Match Report
County League - Division One

Horsham YMCA 3 Wick 0
Taylor 52, 79
O'Hara 82

Date: 26th December 2002    

by Russell Staves, West Sussex County Times

Gorings Mead

Joel O'Hara takes a tumble against Wick, picture by Mick Burren, courtesy of West Sussex County Times LIKE a lion stalking its prey, YM toyed with Wick before killing them oft with three second-half goals on Boxing Day.

But the home side probably found finishing their Christmas turkey easier than polishing off the numerous opportunities they carved out for themselves against their relegation threatened opponents.

If ever there was a game of missed chances, then this was it and had YM been sharper in front of goal then their 22-I record win over Littlehampton in October might have been scrubbed out before the ink had had time to dry.

Gil Taylor, who scored a hat-trick in that mauling, was again on the scoresheet with his 18th and 19th league goals of an already excellent season to give YM a two-goal cushion.

Joel O'Hara got the goal that his enthusiastic performance deserved to put the hosts further ahead, and Wick will have felt they were spared a hiding and have keeper Michael Oakley to thank after a superb first half performance.

YM manager John Suter, who spent 23 years at Wick as a player, admitted he was a little anxious until Taylor found the net in the 52nd minute.

"You think it might be one of those games — total domination by one side and then the other team breaks and scores. The message at half-time was not to get frustrated and keep creating," he said.

Suter could feel more relaxed seven minutes after his team-talk as Taylor clinically finished off an excellent move after Nick Flint had released Nathan Sleat down the left wing to cross accurately.

"It was a cracking goal," said Suter, before marvelling at Taylor's efforts this season. "I did not look at him as one of our goalscorers but he's scored 19 goals by Christmas. He set himself 15 for the season, it's incredible."

The morning drizzle that greeted the players as they emerged from the changing rooms was more autumnal than winter and it only took two minutes to set the scene for the rest of the game as Tony Miles blocked Flint's shot after an early YM attack.

Miles was again in the thick of the action seven minutes later when he turned Micky Hennessy's low cross behind. From the resulting set-piece taken by Sleat, the impressive Scott Langridge won a header but could not force Oakley into a save.

Langridge wins his fair share of aerial challenges but tough tackling is another feature of his game which has won many admirers since his debut against Burgess Hill in December. One crunching tackle on the unfortunate Hassan Yassan set up another fluent YM move involving Hennessy, Sleat and Flint but ended with Wayne Potter's wayward shot flying over the bar and into a nearby garden.

The pressure did not subside and YM should have taken the lead in the 24th minute. O'Hara crossed low to Taylor but the in-form striker's shot from eight yards was brilliantly saved by Oakley.

The Wick keeper was equal to another Taylor effort after Flint and Peter Durrant had combined.

The chances kept on coming but the net behind the goal was getting more of a working over than the goal netting. Matt Duffield played a well-weighted ball down the channel for Taylor, who held off Adam Stallard and squared to Flint but the front man fired over the bar.

Flint, whose ten goals against Littlehampton is a league record, has not scored since that infamous nightbut had enough chances to end his drought. O'Hara and Sleat linked on the left but Flint's left foot finish went over.

Oakley saved well from both Taylor and Duffield as the half drew to a close while Wick managed their first real foray towards Jason Dumbrill's goal Jordan Willis' weak header from Rob Bessey's cross went wide just before half-time.

After YM took the lead through Taylor, the home side went looking for more goals with the scorer was only denied a second by a good block.

Flint's goal quest continued with another shot that blazed over the bar and Sleat, who supported the attacks with marauding runs from left wing, fired across goal after taking a touch.

The introduction of Michael Death put Flint out of his misery and the substitute had an immediate impact robbing Stallard on the right wing and crossing to O'Hara who side-footed over the bar.

YM deservedly doubled the lead in the 75th minute. Potter, who sits in front of the back three, made a rare burst into the Wick box and passed to Taylor who side-footed past Oakley.

Two minutes later, O'Hara's shot forced Oakley to save with his foot at the near post after Ryan Andrews had played the ball out wide. But the winger did not have to wait long to find the net, heading in Sleat's corner in the 82nd minute.

Team:Dumbrill; Durrant, McCreadie, Langridge; Duffield (Garden, 81), Hennessy (Andrews, 59), Potter, OHara, Sleat; Flint (Death, 78), Taylor.