Guildford City 1 Egham Town 3

COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 17 MARCH 2012
GUILDFORD CITY 1 (0) EGHAM TOWN 3 (1)
Egham Town scorers: Dale Marvell (12), Enrico Rossoni (67), Jake Galbraith (90+5)

Egham Town travelled to champions-elect Guildford City and recorded one of their finest successes of the season. With four straight wins under their belts the team were in good heart but City had a run of six victories themselves, the last a 2-1 win at Camberley Town on Tuesday. Egham boss John Hamsher took that opportunity to check them out and left convinced that he and his charges could leave the Spectrum with three points in the bag.
Mo Harkin, who has a whole host of higher level clubs shining in his CV (his entry on Wikipedia makes very interesting reading), and who scored on his debut (the last goal in a 4-0 home win over Croydon), was named in the starting line-up after Enrico Rossoni was delayed on his way to the ground, and Alex Rodgrigues, a centre back recently signed from CCL Premier Division rivals Epsom & Ewell, joined Rossoni on the bench. Right back Dan Hartlebury was out with a badly bruised foot, giving centre half Ken During the chance to show his skills there. Egham were on the attack immediately, Tom Hedges running at the home defence to create a fairly decent chance that Dale Marvell lifted over the bar. He was not so wasteful on 12 minutes when capping a superb solo run on the edge of the area with a truly expert curling shot that fairly whistled past the pink-clad Anthony Hall in the City goal. The goal gave Egham something to defend, a task they set about with relish. Guildford have an unfortunate reputation for some rough house tactics, which they did nothing to alter with Paul Borg and Matt Grave on the sharp end of challenges that earnt cautions for, respectively, Simon Cooper and Corey Holder. Holder got away with deliberately throwing the ball at Marvell before removing himself from the threat of what looked an inevitable red card by limping off with a muscle strain. City made it three bookings before the half hour with Moses Spencer, the former Molesey and Chertsey player (and the man who broke Neerav Patel's leg at Molesey a few years ago) seeing yellow after sarcastically applauding a decision by referee Marcus Carmichael. He could have been off early but for leniency by Mr Carmichael when he clattered Marvell. When they set about playing football they did not pose the threat that their elevated position would seem to promise. Cooper's 25 yard free kick forced a save from Borg, and from the resulting corner Jack Guilford only managed to head the ball into Borg's hands. Guilford then hit Borg's right hand post as the Egham defence momentarily lost concentration. With skipper Aarron Taylor-Ives having a magnificent game alongside Lee Pasmore in the centre of the Sarnies defence they soon regained their composure, being only inconvenienced once, in the 43rd minute, when Brown forced Borg into a decent save by the keeper's left post.
With Marvell and Borg patched up Egham were probably expecting a whirlwind of attacking intent from the divisional pacesetters, but it failed to materialise. Guilford wasted a presentable chance, and centre forward Austin Gacheru, superbly marshalled throughout by Pasmore and Taylor-Ives, caused Borg to smother his shot after 56 minutes. Borg then comfortably held an Elvis De Freitas free kick. Hedges had got himself into the book for arguing; after a subsequent clumsy aerial challenge he was taken off for Rossoni. Barely two minutes later that looked like the most inspired of replacements as Marvell belted down the left wing before drilling in a perfect cross for the Italian, who, with only his second touch, smashed in a superb low drive from 20 yards for 2-0 after 67 minutes. City's Lance Banton-Brown, who had come on for Guilford the same time as Hedges was subbed by Rossoni, was the next man in red and white stripes to get booked, for a crude foul on Jake Galbraith. After 73 minutes Pasmore limped off, Rodgrigues making his debut in his place, then Marvell, who had picked up a yellow, gave way to Brendan Matthew. Shortly after Grave shot over Hall's bar the home side were back in the game, a foul on Banton-Brown giving Moody a chance he took from the penalty spot. There were three minutes of normal time left, time enough for Jamie Houghton to smack a long range shot against the bar and Banton-Brown to feature again, getting sent off, but only on a second yellow, for a truly disgusting two footed assault on Taylor-Ives. Town made City pay, in a most unexpected fashion, as Matthew, Grave, Hedges and others did their best to hold onto the ball. The defence stood off, and when the ball was played to Galbraith he took full advantage of the space in front of him to roll a shot across Hall and into the bottom right corner for his first ever goal for Egham.
As Egham left the field manager Hamsher was understandably delighted, and when I asked who he would choose as the Man of the Match he said “all of them”.
The situation at the top of the CCL Premier division is very interesting. Guildford are miles ahead, so this defeat will not unduly upset them unless it leads to a spectular collapse in form. However, although they have made some cosmetic alterations to one of the most criticised grounds in the league, the Ryman League reputedly won't accept them. They are reigning champions but had to stay down, Chertsey Town taking their place in the EvoStik Central Southern League, and will be hoping that lowering the toilets to a more accessible level, putting a pathway on the banking round one end of the athletics stadium they call home, and building a turnstile block will suffice. Camberley Town were surprise losers, by the odd goal in five at Badshot Lea, while Windsor stuffed Cove 7-0 at Stag Meadow, which latter result makes the home Bank Holiday game Egham have against the Berkshire side even more important if John Hamsher's men are to have any chance of the runners-up spot. Windsor are five points ahead of Egham, who have a game in hand, but have a goal record of 104-38 to the Sarnies' 91-52. Egham will want to avenge a Yuletide 1-4 reverse. Before that happens though there are three games to play, starting with a trip to Raynes Park Vale's slope next Saturday, and a week later to Ash United before the first of two games in ten days against Steve Webb's Molesey. On Saturday 7 April it is the Moles who are the hosts. There are a couple of side issues for Egham, involving scoring in their last eight games. The three goals today took, as noted, their league tally to 91 goals, just six shy of the 97 total achieved two seasons ago as Steve Baker led Egham to 4th place. The club's season best total (as far as I know) is the 100 secured with a 2-1 home win over Feltham in 1990-91.

EGHAM TOWN: Paul Borg, Ken During, Jake Galbraith, Lee Pasmore, Aarron Taylor-Ives (capt.), Luke Muldowney, Jamie Houghton, Mo Harkin, Dale Marvell, Matt Grave, Tom Hedges. Subs: Louis Chandler-Joseph, Brendan Matthew (Marvell, 83), Enrico Rossoni (Hedges, 65), Josh Henry, Alex Rodgrigues (Pasmore, 73).