Egham Town 6 Potters Bar Town 0

CALOR LEAGUE ONE CENTRAL DIVISION
SAT 25 1 14

EGHAM TOWN 6 POTTERS BAR TOWN 0
Pos. 12th

Egham Town’s home jinx, collecting only one point at the Runnymede Stadium in the League on a Saturday (against Slough Town), came to an emphatic end as Egham tore Potters Bar Town apart. Recovering well from the disappointment of seeing a midweek 2-1 lead at Royston Town disappear due to a player’s injury they took a 4-0 lead into the break, suffered the loss of key defender Jake Galbraith to a second yellow card and scored two second half goals springing from individual determination. Three new names were on the team sheet as former Guildford City midfielder Darren Stapleton started in place of Mo Harkin (who tweaked a calf at Royston). On the bench Ryan Lake (who has had two previous spells on loan from Hampton & Richmond Borough) came on while Nathan Busuttil, whose debut would have been at Royston (he came on moments before the unfortunate injury that halted proceedings) was not used. He certainly looked impressive in last week’s friendly demolition of CCL Premier Cove.
By taking the lead as early as the 3rd minute, as Kyle Anthony, unmarked at the back post, headed in Joe Chandiram’s free kick, Egham stamped their authority on the game against visitors sat level on 26 point with the hosts. The lead was doubled when Bar keeper George Karumasi dealt with an inswinging, wind assisted corner from Chandiram by awkwardly punching it clear, as far as Calvin Thomas, who drilled the ball home from the edge of the box and in so doing notched, like Anthony, his first goal for the Sarnies. After 37 minutes Andy Crossley, picking up a pass from Galbraith, curled a superb cross shot from 25 yards into the far corner for 3-0. Anthony went off injured, Arran Taylor-Ives his replacement, but the grip Egham had on the game did not slacken. In the final minute of the half Crossley scored the first of three Egham goals that all owed everything to individual determination. Crossley raced down the inside left channel and as Karumasi came out Crossley left him at the junction of the byline and the edge of the box. As Ashley Harrison-Baker came back to help out Karumasi the keeper raced back, Crossley skipped past him, shot from a very narrow angle and as the ball flew goalwards Karumasi got just enough of a glove to it to ensure the ball nestled in his net.
Already all but guaranteed victory against a side that did not muster a shot on target in the half, the question was how many Egham could manage in the second, but two minutes in Galbraith made an uncharacteristically rash challenge, on Tom Laxton, and, having been cautioned in the first half, had no option but to walk off the pitch. Briefly that gave the visitors some hope and it took a good tackle by Taylor-Ives to block a shot by Josh Hutchinson. Crossley was replaced by Lake after 55 minutes and it seem to bring forth a massive downpour, the rain turning white, it seemed, as it was blown by the howling wind through the trees towards the main stand. Play was allowed to continue; Egham would have gone ballistic if there had been any suggestion of anything else after Tuesday. With 20 minutes to go Josh Andrew, who in recent games has moved into a more advanced midfield role from right back, spotted some dithering in the back four, ran straight at Karumasi and Fabian Simms, evaded both and found room for his second goal this season. With nine minutes left Reis Stanislaus, operating as a lone forward in the absence of strike partner Ryan O’Toole, whose suspension would have been served at Royston Town had the game completed, forced a good save from Karumasi with a header. In the final minute he got the reward he deserved as he ran in from the right wing, withstood two tackles in the box, was felled by the third and confidently converted the spot kick. Next up is a Surrey Senior Cup tie against Horley Town, 21st in the CCL Premier, on Tuesday.

1. Jamie Norris 2. Luke Muldowney (Capt.) 3. Jake Galbraith 4. Kyle Anthony 5. Jim Ward 6. Darren Stapleton 7. Joe Chandiram 8. Josh Andrew 9. Reis Stanislaus 10. Calvin Thomas 11. Andy Crossley. Subs: 12. Arran Taylor-Ives 13. Ryan Lake (11/55 mins) 14. Nathan Busuttil 15. Brendan Matthew 16. Louis Chandler-Joseph (10/64).