Ash United 0 Egham Town 3

COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
THURSDAY 28 MARCH 2013
ASH UNITED 0 (0) EGHAM TOWN 3 (0)

Egham Town scorers: Reis Stanislaus (46), Luke Muldowney 2 (58 pen, 60)

This was the first of several Thursday fixtures squeezed in to compensate for the loss of games to adverse weather and, in the case of the original scheduling of this game, a ludicrous decision, 75 minutes before kick-off, by the match referee that a perfectly acceptable pitch was unfit. The pitch was in no better (or worse) condition last night. The match itself fitted neatly the hackneyed “game of two halves” cliché, in that not much happened in the first half and after a belter of a goal by Reis Stanislaus the second was a vast improvement.
Apart from a half chance in the fourth minute , when a little more lift on his shot by Jamie Read could have put us into a nice early lead, Egham had little penetration against a spirited side who have been sucked into the relegation dogfight. The home side’s Jimmy Norman looked dangerous and Liam Pearson, who had forced a save from Paul Borg in the second minute later shot over when well placed. With just a couple of shots from Patrick Craig to note there was not much expectation from the Sarnies of anything other than a second half struggle, but Ash, like Wembley on Tuesday, just could not keep up the same tempo and determination after the break.
The second half was seconds old when the first goal flew in off Stanislaus’ right boot, a square pass by Read finding his fellow striker. The ball sat up nicely; one hammer blow of a shot later and the game was as good as won. The points were Egham’s after Luke Muldowney had converted a spot kick awarded after a defender handled a Patrick Craig shot and two minutes later Luke Craig delivered a perfect free kick for Muldowney to head in his second not just of the game but of the season. Was there an element of “Let’s get Ginge on the scorers list” when he took the penalty, I wonder? Arjen Agov in the home goal made a superb save from a fierce shot by Steve Coultas, who had replaced “Patch” (Luke Craig’s nephew – this could be a club first) and Read missed a chance to take his tally to two dozen this season when he headed against the post from close range, the ball in coming from first-time starter Tim Pitt, who put a more than decent shift at right back. With three minutes left Norman smacked in a cross shot destined for the top right corner until brilliantly clawed over the bar by a flying Borg.
Croydon at home, Dorking away on Easter Monday, Colliers Wood United (at Cobham), Farnham (6 April and Cove away (Thursday 11.4) could be our next fixtures but we have no date yet for the EL Records Premier Challenge Cup semi-final at home to Epsom & Ewell.
EGHAM TOWN: Paul Borg, Tim Pitt, Alex Rodrigues, Arran Taylor-Ives (captain), Jim Ward, Luke Muldowney, Louis Chandler-Joseph, Patrick Craig, Reis Stanislaus, Jamie Read, Luke Craig. Subs: Brendan Matthew (Luke Craig, 67), Jacob Lambe (Stanislaus, 81), Joel Jacobs, Steve Coultas (Patrick Craig, 67), Kemo Maphela.