COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE PREMIER DIVSION

TUESDAY 2 MARCH 2010

EGHAM TOWN 4 (2) HANWORTH VILLA (0)

EGHAM TOWN SCORERS: MATT GRAVES 3 (31, 45+3 (p), 70 (p)), ADIE BARRANCE (89)

Matt Graves' third hat-trick of the season secured a deserved win for Steve Baker and his team. It must have come as a great relief after three straight losses, and the added frustration of bad weather preventing Egham being able to go out and show what they really can do. Egham still lie in 13th place, but have the fourth best goalscoring record in CCL Premier. They next face a trip to Croydon, whose manager Dickson Gill told me on Tuesday that "they are not very good". Given the uneven nature of Egham's performances this season that should not necessarily be taken as a concession of the three points before a ball has been kicked.

It was clear on Tuesday that some of the old gremlins still hang around, some uncertain defending lending an air of trepidation to proceedings until 20 minutes in, when Adie Barrance fired wide off a Michael Carey pass. Egham increased the pressure but were denied by stout defending, but Barrance should have netted from another Carey cross when placement rather than raw power may have yielded a goal. Just after the half hour though Egham were ahead through the first of Graves' hat-trick, a belter of a shot from 25 yards that was barely impeded on its way home by Terry Buss' left hand. That slackness at the back invited Lee HIggs to force a magnificent save from Lee Pearce before a vibrant final eight minutes of an entertaining first half. Adam Foulser picked up a caution that Villa, and left back Tony Buss in particular, thought deserved harsher punishment. Tensions were heightened more when Carey slipped the ball in for Barrance, who was fouled in the area and a penalty awarded. Graves took it, but, as in the home game with Horley, it was ordered to be retaken. Horley encroached; this time the keeper left his line, making a spectacular stop with his left boot, and looking in line for a heart attack with his reaction to the award of a re-take. Graves buried it. The Villa bench were, en masse, far from chuffed; one member was asked to leave the technical area.

Villa sub Adam Piggott forced another fine save from Pearce early in the second half, and Egham replied on 56 minutes with a good link-up between Barrance and Graves with tested Terry Buss. The next time the two combined it was to more devastating effect, Barrance again being brought down in the area. Graves, this time, made no mistake, ramming the ball home first time. Three goals to the good with twenty minutes remaining did not mean safety; Anthony Oaks had to clear off his line from the next Villa attack. However, it was Egham who looked more dominant and Buss pulled off two very good saves from Barrance and Graves. Now, it has come to pass recently that when Egham have established a decent lead (e.g. Camberley, Ash) changes have been made and goals have been conceded. Graves was replaced by Charlie McCarthy, and Foulser gave way to Neerav Patel. I bet Badger we would let a goal in within four minutes; he said six. He "won"; HIggs let fly with a shot he will probably never repeat, twenty five yards out and arrow straight and giving the diving Pearce no chance. There were then five minutes remaining and the visitors pushed for more reward, but with a great sprint down the left McCarthy left defenders in his wake before he slid a perfect cross for Barrance to score number four with a minute of regulation time left. There was just time for Karle Andrews, guilty earlier of an astonishing miss, to be booked for kicking the ball away when all he was doing was, thinking, rightly, that he was onside, he lobbed the keeper for what should have made the scoreline 5-1. That would, honestly, have been harsh on Hanworth Villa.

As mentioned, Croydon away is the next game, and on Tuesday 9 March Colliers Wood United come calling, as do Chessington & Hook United on the 13th and Cove on the 20th. Hopefully Egham will not be all at "C".

EGHAM TOWN: Lee Pearce, Anthony Oaks, Michael Carey, Wayne Noad (c), Tom Martin, Jamie Keith, Adam Foulser, Luke Muldowney, Matt Graves, Adie Barrance, Karle Andrews. Subs: Charlie McCarthy (Graves, 80), Patel (Foulser, 80), Tom Bentley (Keith, 82), Stuart Derry.