Chessington & Hook 1 Egham Town 8

COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
TUESDAY 23 APRIL 2013
CHESSINGTON & HOOK UNITED 1 (0) EGHAM TOWN 8 (2)

Egham Town scorers: Jamie Read 3 (7, 46, 69), Reis Stanislaus (20), Arran Taylor-Ives (59), Patrick Craig (69), Brendan Matthew (79), Jacob Lambe (81).

This fixture has seen some remarkable scorelines; Egham have lost 5-6 but also won 7-3 and last season recorded an 8-3 success, but this one trumps the lot. On a night when top marksman Jamie Read took his personal tally to 32 it was his second that notched up a club record goal haul in one league campaign, 103, beating last season’s 102. And how often does a team score eight in consecutive seasons at the same ground? The home side had on Sunday beaten Guernsey 2-0 at the Channel Islanders Footes Lane ground, in front of a 1000 strong crowd, a tremendous result that presumably, with the travelling involved, took a lot out of them, and against Egham they were missing their star winger. Egham went into the match fully aware that winning the last four games of the season would add to the pressure on Guernsey, and now goal difference comes into play. On the day before the Islanders face a potentially tricky game at Cobham’s ground against a Colliers Wood United side whom Egham failed to dominate in a goalless draw recently, both the top two now have 108 in the GF column, while Guernsey have conceded 45 to Egham’s 42. The 42nd of those was a daft concession with the visitors 4-0 up and in total control.
Egham played with the shackles off, an attacking line-up giving the home side the jitters from the start. An early goal was required and came from Read’s intelligent use of a perfect pass from Jacob Lambe, chasing the ball into the box before rifling the ball across the keeper. It was 2-0 on 20 minutes as Luke Muldowney’s long pass set Reis Stanislaus free down the middle and as the keeper dithered the big striker lifted the ball over him for a nicely executed finish. C & H then forced Paul Borg to earn his corn and from a corner missed a sitter but not Borg’s left post. Muldowney and Stanislaus played another ball down the middle seconds into the second half, and Read showed great skill when, as with the first, he hit an superb half volley into the net. Playing downhill was suiting the away side and it was clear that the home side were there for the taking. Patrick Craig was unlucky to see a flag raised when he finished a fine move involving Stanislaus and Lambe. The fourth was simply created as Joel Jacobs’ corner kick found the head of skipper Arran Taylor-Ives, who celebrated his return from injury with a thumping header. Then the home side were allowed to develop and finish an attack to prevent a whitewash, just before the hour. Read was full of confidence, trying a 25 yard drive off a throw-in by Alex Rodrigues, but it was not long before he got his hat-trick. Tommy Hedges had created havoc with a direct run through the home rearguard, and had seen his shot blocked for a corner kick then in the next move Egham scored the fifth. Taylor-Ives went route one with a clearance that Stanislaus nodded into Read’s path and the only question was which part of the net he would find with his scoring shot. From the kick off Read showed he could create too when his pass let Craig take on and beat three defenders and the keeper with a low shot that was too strong for the home custodian as it trickled over the line. Read gave way to Brendan Matthew, job done and within two minutes the replacement worked when Matthew won the ball with a strong tackle in midfield, bamboozled the defence with his run and then drove in a shot that nicked the inside of the left post on its way in for 7-1. With nine minutes left Jacob Lambe got the goal his excellent display deserved as he worked a delightful one-two with Matthew before fashioning a brilliant volley into the top left corner. When the two combined again the shot was well saved and Jim Ward headed a corner kick over as Egham underlined their determination to claim the championship.
Three home games now follow, with Hartley Wintney (Saturday), Horley Town (Tuesday) and Bedfont Sports (Saturday week) to finish off this already remarkable season.

EGHAM TOWN: Paul Borg, Alex Rodrigues, Joel Jacobs, Arran Taylor-Ives (captain), Jim Ward, Luke Muldowney, Tommy Hedges, Patrick Craig, Reis Stanislaus, Jamie Read, Jacob Lambe. Subs: Louis Chandler-Joseph, Brendan Matthew (Read, 77), Luke Craig, Steve Coultas (Craig, 82), Josh Andrew (Jacobs, 79). Welcome back Josh.