Egham Town 1 North Greenwood United 0

CALOR ONE CENTRAL
SAT 15 MARCH 2014

EGHAM TOWN 1
Reis Stanislaus (32)

NORTH GREENFORD UNITED 0

1. Jamie Norris 2. Luke Muldowney 3. Arran Taylor-Ives 4. Richard Byrne 5. Ryan Lake 6. Mo Harkin 7. Josh Andrew 8. Joe Chandiram 9. Reis Stanislaus 10.Marcus Moody 11. Calvin Thomas 12. Andrew Crossley (6/72 mins) 14. Brendan Matthew 15. Louis Chandler-Joseph (7/90+2) 16. Jim Ward (4/63) 17. Jake Galbraith

Pos. 10th

Seven clean sheets in nine games, seven of which have seen Egham Town win; 23 goals scored and 3 conceded. These are the statistics that have seen Lee Passmore’s Sarnies cement a place in mid-table (10th, currently) of Calor One Central, so perhaps it does not particularly matter that the latest of those wins, this narrow success against relegation-threatened North Greenford United, was ugly in the extreme. It also guaranteed Egham Town’s own safety, as, although both Chertsey Town and Ashford Town (Mx.) could mathematically catch Egham’s 46 points they would have to turn round goal differences of, respectively, 74 and 80.
North Greenford came to the fit-again Runnymede Stadium on a dreadful run, with just one win and three draws since Egham thrashed them 5-0 on 23 November. There were expectations, therefore, of the home side running riot. Egham, though, were not their usual sharp and incisive selves, despite coming close though Mo Harkin’s header and Josh Andrew and Reis Stanislaus forcing decent saves from Asen Agov in the visitors’ goal. Just past the half hour Egham took the lead with their best move of the match, attacking in numbers before Stanislaus took Andrew’s pass in his stride, rode two tackles in the box and slammed in a low cross shot with the outside of his right boot. Frustratingly the flood gates did not open.
The second half was a meandering affair that mainly saw Egham mounting sporadic attacks and, thankfully, maintaining concentration in defence. Joe Chandiram linked with Andrew, whose shot was deflected for a corner taken by the former, and from which centre back Richard Byrne headed wide. Not long after Byrne was replaced by Jim Ward, for another shuffle of the back four. Harkin was the next to go off, after taking a knock to his left elbow, and replaced by Andy Crossley. At this stage the Middlesex side were beginning to think they could get something out of this match, and it was as well for the Sarnies that they couldn’t hit a barn door from five paces. Egham’s movement was laboured at times and it took until five minutes into injury time for Agov to be seriously tested again, doing well to push away a fierce drive from Stanislaus, who had latched onto a pass from Louis Chandler-Joseph, just on for Andrew. In the seventh added on minute some spark of life led to Stanislaus and Greenford’s Carlton Stewart to disagree over something or other, with referee Chris Phillips particularly lenient in not sending off Stewart for raising his hands and pushing the Egham striker.
Egham have a potentially knackering three games in five days schedule next. Without a game on Tuesday, on Thursday they face Walton & Hersham at Stompond Lane in the Quarter-Finals of the Surrey Senior Cup, with an 8.05 kick off (with extra time and penalties a possibility). The tie was originally to be staged at Egham Town but recent events and tightness of schedules gave the County FA little option to make the switch. On Saturday they have a 190 mile round trip to Calor One Central leaders Rugby Town. The winners of the County Cup tie then face the daunting prospect of playing Woking (Skrill Premier, 16th) at Kingfield Stadium on Monday 23 March in the semis. Walton & Hersham don’t exactly have it easy either; on Tuesday they have a Ryman One South local derby at a Walton Casuals side good enough to beat champions-elect Peacehaven & Telscombe 4-2and on Saturday face Tooting & Mitcham.