EGHAM TOWN 2 RAYNES PARK VALE 0

COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 2 MARCH 2013
EGHAM TOWN 2 (0) RAYNES PARK VALE 0 (0)
EGHAM TOWN SCORERS: JAMIE READ (74) REIS STANISLAUS (85)

EGHAM TOWN took back the top slot in the Combined Counties League Premier Division after a win that wasn’t guaranteed until five minutes from time. With Cove (third) drawing 1-1 with Epsom & Ewell (second) Egham are on top with a massively better goal difference ((42 to 22) and with four games in hand. That could be a boon, a chance to pull away, or a hindrance, as Lee Pasmore’s charges tackle a still difficult run-in. Egham go to fifth placed Badshot Lea on Tuesday night and to South Park (sixth) on Saturday. After the midweek win over Guernsey, whose fixture nightmare got worse with today’s goalless draw at Walsall Wood in the FA Vase, Egham were facing in Raynes Park Vale a side capable of being decidedly awkward, which is just how it turned out for almost all of the first half and uncomfortably too much of the secon.
In a first half devoid of any wit, invention or much in the way of chances a decent shout by the visitors for a 20th minute penalty for a foul on Dave Mosley was, other than a shot by Calum Forbes, the best RPV could manage. Egham looked heavy legged and missing creative spark. Five minutes before the break Tommy Hedges tried to break the deadlock with a solo burst through a couple of challenges before his shot went skyward.
The second half started with Egham looking to settle into an attacking rhythm, and just before the hour they went for three forwards with Brendan Matthew replacing Kemo Maphela. It worked, though it took some hitherto unseen spontaneity, Luke Muldowney’s quickly taken and perfectly flighted free kick, and Jamie Read’s instinctive, thumping low drive, to get the home side the goal they had craved. Five minutes from time the win was secured when from Alex Rodrigues’ throw in Reis Stanislaus took the ball to the left side byline before ignoring the calls from team mates for a pass to smash the ball inside the near post. Danny Alderton’s clumsy challenge on Read failed to persuade referee Isaac Jembeji to award a late spot kick and the game ended with Paul Borg securing his first clean sheet since the 2-0 win at Wembley on 17 December.
EGHAM TOWN: Paul Borg, Alex Rodrigues, Joel Jacobs, Arran Taylor-Ives, Jim Ward, Luke Muldowney, Luke Craig, Tom Hedges, Reis Stanislaus, Jamie Read, Kemo Maphela. Subs: Brendan Matthew (Maphela, 57) Tim Pitt, Louis Chandler-Joseph (Jacobs, 33), Jamie Houghton (Craig, 82), Patrick Craig.