It’s been a while (ten games), but Egham Town are now back on top of the Combined Counties Premier North. The expected, and fairly comfortable, win against basement side Wembley, accompanied by promotion rivals Amersham Town and Bedfont Sports sharing four goals, lifted the Sarnies back into pole position, bolstered by a massively impressive goal difference of +79.
Following the 7-1 dismantling of Risborough Rangers the Egham Town faithful might have expected more of the same, but Wembley, fighting for their place in Step 4, put up more of a fight than Tuesday’s opponents. Sometimes that meant overstepping the mark, but Egham maintained their composure. Luke Heneghan swung in several corner kicks, and had three shots blocked. Time was getting on, and Egham had yet to test Frankie Beckles in the home goal, causing skipper Reece Yorke to instruct the team not to get frustrated. That was apt; in the second minute of injury time another Heneghan corner was headed out to Yorke, just inside the box, and the Egham kingpin hammered the ball into the roof of the net.
A flowing move involving Ben Peden, Tyrique Tekasala and Connor Cullen gave Harlem Hale a chance to add to his goal tally, but Beckles closed down the space quickly. Egham dominated possession, and got the second goal their play warranted in the 65th minute. Cullen spotted a moment’s hesitation by centre half Abdul Rasheed Alaka, nicked the ball off him, sidestepped another challenge and rifled the ball low and hard past Beckles. Little had been seen of Wembley’s front line until Tyler Tobin tipped a well-struck cross shot over the bar. By this time the news that Bedfont Sports had let slip a two goal lead had filtered through. That it was Louis Stead and Richard Pacquette who regained parity at the Bedfont Sports Club was somewhat galling, as they are both former Egham players. Egham stuck to their task, increasing their goal difference with Hale’s 22nd goal of the season. Tekasala passed forward to Cullen, who found Hale, who then took the ball past Beckles. It looked as if he had gone too far wide but he was able to twist his body and send the ball back the way he had come and into the bottom left corner. Excellence Muhemba, on for Reece Mitchell, missed a golden chance for 4-0, then fired a cross shot beyond the left post.
Egham are away to Wokingham Town on Wednesday. The Sumas won at Runnymede Stadium 1-0 in August, as the squad was settling in, and they also knocked Jordan Berry’s side out of the League Cup 3-0 in September. That remains the heaviest defeat this season. They are currently in 16th place. The Sarnies have no game this Saturday. On 22 March they are at home to Virginia Water, on 25 May play British Airways (at Spelthorne Sports FC), and then no game until Saturday 12 April, against North Greenford United. The (last scheduled) game is at Bedfont Sports on 19 April.
Amersham Town have four games left: Tuesday 11 March (H) Milton United, Saturday 5 April (A) Hilltop, Saturday 12 April (H) Bedfont Sports Sat 19 Apr (H) Edgware & Kingsbury.
Bedfont Sports have seven games left, including at Amersham and at home to Egham, but are 13 points behind both.
EGHAM TOWN: Tyler Tobin, Samad Kazi, Kyle Watson, Ben Peden, Reece Yorke (C), Zac Hawker, Tyrique Tekasala, Luke Heneghan, Harlem Hale, Connor Cullen, Reece Mitchell. Substitutes: Ayoub Igozouln (Hawker, 83), Marley Anderson-Richards (Mitchell, 68), Excellence Muhemba (Heneghan, 68), Jordan Brown (Cullen, 83).