Even as they extended their clean-sheet run to three, Egham Town’s five match winning streak stumbled to a halt against a dogged Virginia Water side on an excellent pitch at Windsor’s Stag Meadow.
Egham went into the match with manager Jordan Berry calling for a continuation of a run that has seen the Sarnies sitting in third place, hoping for a place in the play-offs. For that to happen their main rivals, Southall, would have to start losing. However, they followed the almost inevitable loss at Champions Hanworth Villa with three league wins and maintained their interest in the League Cup. The Middlesex side, who visit Egham on Tuesday, are second with a game in hand and a massively superior goal difference.
While the Middlesex outfit were beating Edgware Town 2-0, the hardy souls who turned out to see Waters v Sarnies were not treated to the greatest spectacle. Five minutes in the moment that might have turned the match in the visitors’ favour came and went as striker Brendan Matthew failed to lob keeper Matt Jones having collected Reece Yorke’s superb 45 yard pass in his stride. Moments later Trevan Robinson fired a presentable opportunity over the bar. Ezekiel Williams saw his free kick just beat the far post as early Egham pressure looked likely to break the home defence, and Matthew was extremely unlucky to see his header, from an Adam Humphries cross, smack against the left post.
Robinson came close with a shot on the turn early in the second period before giving another shot too much air. With 65 minutes played left back Luke Brophy’s run from deep gave him room for an excellent cross for Matthew, but Joe McBride just got to the ball first. Virginia Water had little up front to trouble Michael Edegbe in the Egham goal other than spurious calls for a spot kick as Turnell Sinclair fell over in the box. Brandon Trujillo, on for Williams just past the hour mark, was on target with the hardest struck shot of the afternoon, but Jones was equal to it. Egham made changes to their personnel but not the feeling that this was not to be their day for a sixth straight win, while home boss Ceri Jones was desperate enough for the point to waste time with three substitutions after the 90 minutes had been played.
Egham have 58 points from 29 games. Below them are North Greenford United (30/55), Ascot United (30/55) and
Abbey Rangers (27/55). While Egham face Southall on Tuesday, Ascot United entertain Hanworth Villa (hoping to be the first side to beat Villa in the league this season). The other match, Tadley Calleva v Windsor, has no implications for either promotion or relegation, which is a credit to TC, who had a dreadful start to the season.
EGHAM TOWN: Michael Edegbe, Samad Kazi, Luke Brophy, Adam Humphries, Reece Yorke (Captain), Haluna Masembe, Trevan Robinson, Jordan Goode-Keeley, Brendan Matthew, Ezekiel Williams, Sandro Costa. Substitutions: Brandon Trujillo (Williams, 62), Luke Maguire (Kazi, 75), Radu Stefanoiaca (Costa, 85), Ryan Phillips (Brophy, 69), Dan Brown.