North Greenford probably don’t much like Egham Town visiting them. Over the last three seasons the Sarnies have won 4-1, 4-1 and 5-1. Tuesday’s game was less likely to see that kind of scoreline, given that the Londoners had won their opening six games and were top of CCL Premier North.
More team changes were made, as Sam Shaw has left the club despite scoring on Saturday, and with Tyler Tobin unavailable the goalkeeping position was taken by loanee Eric Negranu. Each side went at the other with gusto, but chances were few and far between. The first opening saw home hotshot Harvey Killeen denied by Negranu. Some concern about referee Mr Thomas Henry’s decision making had risen late in the first half as Egham skipper Reece Yorke picked up a yellow for barging into home keeper Jacob Balheimer, but Ryan Ewhare was barely given a second glance after crunching Kyle Watson. Four minutes into the second period NGU’s Joseph Mills caught the ball and kicked it away. Nothing. Just before the hour Zac Hawker’s control of the ball, about shoulder height, saw Ewhare hit in the face. The home player went down, Mr Henry had a word with his assistant, and Hawker, who wasn’t close enough to Ewhare to hit him in the face even had he wanted to, was shown a red card. What was needed now was some real determination, a spirited response to an injustice. The team dug in deep and gave the home side nothing in the way of chances. That resolve was further tested when Samad Kazi, on for Watson, was sin-binned after wondering if a crude challenge on Tyrique Tekasala was what a foul looked like. Now down to nine men, away to league leaders with a 100% record, this could have gone very wrong. It rarely looked likely. A header off a corner hit the bar, and Negranu was not troubled by a fierce strike from the right wing. Egham might even have made it four wins in four visits, Harlem Hale’s determined burst down the middle ending with a perfectly timed defensive sliding tackle. Another chance for Hale, from Danny Campion’s assist, did not quite fall for the Sarnies, who nonetheless left Berkeley Fields having done a damn fine job. On Friday night NGU travelled to Wokingham Town and won 2-1, to put them four points ahead of Ardley United, who have a game in hand.
Egham, who are 5th, travel to Edgware & Kingsbury on Saturday. Two in-form sides, Holyport and Amersham Town, visit Runnymede Stadium on 14th and 17th September.

EGHAM TOWN

Eric Negraru
Alex Nolan
Kyle Watson
Reece Yorke (C)
Ben Peden
Marley Anderson-Richards
Montel Brown
Harlem Hale
Tyrique Tekasala
Zac Hawker
Reece Mitchell
Samad Kazi
Daniel Campion
Kyle Brooks
Edward Clements
Luke Heneghan

46' Luke Heneghan replaced Montel Brown
53' Daniel Campion replaced Kyle Watson
53' Samad Kazi replaced Reece Mitchell