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STATUS REPORT AFTER THREE FRIENDLIES

STATUS REPORT AFTER THREE FRIENDLIES

Tempest Ward21 Jul 2019 - 11:03
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Smiles back on Sarnie faces

EGHAM TOWN FRIENDLIES
Three matches in and it looks as if Carl Palmer and Leyton Brooks are putting together a side that can help the Sarnies banish the blues after two seasons of under achievement. A few of last season’s squad have stayed, and all have shown what they can do in a team stripped of overpaid primadonnas who fail to put a shift in.
In the first game, at home to Haywards Heath (4th in last season’s Bostik South East) there was that inevitable feeling that the players on both sides were getting to know each other, and we went behind to a header from an unmarked forward after about 9 minutes. We hit the bar off a free kick and then levelled as our No. 10 took full advantage when the visiting defence opened up invitingly. We lost to a fluke, a cross from the Heath right arcing across the area and pinging the inside of the far post before going in. The second half was goalless, but shouldn’t have been as a Heath forward managed to miss an open goal from less than a yard late on.
The second game was on Thursday, as we faced Farnham Town from CCL One, where they finished fourth last season. A Farnham forward headed against the cross bar in the first minute, which looked ominous, but a superb cross from our left was neatly turned in at the far post to give us a 3rd minute lead. A drive from the edge of box put us 2-0 ahead, then Farnham found the woodwork again. Farnham scored to make it three goals in the opening 16 minutes. That same goalframe was hit again by one of our players in the 74th minute, the same man then putting us 3-1 ahead as he met a very good free kick with a header that was parried by the keeper back into his path for a clinical finish. Another decent cross created an opening that was converted with a superb finish to give us a 4-1 win. A very good save from our keeper made sure Farnham could not find a way back into the game.
Yesterday we had a nice day out at Marrist Wood in Worplesdon, facing a Westfield side who finished 5th in the division we departed, and who had former Sarnies skipper Greg Haydon in their line-up. This was a hastily arranged friendly that entertained throughout and – shock, horror! – saw us come from behind to win. In a splendidly picturesque setting on a pitch set on a ledge on a hill overlooking the Surrey countryside it was Westfield who settled first, just about deserving the 20th minute lead given them by a calm, angled finish off a good through ball. We levelled with a free kick from a player who came to the Sarnies in the early part of the season before last; he took the kick, received the pass back and curled a shot inside the left post. By that time Egham had shown resilience and skill in defending a series of corners.
Early in the second half Egham upped their game and a very impressive midfielder forced a decent save from the Westfield keeper. The same man then hit the angle of bar and post with a free kick. Egham have so far fielded two keepers and both have impressed. The one in goal in the 66th minute pulled off a brave stop as a forward threatened, then our defenders tidied up. That impressive midfielder gave us the lead as his corner whipped in and clipped the inside of the far post and the same Sarnie keeper made another timely intervention. Our third goal came from our left winger’s driving run and thumping finish from a very good long pass from midfield. Westfield’s second was also impressive in its own way, the scorer receiving a pass some 25 yards out before powering through and shooting low and hard into our net. Almost from the restart we re-established a two goal lead, a run down the left, the cross that followed and a belting finish leaving the handful of watching Sarnies ultra-impressed with the progress so far.

Mark

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