Well, it was nice while it lasted. After wins against Colliers Wood United, Haywards Heath Town, Spelthorne Sports and London Lions, a trip to AFC Whyteleafe was always going to be difficult, given the combination of their equivalent standing and the Sarnies’ mixed record at Church Road. AFC Whyteleafe, a resurrection of Whyteleafe, who folded in 2021, have, like Egham, their sights set on promotion, and sit in second place in the Combined Counites South Premier. The decks are cleared for Jordan Berry and his team. Thirteen games remain, and thirteen games need to be won if, as it may be safe to assume, Amersham Town win the ten they have left. As the Sarnies and the Vase parted company the Buckinghamshire side were busy dismantling Berks County 6-1, and are now eight points ahead. Bedfont Sports have played the same number of games as Egham, sit just seven points behind, are the last of those thirteen games and are doubtless ready to pounce on any slips.
Without the distraction of the Vase, game number one is at Ardley United on Saturday.
That is not to say that the Egham side that took to the plastic of Church Road were not wanting to win. Three minutes into the match an excellent cross by Connor Cullen found leading marksman Harlem Hale, who headed the ball back across goal for what the travelling Sarnie Army thought was the early lead they craved. Alas, a flag went up and cheers were strangled. Egham had started well and Hale was unlucky with a side footed shot off Reece Mitchell’s cross. A “coming together” of home right back Alton Leeward and Mitchell was deemed not to be worthy of a penalty. Footage shows that referee Tommy Breen got that one wrong. Leeward clearly barged the Egham winger over, in the box. Leafe’s favourite out ball was a long cross to Craig Braham-Barrett, often left in splendid isolation on their left wing, until Samad Kazi started intercepting with several important headers. Zac Hawker had a shot blocked by keeper George Hill, but only as far as Cullen, who was similarly denied. Egham calls for a penalty after Corey Holder appeared to handle the cross that Sarnies’ skipper Reece Yorke intended to reach Mitchell were waved away by the referee.
Seconds into the second half Mr Breen similarly dismissed home calls for a spot kick. Egham were unlucky when Cullen, who was working his socks off linking midfield and attack, pinged a lovely ball through for Hale, but the ball hit the plastic and the striker’s hand and the chance was gone. Not long after that the only goal of this very tense and tight contest came as Ryan Gondoh ran at the Egham back line and slipped the ball through for Aaron Watson to sneak the ball past Tyler Tobin. That that was about the only time that the home side threatened Tobin’s goal was particularly galling. Egham had most of the possession, but the scoring touch that has seen 79 goals in 25 league games was not evident. In the 67th minute Cullen had a shot blocked by Hill, tried again off the rebound, and after that block Mitchell was also foiled by the resolute home keeper. Hawker’s free kick, from the edge of the box after a foul on Hale, was off target, and, as substitutions were made without much impact, the home side were clearly getting edgy. That must be the explanation for the totally unnecessary set-to in front of the Egham dugout that included Jamie Mascoll throwing the ball into Jordan Berry’s face. Berry deserves respect for not going full-on John Prescott, instead just walking away to compose himself and look on as the home player was sent off. Six minutes of injury time had almost ended when Luke Heneghan’s low shot was hacked clear. Moments later it was over. Now the real battle begins, because we don’t want to be faffing about with play-offs again. Mark
EGHAM TOWN: Tyler Tobin, Samad Kazi, Kyle Watson, Reece Yorke, Ben Peden, Zac Hawker, Ayoub Igozouln, Tyrique Tekasala, Harlem Hale, Reece Mitchell, Connor Cullen. Substitutes: Ronan Hutchins (Igozouln, 76), Excellence Muhemba (Mitchell, 80), Jordan Brown (Hale, 88), Luke Heneghan (Kazi, 88). Nathanael Boakye (Watson, 90+4).