Injury time penalty earns Leighton a point

Egham Town FC 2-2 Leighton Town FC

Craig Bicknell welcomed back Phil Draycott and Dave Murphy into the starting line up today with Alvin Rajaram and Ash Farmer both unavailable to play. 

Leighton kicked off the first half but it was soon clear that Egham were the much more physical side. The first corner of the game fell to Egham in the 5th minute, but there was no need to panic as it went straight out for a goal kick.

Halluna Mesembe put Egham into the lead in the 11th minute. He walked all over Mark Bunker, producing a low and powerful shot, that caught Zaki Oualah off balance and went straight into the back of the net. 

Billy Lobjoit had a go at goal for Leighton three minutes later but the ball bobbled between the Egham defenders allowing Jamie Norris to gather the ball easily. 

Josh Ansdrew could have made it two for Egham, when he bowled over Leighton's defence, but his shot found the post. Leighton had their first corner of the game 20 minutes in. Mitchel Gutteridge cleared it easily with his head but only as far as Murphy who played the ball back in but Danny Watson was offside.

Watson had a shot in the 31st minute but it was well blocked by Yinka Salami. Michael Lyon clattered into Norris in the 35th minute. Norris landed awkwardly and played was stopped so he could receive treatment. 

A great shot by Draycott saw Norris have to plam the ball away and moments later Watson came close but Salami headed it into Norris's hands to stop him from scoring. 

Lobjoit was shown a yellow card in the 40th minute for kicking the ball away after a free kick had been awarded. Lyon also received a yellow card just two minutes later just after Aaron Morgan had been involved in a colliding tackle with both Troy Furgerson and Wilson Gondwe. 

Egham kicked off the second half Bunker took his chance at goal but Norris managed to catch the ball with a bit of a fumble. 49 minute on the clock and Egham managed to get their second goal of the game.

Danny Bassett went one on one with Bunker and won, slipping the ball easily into the corner of the net. It could have been 3-0 as Ansdrew managed to work round Robbie Goodman, he then played the ball to Brendan Matthew who skied it over the bar.

Leighton made their first substitution in the 54th minute bringing off Tyrone Taylor for Christian Lester. A fantastic shot by Morgan in the 57th minute curled too far and just missed the post. 

A second substitution for Leighton saw Lyon replaced with Anthony Ottaway in the 59th minute. Leighton had a corner in the 65th minute. Draycott played the ball into the box to find the head of Lester but he headed it over the bar.

A succession of injuries for Egham saw them make their first substitution of the game in the 70th minute. Finally in the 77th minute Leighton managed to pull a goal back.

Gary Ridgway played the ball through to Lobjoit, who managed to curl the ball straight into the corner of the net, a shot that Norris had no chance of saving. An 80th minute corner from Ansdrew saw Oualah punch the ball away and clear off the box to stop Egham extending their lead.

Oualah continued to deny Egham of a third goal, he saved Ansdrew's one on one strike and then Bunker cleared the ball off the line in the 86th minute. Handbags were at dawn in the 88th minute. Matthew squared up to Oualah and once things had settled down the referee showed yellow cards to both Matthew and Ansdrew.

Five minutes into injury time and Ridgway challenged the keeper in the air, with Norris beating Ridgway and sending him to the floor, the referee blew his whistle and pointed to the penalty spot.

Leighton had been thrown a lifeline. Watson stepped up to the spot, keeping calm under the pressure he slotted the ball home, to end the game in a 2-2 draw.

Leighton's next game and last game of the season is away to AFC Hayes on Saturday 25th April, kick off 3pm.

Egham Town FC

Team- Norris, Williamson, Gutteridge, Gondwe, Salami, Neville, Ansdrew, Furgerson, Bassett, Matthew, Mesembe

Subs- Carter, Cunningham, Brewster, Castello, Goulter

Leighton Town FC

Team- Oualah, Bunker, Ridgway, Goodman, Murphy, Taylor, Morgan, Lyon, Lobjoit, Watson, Draycott

Subs- Irving, Fitzjohn, Ottaway, Lester

Attendance- 69

By Hannah Sellman