Aylesbury 0 Egham Town 3

CALOR LEAGUE DIVISION ONE CENTRAL – SATURDAY 24 AUGUST 2013

AYLESBURY 0 (0) EGHAM TOWN 3 (1) – Luke Muldowney (32), Richie Byrne (53), Reis Stanislaus (70)

Two sides with no points faced each other at Haywood Way, so something had to give. Egham had lost at home to Royston Town and at Beaconsfield SYCOB, while Aylesbury had lost at AFC Hayes and in midweek at home to Daventry Town. With a mixture of forced-hand and design Lee Passmore made a few changes to his starting line-up, the most notable being the change of Jim Ward for Chris Ellis, making his third debut for the Sarnies. His last came in Egham’s 0-2 home defeat to South Park, the match that was followed by the managerial change that ultimately resulted in the Combined Counties League Championship coming to the Runnymede Stadium. In that match Ellis, clearly unfit, did not make it to half time; here he played, superbly, throughout.
Egham began confidently and had the home defence back pedalling after five minutes, Jamie Read smacking Reis Stanislaus’ nod down goalward, but Rhys Marshall turned the ball over the bar. Stanislaus was fouled on the edge of the box after 25 minutes, not long after seeing a hasty clearance go narrowly wide off his shins. Joel Jacob curled the free kick over the wall and onto Marshall’s bar. From the goal kick Aylesbury broke at speed and it took a great sprint and an excellently timed tackle by Ellis to snuff out Jerome Federico’s threat to Gary Ross’ goal. The game needed a goal, and it came in the 32nd minute from the flashing pink boot of the man whose goal secured promotion, skipper Luke Muldowney, as Jamie Houghton’s corner was headed out to him, 25 yards from the target. You could see the concentration on his face as he sized up the opportunity, wrapping his left boot round the ball and striking it low and through a crowd of players for the vital first blow. That should really have given Egham the confidence to look for more but the home side had almost immediate chances for a reply, and would have done so were it not for some bad forward play and some excellent keeping by Ross, saving well from Kwasi Frempong and, as the half neared its end, a double block to deny Federico. The first period ended with Marshall having to dive to his left to turn away Read’s testing daisy cutter that left the centre halves flatfooted and was heading for the bottom corner.
Read hit the post when it looked easier to score five minutes into the second half, not the sort of finishing we’ve come to expect from last season’s 31 goal top scorer, and nor was the follow up by Stanislaus, whose effort was cleared off the line. No problem; the lead was doubled on 53 minutes as a Jacob corner was headed back by Read for centre half Richie Byrne to head in his first goal for Egham since joining from Bedfont Sports. The points were secured in the 70th minute when Jacob’s free kick fell kindly for Stanislaus off a defensive error and the striker hit perfect volley even as he was tumbling. The margin should have been greater but sub Alan Crossley, who had replaced Liam Craig, went on a jinking run and looked odds on to score as he rounded Marshall, but he dithered and the chance was lost. The challenge that came in on him certainly merited a penalty. The failure to award one was the only serious mistake by referee Sian Piret.
The win and the improvement in goal difference (aided by Ross' most confident display yet) certainly gave the league position a lift – up eight places to 12th. On Monday Egham face Chertsey Town at home, and have a trip to Calor South & West One side Shortwood United in the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup.
EGHAM TOWN: Gary Ross, Joshua Andrews, Joel Jacobs, Christopher Ellis, Richard Byrne, Luke Muldowney (Capt.), James Houghton, Patrick Craig, Reis Stanislaus, Jamie Read, Luke Craig. Subs: Brendan Matthew (Stanislaus, 72), Andrew Crossley (Luke Craig, 71), Jacob Lambe (Read, 68).
Results – Ashford Town (Mx.) 0 St. Ives Town 1, Beaconsfield SYCOB 0 Barton Rovers 4, Chalfont St. Peter 0 Dunstable Town 1, Chertsey Town 1 Aylesbury United 3, Kettering Town 1 Slough Town 5, Leighton Town 2 AFC Hayes 3, Northwood 0 Daventry Town 3, Royston Town 4 Potters Bar Town 2, Rugby Town 2 North Greenford United 2, Uxbridge 2 Marlow 1.