BUILDBASE FA VASE FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND
SATURDAY 31 AUGUST 2019
EGHAM TOWN 3 (0)
Kiemon Robinson (46), Luke Maguire 2 (53, 65)
FC ELMSTEAD 2 (1)
Jerome Walker, Alfie Young

Egham Town’s new boss Tony Choules took control for the first time since his appointment and guided the Sarnies to a win in his first ever FA Vase tie. However, it was not as straightforward as it should have been, and the game ended in controversy with an Egham player sent off and the new sin-bin regulations taking effect.
Southern Counties East League Division One side FC Elmstead came to this match unbeaten in third place in their Step 6 table and were facing a home side who picked up their first league win of the campaign thanks to Anthony Thomas’ hat-trick in a 3-1 victory at Molesey. Former Uxbridge boss Choules signed six players in midweek, and gave debuts to full-backs Ben Peden and Justin Thompson, with Luke Maguire taking up a midfield berth and Prince Mbengui on the bench.
Egham began well, shots by Thomas, Maguire, Omar Hassan and Kiemon Robinson all coming close before Elmstead took the lead when Jerome Walker finished off a break with a low shot that beat home keeper Sam Freeman low to his left. Egham responded immediately, Connor Channon firing in a shot that Elmstead keeper Alex Hyde had to save at full stretch to his left. A half chance for Robinson and Zaine Gangadeen’s late shot rolling wide were all Egham managed until the break. o Sarnie expected the half time substitution that Choules made – Thomas off and Mbengui on. Thomas has 8 goals already this season, including two hat-tricks, and had scored in the previous four games. All his goals at Molesey came in the second half. Heads were scratched. Mbengui went into midfield and Maguire was moved further up the park. Within two minutes Egham were level, Robinson finishing off a slick move with a beauty of a 20 yarder that curled into the top left corner. Six minutes later Maguire scored on his debut, taking Gangadeen’s pass in his stride and firing in off the right post. Egham were now playing with more of a spring in their step, Maguire and Gangadeen coming close before Maguire converted a Channon pass into a fierce drive that left Hyde flatfooted. 3-1 up and cruising? No. Elmstead hit back, and Hassan had to head off the line from a curling corner kick before he was replaced by Costa Rodrigues. Elmstead pulled a goal back as, not for the first time this season, Freeman was caught in no man’s land and an opponent was quick witted enough to exploit his perambulation with a lob that landed in his net. Alfie Young was the lucky recipient this time and it put Egham under pressure. Thompson limped back to the bench after being fouled, and was subbed by Kildane Tesfu. Freeman made some amends by tipping Lydney Prescott’s header over the bar for the first of two corners, the second of which saw towering centre half Jordan Anderson head over from only three yards out.
Five minutes from time Egham were reduced to ten men when Rodrigues and Hyde had a brief, nothing-in-it squaring up to each other in the Elmstead box. Referee Karl Parker, who had earlier let Elmstead forward Marcus Cassius get away with telling him, very audibly, to “f*** off” showed a straight red card to the Egham man for elbowing Hyde. An earlier elbowing offence, by Young on Peden, was more clear cut and dealt with correctly, but this defied belief. Rodrigues didn’t even raise his arms. He went off, and almost immediately it looked as if Mr Parker had seen the error of his ways by sin-binning Antonio Gonella. There was confusion as he showed the Elmstead No.10 the yellow card – second yellow, or, by now, the rest of the match on the bench unless his team equalised and took the game to extra time? Mr Parker then decided to make sure Egham ended the game with only nine men on the pitch after Mbengui was also sin-binned, for being fouled.
The whistle was a relief, and Egham now travel to Holmesdale, from the same division as Elmstead. Holmesdale won 2-1 at home against Sheerwater, currently 10th in the CCL Premier. The tie will be played on Saturday 14 September. Next Saturday Egham, for whom this win was the first back-to-back success since early last season, will face old foes Banstead Athletic at home in the CCL Premier.
EGHAM TOWN: Sam Freeman, Ben Peden, Justin Thompson, Kayode Conteh, Tristan Toney, Connor Channon, Keimon Robinson, Luke Maguire, Anthony Thomas, Zaine Gangadeen, Omar Hassan. Substitutes: Prince Mbengui (Thomas, HT), Tyler John, Lekan Ejinwunmi, Kildane Tesfu (Thompson, 77), Costa Rodrigues (Hassan, 73).
Mark