Egham Town v Ascot United Men

Report

YELLAMEN FIGHT BACK TO BEAT EGHAM

 

Ascot recover from two-nil down to win 4-2

 

Ascot United mounted a stirring fightback from 2-0 down to overpower Egham Town 4-2 on Tuesday evening. Trailing 2-0 inside the half-hour mark and facing increasing pressure, Gavin Smith’s battlers levelled it before half time before running away with it in the second half.

 

Can Ascot finally take something from their travels?

Such is the short hop down the A30 for the visitors they could almost try to imagine it was a home game, and in Egham they faced a side locked alongside them on 27 points.

 

Ascot’s away form was the worst in the league with one win and seven defeats in eight, but maybe this was the chance against a Sarnie side with just one home league win from their ten, even if they had only lost four of them.

 

With a big win Ascot could move up five places to eighth, but their travelling fans just craved something, especially in this part of Surrey.

 

Pulsating first half sees Yellas fight back

In a captivating first half littered with chances, Ascot showed first as Lucias Vine’s low shot from a tight angle was saved by the feet of home ‘keeper Michael Edegbe.

 

However, Edegbe’s next intervention with his feet was nothing short of remarkable, re-adjusting his toe-end mid-flight to somehow turn Khalid Simmo’s deflected effort around a post.

 

But Egham would grow into the game and force corner upon corner, although it was a close range finish from Jordi Ebanda at the far post that gave them a 14^th minute lead just when Ascot had thought they had cleared their lines.

 

Ascot survived another almighty goalmouth scramble at the midpoint of the half but they were powerless when Ebanda slammed home left-footed from the edge of the box, low into the left hand corner, with 27 minutes played.

 

Time to get some zzz’s

However, Ascot responded inside sixty seconds with a contender for goal of the season.

 

Andrio Brandao threatened with a close-range shot that was blocked and cannoned up into the air and back outside the penalty area, but Ezekiel Williams was hawking in space and he cracked a dipping, first time volley over Edegbe and into the top left for the instant response which Ascot needed.

 

Now in the ascendancy, Ascot threatened again when Cameron Rohart-Brown’s low shot was blocked, before Vine’s cheeky low effort from a narrow angle squirmed through Edegbe’s grasp only to be hacked off the line by defender Reece Yorke.

 

 

Which side is your bread buttered?

However, the visitors got the equaliser they deserved two minutes before the break when Simmo put Brandao through, and although Brandao elected to shoot early and see Edegbe make a save, the ball rebounded kindly straight back to to Brandao who sorted his feet out quickly to roll the ball into the left-hand corner first time.

 

Game on, as they say.

 

Eggy’s done it again, but his side will crack

Edegbe was at it once again three minutes after the restart with another fine stop, this time brilliantly reacting to Vine’s powerful shot to the upper left-hand corner, turning it behind to safety.

 

Any lingering thoughts that the visitors’ energy would wane were extinguished when they added a fine third goal in the 57^th minute. This time, Troy Murray – not long introduced – was involved after Ibby Sankoh raking pass had picked him out on the right, and after Williams had made the run, his first touch was enough to tee up a low shot that beat Edegbe at his near post.

 

Oh no, Lamb’s gone and shanked it!

It should have been 4-2 seven minutes later when Simmo’s corner from the right bounced across the area and fell kindly for Bailey Lamb at the far post, but his slashed effort sailed wide when it looked easier to at least hit the target.

 

Babs your uncle and night Sarnies

But the fourth would arrive and this time it was unlikely spot-kick taker Babs Dehghani who gave the home side the zzz’s. Kamara was involved, cutting inside before seeing his legs taken away in the box by defender Connagh Wilks. Up stepped Dehghani in front of the sizeable travelling support in Thorp Village, and his perfect penalty, low into the bottom left side-netting, was enough to silence any lingering murmurings from the home support.

 

Its just bread and butter at the back

At this point, there were still eleven minutes for the home side to force a grandstand finale, but the Ascot defence had long wisened up and covered any further attempts to threaten Plumley.

 

And, finally, the Yellamen had earnt a win on the road. The A30 has never looked so good driving away from Thorp Village.

 

And, as for the table, Gavin Smith’s side are up to ninth and with games in hand.

 

Not quite upper crust yet, but the travelling fans will raise a toast to this one.

 

Ascot United: Plumley, Pache, Rohart-Brown (Murray 53’), Edwards (Osbourne 81’), Sankoh, Simmo, Williams, Brandao (Harry 72’), Vine (Dehghani 72’), Kamara, Lamb. Sub unused: Allsopp

 

Venue: Runnymede Stadium

Attendance: 131

Weather: 6c, clear

Reporter’s star man: Ezekiel Williams

Entertainment: 4

Away fans estimate: 35

One-word summary: Satisfying