league leaders Guildford City in their last match but there seemed to be a lack of zip in this performance, certainly for the first half hour. From the off Vale were sharper in the tackle, closing down and harassing their third placed visitors, and when a driven shot hit an Egham arm in a crowded box the referee had no hesitation in awarding a spot kick which Anthony Moulds drilled in, beating Paul Borg's dive. The game suffered as a spectacle on a hard surface, the slope adding to the discomfort of all, but Egham were able to claw their way back into the game. After not getting a free kick for a foul on Enrico Rossoni a shot by Matt Grave flicked off a defender but flew wide. Just past the half hour Dale Marvell hammered in a long distance shot that keeper Ed Cornwell plunged to his left to turn for a corner. Down the hill Simon Moore drilled in a cross shot that flew past Borg via a flag-raising touch from fellow striker Hugo Campos. A minute later Marvell pulled the Sarnies level with a thunderous drive on the turn, the ball clipping a Vale foot before looping into Cornwell's net.
Jamie Houghton replaced Matt Grave at half time. Coincidence or not, Egham looked a better side in the second half. Houghton had one half chance and Rossoni dithered when in a great position to test Cornwell, who was fully expecting to see the ball hurtling his way. Ken During picked up a caution for a foul on Danny Alterton in another attack and from the next Egham had appeals for a penalty turned down after Houghton was impeded in the area. On the break During lost the ball to Moore, who passed to Peter Hickford, who in turn blasted his shot well wide. Another penalty appeal for handball in the Vale area had as much success as its predecessor. Six minutes from time a bog standard hoof upfield ought to have been despatched without haste by Aarron Taylor-Ives but the Egham skipper slipped and Moore took full advantage, converting the one-on-one chance despite Borg's best efforts.
What lazy journalistic cliché shall I use here? The options that present themselves are “after the Lord Mayor's show” and “hero turned villain” following Taylor-Ives' magnificent performance at The Spectrum. Neither would be fair, given that Egham are still in third place. They covet second, but Windsor carried on with their annoying habit of winning comfortably, the latest a 4-0 home win over Badshot Lea. The Stags, or Royalists, or whatever nickname the resurrected club have chosen, also have a massive 32 goal better difference than John Hamsher's men, who have a game in hand but are eight points behind the Berkshire team. Egham Town were delighted when, two seasons ago, Steve Baker led them to a fourth placed finish, which means that this campaign's long tenure in 3rd is most definitely progress. Next up is a trip to 11th placed Ash United on Saturday. The remaining fixtures are:

7 April Molesey
9 April WINDSOR
14 April EPSOM & EWELL
17 April MOLESEY
21 April Sandhurst Town
28 April FARNHAM TOWN.

EGHAM TOWN: Paul Borg, Ken During, Jake Galbraith, Lee Pasmore, Aarron Taylor-Ives, Luke Muldowney, Mo Harkin, Enrico Rossoni, Dale Marvell, Matt Grave, Tom Hedges. Subs: Louis Chandler-Joseph, Alex Rodrigues, Dan Hartlebury, Jamie Houghton (Grave, HT), Brendan Matthew (Harkin, 89).

CCL Premier results: Camberley Town 4 Sandhurst Town 1, Chessington & Hook United 4 Banstead Athletic 3, Colliers Wood United 0 Wembley 0, Cove 3 Ash United 2 (played on Friday), Croydon 2 South Park 3, Dorking 0 Horley Town 2, Farnham Town 0 Guildford City 3, Hanworth Villa 3 Mole Valley SCR 0, Windsor 4 Badshot Lea 0.