BADSHOT LEA 0 EGHAM TOWN 3

COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
TUESDAY 5 MARCH 2013
BADSHOT LEA 0 (0) EGHAM TOWN 3 (1)

Egham Town scorers: Brendan Matthew (24), Jamie Read (54), Tommy Hedges (57)

Egham Town used up one of their games in hand over second placed Epsom & Ewell to the best possible effect with this superb win at Godalming Town’s Weycourt ground against Badshot Lea. This was as good a performance as any Egham Town supporter could wish to see, on a ground where they lost in August in the FA Cup, and at which previous league encounters have gone the way of the home side.
An alteration was needed in defence as left back Joel Jacobs succumbed to injury. Alex Rodrigues moved from the other flank and his place was covered, seamlessly, by Patrick Craig. After Luke Craig had pulled a good chance wide of the left post in the second minute and Paul Borg had to make a good save to stop Adam Cornell putting Lea in the lead the game was evenly matched, both sides putting pacy moves together. The best of these came from Egham as Reis Stanislaus’ back heel to Jamie Read and the pass on to Brendan Matthew saw the latter’s header fly just over Tom McNeil’s bar. Matthew had more luck on 24 minutes when he latched on to Luke Muldowney’s perceptive through ball and despite the smothering presence of Jason Short was able to lift the ball over the keeper and into the net.
Having got to the second half with a narrow lead Egham set about making that advantage count. Seven minutes in Stanislaus and Read had shots charged down, Badshot Lea grateful to get the ball away. Two minutes later the best passing move Egham have put together for ages involved almost all the midfield and forward line that ended with Hedges’ pass being steered in deftly by top scorer Read, who curled the ball low and into the bottom left of McNeil’s net. Three minutes later another powerful Egham attack led by Stanislaus’ charge down the left opened up the home rearguard again. He passed inside to Read, whose touch for the inrushing Hedges was met with a howitzer of a shot that screamed into the top left corner. Read almost made it 4-0 with an audacious 25 yard shot that clattered the bar and nearly fell for the inrushing Stanislaus. Jim Ward did well to prevent the home side getting a toe hold in the match with a great clearance off the line, and Borg saved from Joe Sowden’s shot with a full length save. Sub Jacob Lambe saw his shot saved by McNeil and Jamie Houghton, also on as a sub, hit the side netting with a free kick and shot wide from outside the box as the Sarnies finished strongly. Next up is a trip to South Park, who lost 1-2 tonight at Molesey, and who face, on Thursday, Hartley Wintney, who are Egham’s opponents next Tuesday. This win tonight sees Egham Town on 66 points from 27 games, Epsom & Ewell on 63 from 30 and Cove on 57 from 29.
EGHAM TOWN: Paul Borg, Patrick Craig, Alex Rodrigues, Arran Taylor-Ives, Jim Ward, Luke Craig, Luke Muldowney, Tommy Hedges, Reis Stanislaus, Jamie Read, Brendan Matthew. Subs: Jamie Houghton (Luke Craig, 75), Louis Chandler-Joseph (Matthew, 79), Kemo Maphela, Jacob Lambe (Read, 75).