Staines & Lammas v Windsor & Eton
Combined Counties Division One
It was a first visit to see Staines & Lammas play but it was on familiar ground for me with Staines being tenants at Addlestone Moor, the home of Abbey Rangers, and a ground I am very familiar with! With a friend of mine, Nick Calvert, choosing to head to near neighbours Chertsey Town for their FA Cup tie, I managed to grab a lift to the Moor so a Saturday free of public transport worries, which was nice!
On paper this looked to be a tough task for the home side with Windsor & Eton sitting top of the league with eleven wins from their first twelve games, their only reversal coming in the second game of the season, a 1-0 defeat at Oxhey, which is also the only time they have failed to score this season. Many of Staines & Lammas matches had been won or lost by the odd goal, with them winning five of the eleven but one of the five wins was a 4-1 away win at Oxhey!
Adult entry to the ground was £7 with a good printed programme costing £2. Getting to the ground early meant I could sample yet more of the excellent food available at The Moor, foregoing my usual monster burger, I went for their highly recommended chicken nuggets (8) with chips which came in at £7.50 and they didn’t disappoint!
Unfortunately a team sheet from the hosts wasn’t available and hasn’t been uploaded onto FA Full Time so if I get any of the names wrong on the following report just let me know and I’ll amend.
So onto the game and the first half was full of hustle and bustle but with little end product with both sides pressing hard and cancelling each other out for long periods.
A Windsor corner was swung in from the left into the six yard box where Kai Boylan rose highest but he could only head it over the bar. At the other end a blocked cross looped up and bounced in front of Thomas Henry in the Windsor goal and bounced over him but the defence managed to clear.
A nice passing move across the pitch by the visitors reached Pawel Kolwalkowski on the right, he drifted in past two players and shot left footed from the edge of the area but his shot was always rising and cleared the bar. Windsor had another half chance from an Oliver Graham corner which was touched clear by keeper Oliver Mayer before being recycled and crossed in again to the far post where Jamie Griggs couldn’t get a clean header in under pressure and the ball bounced wide.
A Staines free kick on the left was floated in to the box where Matthew Hogg found himself unmarked but could only send his header wide of the far post.
H-T: Staines & Lammas 0 Windsor & Eton 0
The visitors started the half with a lot more purpose but it was the home side who had the first chance. Ethan Leeks putting a pinpoint cross on the head of an unmarked Daniel Bamba who did everything right, heading down and across the goalkeeper only to see it hit the bottom of the post and spin away to safety.
A mix up in the Staines defence ended with Mayer getting closed down well by Ross McKernan outside the box, the ball being picked up by Graham and he chipped it beautifully over the retreating keeper and into the corner of the net. 0-1
The game then slipped into a pattern that would continue for the rest of the match, Staines pushing to get back into the game with Windsor hitting them on the break. On the hour the visitors got their second, a Graham cross from the right was glanced into the corner by second half substitute Ashley Howes past the despairing dive of Mayer. 0-2
The hosts had a succession of corners in their attempts to get back into the game, for the fourth they tried a short corner but were forced back and eventually lost the ball. A strong run through the middle by Kolwalkowski played in Howes who was brought down in the area with the referee pointing straight to the spot (a very shaky video of the incident below!)
Another second half substitute, Oliwier Bach, took the penalty and sent keeper Mayer the wrong way with the ball nestling in the bottom right corner. 0-3
Again Staines threw everything forward but the away defence wanted a clean sheet and defended steadfastly. Another quick break in the 78th minute saw the visitors given a free kick just inside the Staines half. Mo Davies swung it into the area where Ben Catt stole a march on a static defence to volley the ball over the keeper and in off the underside of the crossbar. 0-4
Windsor thought they had a fifth when Howes lifted a lovely chip over Mayer but it was ruled out with the referees assistant flagging for an offside. Staines came close to grabbing a consolation goal at the end with a sharp shot from the edge of the box but Henry got down quickly to save well.
In added time Windsor did grab a fifth, a good run & pass from McKernan freed Jude Van Spall to run in on goal, his shot was parried well by Mayer only for McKernan to pick up the loose ball and side foot home. 0-5
F-T: Staines & Lammas 0 Windsor & Eton 5
It was a thoroughly deserved win for the visitors after a very even first half. Staines put a lot into the game and had a few decent chances but just came up short against a remarkably strong Windsor side who were quick on the break and clinical in front of goal once ahead, while also being strong defensively.
It was an enjoyable day out and an entertaining game and I wish the very best of luck to both sides for the remainder of the 24/25 campaign.