EGHAM TOWN 4 FARNHAM TOWN 0

COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 6 APRIL 2013
EGHAM TOWN 4 (3) FARNHAM TOWN 0 (0)

Egham Town scorers: Patrick Craig (3), Reis Stanislaus (23), Kemo Maphela (45), Jamie Read (87)

Warmed by the welcome Spring sunshine Egham Town put this week’s goalless double behind them, taking their remarkable home record under Lee Pasmore to 14 wins out of 14 in league matches, and 14 out of in league and cup. Sneaking under the radar was the fact that the win last Saturday against Croydon meant Egham, for the first time in the CCL, had three straight clean sheets, a run now extended to six. In fact Paul Borg has been beaten just once in 9 games.
Egham Town, who announced that as a thank you to their fans this season have made entry free for all remaining games at the Runnymede Stadium, needed to get back to winning ways having seen Windsor and South Park succumb to Guernsey this week. The Sarnies would therefore be happy to see Cove win on the island by 2-1 in the late kick off, and be pleased that Camberley Town came back from 0-2 (and a missed sitter that would have made it 0-3) for a 2-2 draw on Sunday. With Jamie Read back in the starting line-up, partnering Reis Stanislaus, and Kemo Maphela looking to be back to his effervescent best, Egham were positive from the start, and after two games with no additions to their GF column glad to score as early as the third minute. It came from Patrick Craig, ghosting in at the left post to drill home a chance created by Stanislaus running at the retreating Farnham defence, and register his first goal in Egham colours. Egham were dominant throughout the first half, and could have gone in more than the three they mustered. Read stabbed a chance wide when Farnham keeper Will Neville parried a Stanislaus shot. After 23 minutes Tom Hedges shot, Read was again in on the rebound but this time the ball was deflected for a corner. Joel Jacobs took it, Taylor-Ives headed goalwards and was on the verge of celebrating when Adam Wareham bravely ran in to clear off the line. From the short corner that followed the routine was at last rewarded. Again Jacobs took it, passing to Maphela, then via a Taylor-Ives shot that flicked up kindly Stanislaus leapt to guide a back header beyond Neville. In the 45th minute Hedges was instrumental in creating the third, running from deep before a 1-2 with Read on the left and then having the composure to look up and lay on a chance for Maphela, which was drilled inside the near post.
A magnificent save by Paul Borg as Jack Dillon met a 58th minute corner with a full blooded header prevented Farnham getting a foothold back in the game, after Egham had started the second period with chances not taken by Read and Luke Muldowney. Neville also made an impressive save, diverting wide a shot on the turn by Read, from Jacobs’ throw in. Farnham threatened just once more but Sarnies skipper Arran Taylor-Ives snuffed out Elliott Cardona’s chance with a perfect tackle. With three minutes left Read got the goal he had been seeking to take his tally to 25 this season, profiting from excellent work by Jacob Lambe (on for Stanislaus). Lambe knocked the ball inside for Read, who cleverly dummied the ball for Luke Craig and from the perfectly weighted pass Read scored comfortably.
Egham Town’s next home game is the semi-final of the EL Premier Records Challenge Cup on Tuesday 16 April. Before that there are trips to Raynes Park Vale on Tuesday, Cove on Thursday and Camberley Town on Saturday. None will be easy.

EGHAM TOWN: Paul Borg, Tim Pitt, Joel Jacobs, Arran Taylor-Ives (captain), Alex Rodrigues, Luke Muldowney, Tom Hedges, Patrick Craig, Reis Stanislaus, Jamie Read, Kemo Maphela. Subs: Luke Craig (P Craig, 64), Brendan Matthew, Jim Ward, Louis Chandler-Joseph (Muldowney, 72), Jacob Lambe (Stanislaus, 62).