[size=large]MATCH REPORT
BOSTIK LEAGUE SOUTHERN CENTRAL DIVISION
SATURDAY 3 NOVEMBER 2018
MOLESEY 2 (1) EGHAM TOWN 0 (0)[/size]
Marley Hamilton (2), Dre Grobler (90+3)

By Mark Ferguson

Egham Town started this match in 19th place in the Bostik South Central division and are now bottom after losing this local derby at Walton Road. Molesey were bottom and are now 18th, leapfrogging both the Sarnies and South Park, beaten comfortably by Hanwell Town (3-0), managed by Egham’s last but one manager. Molesey had lost all their previous home games and only scored more than once in a 2-2 draw at Ware. Egham have won one and drawn one in the league, and lost six on the spin in the league away from Runnymede Stadium.
That was the background to this encounter, with Egham arriving in pretty good spirits after recovering from a half-time deficit to overcome Raynes Park Vale on Tuesday in the Specsavers Surrey Senior Cup preliminary round. The travelling faithful had two more new, and extremely well-travelled, names to remember, with Merrick James-Lewis arriving from Thamesmead Town, who have recently gone bust, and Curtis Ujah signed from Biggleswade Town. Ujah, 30 years old and born in Sheffield, has had a few clubs, to say the least, but some of those have been on loan and a couple for more than one stint. The list is shown below. Of those recently signed Charlie Malin was not fit, Domenico Morgillo was not available and Mason Tunbridge was playing in a London FA representative match. Abraham Eze, who scored on his debut in the win against RPV, was feeling the effects of his first 90 minute run-out in a while so came off the bench, as did Sean McCormack, who survived being trodden on by yours truly.
All the preparation in the world cannot allow for what happened here, though. Very specifically timed by Ashley Smith at 2:17 after kick off, Marley Hamilton stuck the ball into the Sarnies net after Egham keeper Matt Nolan drove his clearance against the forward’s rear end and could only watch in horror as the rebound created a chance your grannie wouldn’t miss. Molesey had something to hold onto, to cherish and protect and they did it very, very efficiently. With goalkeeper Sam Johnson-Freeman, resplendent in his all pink kit, leading from the back they set about frustrating their guests with time-wasting that was just the right side of legal, blocking and feigning injury. This is not a criticism; they had a job to do and had Egham gone ahead so early and done this as well there would be few complaints. The match was, as a consequence, bitty and scrappy and rubbish to watch. The home club’s Andrew Finch, author of the report in the NLP, only gave the game 2/5 for entertainment. He also credited Joe Pratley-Jones with MOM. JP scored our first league goal this season, in the win against Westfield, way back on 27 August. He was facing Egham’s own MOM (in my opinion), Rhys Rabess, who did his best to keep the Moles’ defence awake. Ryan Marlew pulled a decent save from Nolan after 23 minutes and on the half hour Egham’s defenders got collectively lucky in a goalmouth scramble. With Molesey keeping the Sarnies’ top scorer Kezie Ibe quiet it was Ujah who looked most likely to equalise when he made sorties upfield, once in the 35th minute as he diverted a Brandon McCarthy pass towards goal and again in the 71st after Egham caused some panic in the Molesey rearguard. Towards the end of the match Egham finally upped the tempo and forced the hosts back but still without testing the keeper. As the game petered out Dre Grobler slammed in a shot from the edge of the box.
Egham boss Ashley Smith said after the game “We regroup and we go again”. He thought that Molesey benefitted from that early break: “If we don’t concede that goal we probably wouldn’t have lost.” [Errors like this happen higher up too; I have just seen Leeds go 2-1 up at Wigan thanks to a defensive howler, straight from the second half kick off.]
On Tuesday Egham face Bracknell Town again, this time at home and in the Velocity Trophy second round. On Saturday Egham entertain Marlow in a Bostik fixture.
EGHAM TOWN: MATTHEW NOLAN, JOSHUA ANDREW, TOCHUKWU OKOLO, MERRICK JAMES-LEWIS, GREGORY HAYDEN, CURTIS UJAH, BRANDON MCCARTHY, DANIEL JULIENNE, KEZIE IBE, ASHLEY LODGE, RHYS RABESS. SUBSTITUTES: ALESSANDRO SANCESE, LEWIS HOBBS, HARRY TUCKER, ABRAHAM EZE (MCCARTHY, 69), SEAN MCCORMACK (JULIENNE, 62).

CURTIS UJAH (latest club first shown)
Biggleswade Town, Chesham, Harrow Borough, St. Albans City, Chesham, Hayes & Yeading, Boreham Wood, Hednesford, Boreham Wood, Halesowen, Hednesford, Weston-Super-Mare AFC Halesowen, Yeovil Town, Crawley Town, Yeovil Town, Tamworth, Yeovil Town, Reading, Tamworth, Slough Town, Reading
MERRICK JAMES-LEWIS (first club first shown)
Southend United, Braintree Town (loan), Braintree Town (loan), Bishop's Stortford (loan), Carshalton Athletic (loan), Colchester United, Concord Rangers, Canvey Island, Ebbsfleet United, Farnborough, Walton & Hersham,
Crawley Down Gatwick, Cray Wanderers, Staines Town, Walton Casuals, Grays Athletic, Walton Casuals, Maldon & Tiptree, Tooting & Mitcham United, Heybridge Swifts, Merstham, Canvey Island, Farnborough, Enfield Town, AFC Uckfield Town, Thamesmead Town, Hendon, Thamesmead Town, Walton Casuals, Herne Bay, Thamesmead Town