CHERRY RED RECORDS COMBINED COUNTIES PREMIER NORTH
SATURDAY 31 AUGUST 2024
EGHAM TOWN 6 (4)
MONTEL BROWN (3), ZAC HAWKER (20), HARLEM HALE (32), SAM SHAW (34),
MARLEY ANDERSON RICHARDS (60), SAMAD KAZI (87)
BERKS COUNTY 0 (0)
LEAGUE POSITION: 5TH
ATTENDANCE 101

A thumping home win, after losing the last two games at Runnymede Stadium, was just the tonic Jordan Berry’s men needed with a trip to unbeaten divisional leaders North Greenford United on Tuesday.
Town had met County just once, in December 2021, in an FA Vase tie held at Binfield. Danny Campion scored for Egham in a 2-1 win. The striker was serving the third of a three match ban. He would have enjoyed playing against the visitors’ defence, which crumpled as early as the third minute. Right-back Alex Nolan played the ball down the line for Tyrique Tekasala, his cross found Montel Brown a yard from goal and the finish was simple. Harlem Hale nearly doubled the lead in the 5th minute, but shot just over Harvey Rackley-Hayes’ bar. The game turned on a remarkable save by Sarnies’ keeper Tyler Tobin, after a quarter of an hour. The visitors, who had won 6-1 against Calne Town in the FA Vase on the previous Saturday, found some room around the home penalty area, and Luke Hayden saw his goalbound touch stopped by Tobin’s athletic drop to his left to get his hand to ball, from very close range. Egham knew how crucial that was, and Sam Shaw’s 35 yarder forced Rackley-Hayes into making a decent save. From the corner Reece Yorke, then Zac Hawker came close. Hawker then bagged his first goal for the Sarnies with a thumping drive from the edge of the box. Yorke’s excellent curler of a pass found Harlem Hale, and his touch set up Hawker. Rackley-Hayes temporarily stopped the barrage when Hale, fed by Yorke, saw his shot saved by the keeper’s legs, but just after the half hour, Egham were 3-0 up. Marley Anderson Richards started a fine move that ended with Hawker teeing up Hale for a beautifully executed cross shot. A couple of minutes later it was 4-0, Hale this time setting up Sam Shaw for another good finish, and it could have been five at tea had Hale not had another shot saved by the beleaguered County keeper.
The intensity of the home side’s play slipped in the second half, but goals at either end of the period gave the scoreline a more realistic look. Five minutes after the restart Shaw hit a superb free kick from the left to Yorke, whose presence at the back post was missed by the defence. Yorke rose, headed the ball down and Anderson-Richards steered the ball in from close range. The final goal, Ben Peden standing where Shaw had previously, came from another magnificent cross field pass and Samad Kazi was in acres of room to head the ball home.
After Tuesday's game at North Greenford United, Egham have another trip, to Edgware & Kingsbury. September has some tricky games for Berry’s men to negotiate, with home games against Holyport (14th), Amersham Town (17th), and then another away game at Harefield United. On the 25th there is a League Cup First Round tie at Wokingham Town, and Ardley United visit on 28th.
EGHAM TOWN Tyler Tobin, Alex Nolan, Kyle Watson, Ben Peden, Reece York (C), Marley Anderson-Richards, Zac Hawker, Tyrique Tekasala, Samuel Shaw, Montel Brown, Harlem Hale. Substitutes: Samad Kazi, Kristian Swaby, Reece Mitchell, Kyle Brooks, Soul Hale.
56' Soul Hale replaced Kyle Watson, 63' Kyle Brooks replaced Zac Hawker
64' Samad Kazi replaced Alex Nolan, 68' Kristian Swaby replaced Harlem Hale.