Match Report: Here’s to You, Mr Robinson

Egham Town 0–3 Uxbridge | FA Trophy 1st Round |

Saturday October 24 2026 | Attendance 182

Not since our injury-time winner at Bath City way back on 29th August had Uxbridge played an away game on a Saturday. Thankfully for the travelling red army, it was fairly local as we took on Step 4 Egham Town in the 1st round of the FA Trophy. It could have been a lot further had The Sarnies not had an impressive victory away from home at Step 3 side Maldon & Tiptree (based in Essex), who coincidentally play in the same division as Lewes, who we beat in the last round to progress to this stage.

The Sarnies were on a four-game winning streak in the South-Central Division, scoring 13 goals in the process, and sit fourth in the league table; whilst the Reds also went into this one in good form, winning 6 of our last 8 matches in all competitions. Uxbridge have had a fairly settled starting line-up this season but were missing three of those regulars, with captain Sam Deadfield suspended and fellow midfielder Luis Le Paih injured, along with striker George Moore watching from the sidelines.

There were 5 changes from our last outing on Tuesday night: Liam Prior-Tack came in for the aforementioned Deadfield, taking the captain’s armband with it, Orlowski was in between the sticks, and there was a first start of the season for Joe Lawal in place of Eddie Allsopp, who was named as a substitute. Troy Perez-Duah returned from suspension in place of Toby Nnadozie, and the final change was to the back 4, as Calum Duffy replaced Jack Burchell, who was on the bench. Ollie McCoy was also named as a substitute as he returned from his injury.

Egham also made 5 changes from their win on Tuesday night. One was ex-Red Ben Peden at centre-half, taking the captain's armband, and another—rather surprisingly—was top scorer Connor Cullen, who had scored 9 in 16 this season.

Egham started very much on the front foot and had the first corner of the game in the 3rd minute, which forced Orlowski into a good diving save following a free header from an Egham attacker.

With the home team still in the ascendancy, Excellence Muhemba did well on the left-hand side and squared the ball to McMillan, but his forceful shot was bravely headed over the bar by Duffy. The subsequent corner was met by the head of Wayborn, but it was wayward.

Uxbridge's first attack was in the 15th minute when Lawal thought he was through on goal, only to be thwarted by a good covering block by an Egham centre-half.

As ever when I have the privilege of writing these match reports, it hammered down with rain (thinking back to that Tuesday night in Guernsey). Not only is it a nightmare for writing notes, but it makes it awfully difficult for a decent game of football to occur. Today was no exception, as both teams huffed and puffed with the wind threatening to blow down the trees to the side of the pitch!

With half-time approaching (42nd minute), Perez-Duah struck a shot from outside the box which was deflected wide for Uxbridge’s first corner of the game. Prior-Tack delivered a superb outswinging ball in for Robinson to produce a bullet header through the keeper's legs to open his Uxbridge account at the twelfth time of asking. He had been unlucky not to score prior to today’s game on many occasions. Egham were forced into a change on the stroke of half-time, Wilks coming on for the injured Brazier, which caused a reshuffle of their back line. The referee then blew the whistle for half-time.

HT 1-0

Uxbridge started the second half brighter with the rain easing up, as the Uxbridge fans congregated at the far end behind the goal and tried to find a spot underneath the stand where there wasn’t a hole in the roof! Just two minutes in, Lawal was fouled—a common theme as the half went on. Prior-Tack took the free kick from the corner of the box, which looked destined for the top corner, only for Watkins in the Egham goal to produce a fantastic save.

Lawal was coming more into the game, and another foul on him earned the first caution of the game for Benito. 10 minutes into the half, Egham brought on top scorer Cullen and Clayton for George and Benito. This seemed to spur them on, with a good block in the box by an Uxbridge body keeping Egham at bay.

Egham got their first corner of the half in the 61st minute, having had 4 in the first half.

It was Uxbridge that nearly doubled the lead in the 66th minute. Egham failed to clear their lines from a free kick, but Duffy’s volleyed shot was well blocked by the onrushing Watkins.

5 minutes later, Uxbridge doubled their lead. Nelson slipped a fine pass to Robinson through on goal; his shot was again well saved, but the ball fell invitingly back to Robinson, who took a touch and composed himself to beat the 3 defenders on the line. You wait so long for one, and then two come along at once…Egham were not out of it, and with 15 minutes of normal time left, a long throw found an unmarked Cullen at the back post, whose acrobatic shot was excellently saved and tipped over the bar by Orlowski.

With Lawal making a long-awaited comeback, it was no surprise to see him withdrawn in the 76th minute for Allsopp. Nelson also made way for Burchell as Uxbridge changed formation to a back 3. Egham made their final sub of the day in the 78th minute, with McMillan withdrawn for Karczewski.

A minute later, a lovely ball over the top found Robinson bearing down on goal, but a professional foul by Wilks halted his chance for a hat-trick. The referee deemed there was a covering defender, and in my opinion he was correct. The free kick—centrally, 30 yards from goal—was hit by Amartey. It looked destined for the corner, but it hit the upright for a goal kick, with the keeper either standing to admire it or convinced it was going wide!

In the 83rd minute, Ollie McCoy made a welcome return to action for Amartey.

Sandwiched in between (I’ve tried my best not to do any puns), Egham still believed and missed another chance from their left-hand side when a cross was put wide.

Barely a minute had passed when McCoy, with his first touch, latched onto a great pass over the top by Allsopp. Through on goal with the keeper to beat, he dinked his effort over the onrushing keeper, only to see it go agonisingly wide.

Egham thought they had a goal back in the 86th minute, but a last-ditch block by Burchell forced a corner. With the fourth official ready to put his board up, Robinson picked up the ball 30 yards from goal and unselfishly passed to Allsopp, who shot across the keeper into the corner for a 3-0 lead.

There was still enough time for one side of the floodlights to go out—unlike Uxbridge’s cup run, which progresses to the 2nd round for the first time in 4 years. The draw for the next round is on Monday, with the game being played around the weekend of 14th November, which means the Bracknell game will be rescheduled.

We have Basingstoke away on Tuesday night. It will be great to see as many of you there as possible, especially as they beat Plymouth Parkway in the league on Saturday

FT: 3-0

Uxbridge: Orlowski, Brown, Martin (George), Duffy, Massey, Nelson (Allsopp), Perez-Duah, Prior-Tack, Amartey (McCoy), Robinson, Lawal (Burchell) Sub not used: Nnadozie

Match Report by David Mallam