On their second venture to Surrey in two weeks, Tahj Bell and his Aylesbury United teammates secured a well-deserved win at Egham Town.
They had to wait until the 87th minute to do so and were then indebted to goalkeeper Bell’s miraculous save even later in the game.
Both sides had chances in the opening minutes, but it was Egham who edged into the lead with just eight on the clock when Josh Andrew had the freedom of the right flank to cross into the box, where the ball was missed by Bell and his defenders allowing Sebastien Castello to tap into the empty net.
It was a disastrous start by Aylesbury and it nearly got worse as the dominant hosts produced a slick passing move that released Danny Bassett but Bell was out quickly to save.
Captain Jack Wood might have done better when he shot wide of an open goal when Putman’s 25th minute corner was helped on by Greg Williams, and Aylesbury’s frustration in front of goal was further compounded as Stacey Field became the next man to miss an easy chance when Putman’s low shot came across the box to him but he fired over.
Still the procession went on, Williams releasing Putman whose shot was blocked behind, whilst another Putman shot matched by a very good save from Norris after he was played through, before a corner kick met by Bill Morgan and then Coulter looked to have crossed the line, but the vociferous Aylesbury appeal fell on deaf ears.
The second period started with a shot from the edge of the box by Frederick was comfortably held, before Egham showed some moments of threat as Bassett’s ball into the box was fired wide under pressure from Shane Wood by Castello, an then Bassett himself fired high and wide on the turn after Bell had only been able to punch at a corner kick.
But it was at the other end where the bulk of the action remained, but Aylesbury still had nothing to show for their efforts with Williams heading over a Putman corner, Bewley hitting a long shot over and from another flag kick Morgan met the ball, where it bobbled around in the box with Jack Wood just unable to profit.
Eventually the pressure had to tell, and in the 65th minute Aylesbury finally had the ball in the net – just! Good linkup between the front two saw Putman freed and although his shot was well saved, the ball broke to Field whose own effort looped up off a defender, hit another man trying to clear on the line before it at last found the net. 1-1
Egham tried to hit back and a dangerous shot in the box was kept out by a combination of Bell and the upright. Morgan then volleyed over in attack before sliding just wide of his own goal when employed in defensive action.
Three minutes from time and it was Aylesbury who claimed what turned out to be the winner. Substitute Shaun Owens, who had only been on the pitch seven minutes, produced a peach of a right wing cross where defender Danny Williamson could only head cleanly into his own net, with Putman lurking with intent.
Just before that Bell had a moment of uncertainty as the Bermudan spilled a low, bobbling shot only to be let off the hook by his defensive colleagues, but he made amends a minute from time with an unbelievable save, getting down with lightning quick reflexes to save from Haluna Masembe. A world class save, and ultimately a match-winning one.
With stoppage time approaching, Egham had finally come to life as they applied more heavy pressure in the shape of three successive corner kicks, which were generally well defended by Aylesbury.
Deep into the aforementioned stoppages, of which the referee from somewhere found five minutes to add on, Bewley made a superb defensive clearance, Andrew had a shot charged down, and Masembe was denied again when he was played through only for Bell to advance from his line and make another good save.
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