Sandhurst Town 0 Egham Town 2

COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 21 APRIL 2012
SANDHURST TOWN 0 (0) EGHAM TOWN 2 (1)
Egham Town scorer: Brendan Matthew 2 (14, 53)

When John Hamsher, Wayne Noad and Colin Bartholomew took over the
running of the First and Youth Elevens at the Runnymede Stadium at the
start of the season one of their stated aims was to forge a link
between the two squads. Brendan Matthew has been the chief beneficiary
of this policy and in this otherwise mundane win at mid-table Sandhurst
Town got his reward to a series of hardworking, selfless and personally
modest performances by getting his name in the club's record books.
Dale Marvell had wanted the landmark 100th, as it would have taken his
own tally to 30, but he rarely got the chance. He walloped a 3rd minute
free kick off the defensive wall and forced a fine save from the
keeper. It took only 14 minutes for the home defence to be breached,
after an excellent move started by Jamie Houghton and continued with a
neat square pass from Tom Hedges to release Matthew, who slid the ball
home with a measured right foot shot.
Egham should have taken a two goal lead into the dressing room at half
time but a good save from a Marvell rocket was followed on 40 minutes
by Houghton making an uncharacteristic fluff of a good chance when
one-on-one with the keeper after an excellent pass by Matthew. Between
those opportunities Alex Rodrigues' well timed intervention prevented
Matthew Day from getting a shot in on Paul Borg's goal.
Only seven minutes into the second period Hamsher took off Ken During
at centre back and replaced him with Grave, second top scorer and a
regular marksman for the club over the last few seasons. That meant
that the top four goalscorers this season were on the park against a
defence that was the first this season in CCL Premier to concede over a
ton of goals. It should have led to a goal feast but it did not work
out like that. Marvell smashed a glorious effort on target but it was
turned over, giving the Egham man to whip in a corner that was
comfortably headed home by Matthew, from close range. Having now
notched up 101 that was where it stayed. The home side were determined
not be taken apart and worked manfully all over the field, and even had
a chance three good chances to get one back, one late effort bouncing
off Borg's crossbar and another, almost at the death, cannoning off the
outside of his left post.. Matthew went off to a good ovation to be
replaced by another excellent youth player, Louis Chandler-Joseph.
Hedges nearly made it three with a late shot that was well saved before
Egham walked off in the rain, still not absolutely certain of 3rd place
after Hanworth Villa defeated Horley Town 3-2.
To get that coveted position Egham need to do whatever Hanworth Villa
do on Saturday, sitting as they are one point ahead of the Middlesex
side but with an inferior goal difference. Egham finish the season
with, for the first time I can recall, a “bookend” fixture, at home to
Farnham Town. The Sarnies started this campaign with a 2-2 draw that
should have been a win, Marcus Moody and Marvell scoring.
Now for the history bit. As far as I can work out when Egham Town were
playing in the Parthenon, Spartan and Athenian Leagues clubs only
played about 34 games per season, and since I have been watching Egham
(from 1970) I have memory of only one 100 goal season. That was in
1990-1, in Ryman One South. Egham finished 3rd; even as the division's
top scorers they were not quite able to hold off Abingdon Town
(Champions) and Maidenhead Utd. The 100th goal came in the last game of
the season, at the Jungle End, scored by Mark Butler against Feltham.
Brendan Marvell is the top scorer for Egham Town Youth who need one win
to be crowned as Champions of their section of the Surrey Youth League.
Their final game is tomorrow night, at Cobham. As if that were not good
enough the Youths secured a place in the League Cup Final at Sutton
United on Thursday 3 May, against Oakwood U18s or South Park U18s.
EGHAM TOWN: Paul Borg, Dan Hartlebury, Jake Galbraith, Ken During, Alex
Rodrigues, Luke Muldowney, Jamie Houghton, Mo Harkin, Dale Marvell,
Brendan Matthew, Tom Hedges. Subs: Matt Grave (During, 52), Tom
Brunton, John Hamsher, Josh Henry, Louis Chandler-Joseph (Matthew, 80).