The home half of Egham Town’s 2012-2022 CCL Premier North campaign ended on an unfortunately flat note after letting visitors Tadley Calleva score a late equaliser. Egham slipped back down to 4th place and now have two more games, at Reading City and Ascot United, to see where they finish in this remarkable season for the Runnynmede Stadium club. Egham finished the season with their home colours lowered only by Hanworth Villa, runaway divisional winners, and that in a game where Egham were extremely unlucky.
Tadley Calleva were easily beaten when Egham travelled to Barlows Park in August but after a horrible start they have climbed to 10th place. That improvement was evident in the way they set about their hosts, Ben Wright hitting home keeper Michael Edegbe’s bar in the 6th minute with a 20 yard lob. The Egham reply was some fine interplay between Brandon Trujillo and Brendan Matthew, ending with Trevan Robinson’s shot on the run being saved by Joel Halliday in the Tadley goal. Edegbe was forced to make a spectacular save from Brody Peart’s shot, tipping the ball onto the post, and bettered that with a flying interception of Ousman Darboe’s effort. With Jack French seeing a header cleared off the Egham line and Robinson unable to beat Holliday when through one-on-one it was a wonder that the game was still goalless. Peart latched onto a loose pass in the Egham midfield but Samad Kazi’s well-timed intervention snuffed out that danger, and Ryan Phillips threw himself into the path of another shot by Wright. Robinson saw his injury time drive blocked.
The deadlock was broken eight minutes into the second period. Robinson played a one-two with Adam Humphries and was flattened in the box by Andrew Charlesy. Matthew’s penalty was ferociously struck. Matthew, who made a scoring return to the club on 20 November as Egham beat Cobham in the Vase, took his tally to 17. In the 19th minute the assistant referee running the end that Egham were attacking took a blow to the head as the ball pinged off a tackle, sending him sprawling. He resumed his flag carrying duties. Jordan Berry took Humphries off, giving Jordan Goode-Keeley a turn, then Phillips had to be carried off after taking a knock. Luke Brophy slotted in perfectly. Egham kept the pressure on Tadley, Trujillo having a shot blocked then Phillips meeting the ball with power and accuracy but seeing Holliday its equal. Matthew’s looping header off Reece Yorke’s long pass and Dan Brown’s one-two with Trujillo failed to test Holliday, but Ezekiel Williams did stretch the Tadley keeper. If only Yorke’s perfect control and thunderous strike had not also been met by another thrilling save; in the 90th minute two points were thrown away. The problem seemed to start with an uncharacteristically poor square pass by Ashley Harrack. Tadley pressed, the ball was not cleared by a midfield shorn of Humphries’ authority, a low cross went from right to left and Edegbe was left stranded as Wright stroked in the equaliser. There should still have been a chance for an Egham win when Josh Lambden sent Robinson sprawling in the Tadley area. The incident right in front of the assistant referee who had taken a blow to the head, which may explain, if not excuse, his failure to flag for a penalty. If anything it was more “nailed on” than the one given earlier. The officials were equally unmoved by Mikolaj Watroba’s clear foul on Radu Stefanoiaca moments before the final whistle.
EGHAM TOWN: Michael Edegbe, Ashley Harrack, Ryan Phillips, Dan Brown, Reece Yorke (Captain), Samad Kazi, Trevan Robinson, Adam Humphries, Brendan Matthew, Brandon Trujillo, Ezekiel Williams. Substitutes: Luke Brophy (Phillips, 72), Sean Alexander, Radu Stefanoiaca (Trujillo, 78), Jordan Goode-Keeley (68), Sandro Costa.