CHERRY RED RECORDS COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 28 DECEMBER 2019
BADSHOT LEAD 4 (3)
Tom Cursons (11), James Smith (21), Brett Denham (45), Darren Blake (70, pen)
EGNHAM* TOWN 1 (0)
Craige Tomkins (90)

Egham Town ended the year, and the decade, with a truly terrible showing in their first visit to Badshot Lea’s neat ground in the village of Wrecclesham. The Sarnies had not played since 7 December, a dispiriting loss at home to Frimley Green. Before that match Tony Choules’ men were in 4th place in the CCL Premier, but dropped to 5th. Bad weather took its toll on the fixture list as home games versus Guildford City (now on 28 January), Frimley Green (Surrey Senior Cup, no new date yet), Knaphill (no new date) and a trip to Redhill (7 January) were all postponed. On 7 December Badshot Lea were losing 1-4 at home to Redhill, but since then have been recruiting more players and lost narrowly at Ascot United (0-1) and beat an Aldershot XI in the Aldershot Senior Cup 3-0 last Monday. Egham had slipped to 9th; Lea were in 14th, nine points behind. There was, though, no doubt which side had the edge when the Baggies met the Sarnies; more competition for places and more recent, competitive play meant the home side were the favourites before kick-off. This was despite Egham winning in the first fixture, 1-0 on 12 November. Kiemon Robinson, not available for this meeting, scored direct from a corner.
Egham created two decent half chances in the first seven minutes, Ben Peden’s first minute through ball to Anthony Thomas (given back the 9 shirt after Craige Thomas’ burst of scoring) was just a tad too strong for the striker, and winger Jay O’Connell forced a good save from home keeper Nojus Trinovas. Between those openings the home side’s Lionel Mesidi had called Sarnies’ keeper Luke Daley into action and Brett Denham hit the right post off the rebound. Darren Blake tested Daley two minutes later. That opening spell was a microcosm of how the first half would go for Egham. In the 11th minute, seemingly comfortably in possession in midfield, albeit without actually causing the home side any damage, they lost the ball, Tom Cursons raced past Andrew Whorms, cut inside and steered a shot between the left post and Daley’s right hand. Egham have lots of pace in their side, and on show here O’Connell, Omar Hassan and Zaine Gangadeen were three quick midfielders all capable of beating defenders and putting in useful crosses. The trouble is that there is a tendency to, if (dear reader) you will kindly forgive me, “fanny about”. Short passes, flicks and darting runs for three or four yards on the edge of the opposition box are all very well if the end result is a killer pass to someone who can finish. As one Egham fan commented, they are not playing five-a-side. Here it was clear that the three week break had dulled the edge; control was too often haphazard, promising openings were not exploited and then the inevitable happened; the home side were 3-0 up at the break. Were it not for the excellence of Luke Daley it could have been a lot worse. He had saved superbly from Cursons at the foot of his right post, probably earning his luck when he dropped a cross and Ben Peden hooked the ball clear. Unfortunately James Smith was given space to run into and used it well, drilling the ball into Daley’s bottom right corner. Denham missed a good chance to make it 3-0, then Egham looked like they might claw their way back in to the contest only to continue over-complicating things. The best that came from this passage of play was Hassan and Gangadeen not being on the same wavelength before the former’s left foot shot was dragged wide of the goal. In the final minute of the half Masidi raced clear, crossed for Denham and the points were all but sealed.
Hassan and O’Connell were replaced at half time by Prince Mbengui and Craige Tomkins. Mbengui went into his usual central midfield slot, Thomas joining him and Tomkins going up front. It shored up an area which was sadly missing the suspended Luke Maguire. Jake Sobolak gave way to Amin Belaid just before the hour, but to be honest it was still the Baggies who looked more likely to score with Masidi and Smith having shots saved. They just needed to maintain their discipline and see the game out. Then a foul on Denham in the 70th minute by Justin Thompson in the box, and Blake’s conversion of the spot kick, gave Egham a four goal mountain they were never going to climb. Tomkins was wasteful with a header, Thomas dithered over a shooting chance; when, eventually, “Magic” Gangadeen found his mark with a right wing cross that Tomkins headed home it was no sort of “consolation” whatsoever. It just made the damage to the GD column a little less painful.
Writing this is painful too. Reading it may be as difficult. Not all players were off their usual standard but to mention one instead of another won’t help. Plaudits, though, to Rory Da Costa, who was clearly in pain, certainly in the second half, and who, as skipper (and one would like to think as someone who appreciates what fans go through) came over to the huddled faithful to admit that that performance was (a four letter word). What is needed now is a regaining of the focus that gave Choules the first five match winning run at Egham since Chris Moore was in charge.
Egham start 2020 with their 21st game of a campaign that has garnered 30 points. They have 60 more to fight for. On 4 January they are at home to CB Hounslow United, and go to Redhill on 7 January. They then go to Balham, who play at Colliers Wood United’s Wibbandune ground.
EGHAM TOWN: Luke Daley, Andrew Whorms, Justin Thompson, Rory Da Costa (Captain), Ben Peden, Adam Humphries, Jay O’Connor, Jake Sobolak, Anthony Thomas, Zaine Gangadeen, Omar Hassan. Substitutes: Amin Belaid (Sobolak, 58), Lekan Ejinwunmi, Prince Mbengui (O’Connell, HT), Craige Tomkins (Hassan, HT).

EGNHAM* from the Non-League Paper, accentuating our essential “Sarnie-ness”.

Mark F