SATURDAY 19 OCTOBER 2024 : ISUZU FA VASE FIRST ROUND
EGHAM TOWN 4 (3)
Marley Anderson-Richards (23'), Benjamin Thomas Peden (43'), Jordan Brown (45+1'),
Ronan Hutchins (67')
COLLIERS WOOD UNITED 1 (1)
Nathan Best (19')

Egham Town made largely untroubled progress into the Second Round of this season’s Isuzu FA Vase with this comprehensive defeat of Colliers Wood United. There was a precedent for this. Three years ago, in the same round, at Runnymede Stadium, the same scoreline was recorded. Since then Wood have dropped down from CCL Premier South to CCL One, where they had a recent record of one defeat in league and cups in their last nine games. The Sarnies are now unbeaten in 11 of their last 12 games, the only loss being at Wokingham Town in the League Cup.
Egham attacked from the start, spending the first 17 minutes in the Wood half, and then they lost concentration and went behind to a daft goal. A long clearance fell nicely for Nathan Best, who could not believe his luck as the hugely experienced home back four all stood waiting for a flag that was never going to come. Best, who was certainly his team’ s best player, rolled the ball in, leaving Tyler Tobin stranded. It was not long before Egham replied. With the lively Ronan Hutchins testing the stamina of full back Tremayne Huie Moseley it was only a matter of time before one of the corners Wood conceded would bear fruit. Hutchins played the ball for Alex Nolan, the cross was cleared and from Zac Hawker’s corner Marley Anderson-Richards rose at the back post and headed the ball downward and into the net. Luke Heneghan was close a couple of times, and Mohamed Kanu in Woods’ goal was a trifle lucky keeping out a Jordan Brown header. Two goals in three minutes all but won this tie. The first was from a rapidly inrushing Ben Peden, getting his head to another Hawker corner. This, his fifth, not only puts the defender level with Heneghan and Harlem Hale at the top of the Sarnie scoring list, it is also the most he has ever scored in one season. In response Marlon Wallen and Best combined to test Tobin, then Brown received a pass from Hawker, ignored the defender at his back, turned on a sixpence (one for the seniors) and hammered the ball beyond Kanu. One Egham Old Faithful compared Brown’s skill and finish with that of Dennis Bergkamp! Thank you Mr Andy Hughes.
To their credit Colliers Wood United, with that decent run behind them, were not about to give up, and Best and Jordan Mbola combined with the latter closed down by Samad Kazi’s timely block. Kanu pulled off a good save from Anderson-Richards’ deflected drive, and Karl Oliyide’s snap shot cannoned off the left post. Best was constantly lively and tested Tobin again despite Nolan’s attentions, but finally the fourth goal guaranteed Egham Town entry into the Second Round draw. Oliyide did the setting up, making an incursion down the inside left, then finding Hutchins, who fired into the bottom right corner. It was no more than he deserved after a superb performance, especially in the first half. Best still would not accept defeat, pulling another save from Tobin, in between Tyrique Tekasala’s wayward shot and a narrow miss by Oliyide.
Egham have no game next Saturday or Tuesday, the next game being at Reading City on 2 November. The following Saturday is the date for the next round of the Vase, instead of Wembley away. (They lost 0-2 at home to Crawley Down Gatwick.) Meanwhile, a Jake Tabor hat-trick saw Amersham Town beat North Greenford United 3-1. NGU, who took the lead through Harvey Killeen, would have overtaken us at the top of the table with a win.

Egham Town: Tyler Tobin (C),Alex Nolan, Kyle Watson, Samad Kazi, Ben Peden, Marley Anderson-Richards, Zac Hawker, Luke Heneghan, Joshua Williams, Ronan Hutchins, Jordan Brown. Substitutes: Harlem Hale, Ayoub Igozouln, Kyle Brooks, Karl Oliyide, Tyrique Tekasala.

• 46 Karl Oliyide replaced Jordan Brown
• 55' Harlem Hale replaced Luke Heneghan
• 63' Ayoub Igozouln replaced Zac Hawker
• 67' Tyrique Tekasala replaced Ben Peden
• 68' Kyle Brooks replaced Ronan Hutchins