CHERRY RED RECORDS COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
TUESDAY 1 OCTOBER 2019
SOUTHALL 4 (1)
Aaron McLeish 3 (14, 52, 90+4), Darren Mark (47)
EGHAM TOWN 4 (3)
Prince Mbengui (16), Ben Peden (20), Jake Sobolak (40), Jay O’Connell (64)

Egham Town remain unbeaten in the League under Tony Choules but will certainly feel that they should have won against a robust Southall side on a wet and windy night at Ashford Town (Mx.)’s Robert Parker Stadium. With heavy rain falling during the day the ground staff can take credit for an excellent playing surface.
The match was only nine minutes old when, in a match full of disputed calls and some rank bad officiating, a Southall player slid in late and sent Zaine Gangadeen crashing to the sodden surface. Referee Philip Jones made the first of some dodgy decisions by not even speaking to the culprit as the stricken midfielder was carried off with an injured left knee. That he was later seen in the clubhouse might perhaps offer some hope that the damage is not too bad. We all wish him a speedy recovery. In the aftermath, as Jake Sobolak took his place, Southall took advantage and Aaron McLeish poached the game’s first goal. Egham were not behind for long, a free kick played into the Southall box being cleared only as far as Prince Mbengui, just outside the penalty area. His low shot seemed to take a couple of nicks as it reached Rourke Pickford in goal, but even so the fumble that allowed the ball to roll over the line will be a moment Pickford will not want to remember. Mbengui might as it was his first for the club. That came in the 16th minute; in the 20th Egham were ahead. Anthony Thomas curled in a superb cross and Ben Peden slid in to score, making it two in two. Five minutes from the break the Sarnies took a 3-1 lead, Sobolak taking aim from pretty much the same spot as Mbengui had for his goal. No deflections this time; the shot arrowed past Pickford.
After the break Egham had an opening spell to forget as they were pulled back to 3-3. The home side had come out in a more determined mood and were rewarded after 47 and 54 minutes, but there were questions about defensive solidity that will need resolving. Sobolak was injured in an off-the-ball incident, as was Egham keeper Triston Thomas when McLeish clattered into him, without any official sanction. In the 64th minute Egham restored their lead, Mbengui’s superb pass freeing Jay O’Connell for a powerful run that ended with a precision shot into the bottom left corner. It was his second goal in two games as well. Egham boss Tony Choules attracted the attention of Mr Jones and was yellow carded. Mr Jones then booked O’Connnell as he and Pickford collided with the Egham man racing in on goal again. I don’t recall seeing Pickford booked; it was a 50-50 clash, and both men needed treatment. Pickford recovered enough to save well from Kiemon Robinson, released by Thomas’ pass, then it all went a bit surreal.
Robinson whipped in a perfect through ball for Thomas, onside, one on one with Pickford and in with a great chance of making it 5-3. Mr Jones, for some reason known only to him and his maker, pulled the game back to award Egham a free kick they did not want, given that Thomas almost certainly would have scored, based on him having 11 to his name already this season. Robinson stood over the ball, faced by Darreon Mark, who refused to move back the requisite ten yards. As Robinson waited for Mr Jones to get Mark to move back Mr Jones ran over to Robinson clearly with a view to cautioning the Egham man. Then Mr Jones’ attention was drawn to an incident involving Thomas (the forward, not his brother in goal) and Danny Bennell. Thomas had only just been booked (for a foul on Bennell) and was shown a second card and so dismissed. When Mr Jones returned to where the free kick was about to be taken Mark had still not retreated. Even given the clarity of the situation and what could loosely be described as thinking time the referee still judged the Egham man to be in the wrong and cautioned him. That said, and even allowing for the fact that they were a man down, questions have to be asked about how McLeish scored his third four minutes into time added on. A nothing ball in was given nothing much in the way of intervention and the ball ended up in the back of the net. Egham are now in 11th place, the bottom of a group of 4 (with Sheerwater, Sutton Common Rovers and Abbey Rangers) on 11 points. Next up is a trip to Guildford City's Spectrum ground on Saturday.
EGHAM TOWN: Triston Thomas, Adam Humphries, Justin Thompson, Ben Peden, Tristan Toney (Captain), Luke Maguire, Jay O’Connell, Prince Mbengui, Anthony Thomas, Zaine Gangadeen, Kiemon Robinson. Substitutes: Craige Tomkins (Sobolak, 85), Lekan Ejinwunmi, Jake Sobolak (Gangadeen, 9), Amin Belaid, Costa Rodrigues.