EGHAM TOWN 1 BARTON ROVERS 1

CALOR ONE CENTRAL
TUESDAY 15 APRIL 2014
EGHAM TOWN 1 BARTON ROVERS 1
EGHAM TOWN SCORER: REIS STANISLAUS (91, pen)

The FC after Egham Town stood for Fingers Crossed tonight as the recently repaired floodlights had their first live test after recent failures that have led to a bit of a fixture pile-up. This match, against promotion chasing Barton Rovers, was untroubled, thankfully, with illumination issues.
The first game between these sides, back in September, saw Rovers climb to the top of the table after a 3-1 win over an Egham side that seemed to lack direction. In this return, after a pretty ropey first half, Egham were able to get back into the game even though, with fifteen minutes left, they had to take keeper Jamie Norris off the pitch with blurred vision.
Egham started well, as befits a side with three wins out three behind them, and but for a superb save by Rovers keeper Kyle Forster, diving to his left to save from Reis Stanislaus’ shot , off a pull back from Josh Andrew, they would have had an early advantage. That, though, just fired up the away side, although, in the 11th minute, there was some controversy about their goal, lashed in from a tight angle by Rickie Case as the home defenders reacted to an upraised flag. There was some confusion before referee Paul Johnson awarded the goal. Egham only briefly got out of their half during the first period, and got lucky a couple of times with crosses not quite finding inrushing forwards. Some of the Rovers’ challenges were a bit “tasty” too, but the only man sent off was Dan Kennoy, their manager, after he had kicked the ball away for the second time.
Two minutes into the second half and another cross tested the home defence, but then the better Egham emerged, fighting for every ball and although Rovers stretched them from time to time they stood firm. Mo Harkin had a shot saved on 56 minutes, and then fired in a long distance free kick that was comfortably gathered by Forster. A driven cross by Josh Andrew took a couple of deflections into Forster’s grasp, the Egham winger then seeing his next delivery headed just wide by Stanislaus. I am not sure when the problem with Jamie Norris first became apparent, but after 75 minutes it got bad enough to need decisive action, and he was led off the pitch by physio Heather Stephenson. Ryan Lake took over in goal, but apart from one scramble, after a not particularly punt upfield by the stand-in custodian, there was little from Rovers to test him. That scramble was then cleared, a long clearance by Jim Ward finding Ryan O’Toole, who knocked the ball from the left wing towards Marcus Moody. His run into the box was swiftly terminated by a foul, and Stanislaus rattled in the spot kick, one minute into injury time. Rovers pushed from the restart but Egham resisted for a well-deserved point.
EGHAM TOWN: 1. Jamie Norris 2. Louis Chandler-Joseph 3. Jake Galbraith 4. Luke Muldowney (Captain) 5. Jim Ward 6. Marcus Moody 7. Josh Andrew 8. Mo Harkin 9. Reis Stanislaus 10. Ryan O’Toole 11. Brendan Matthew. Subs: 12. Joe Chandiram 7/83 minutes) 14. Ryan Lake (1/75) 15. Ashley Quashie 16. Andy Crossley 17. Arran Taylor-Ives.