Match Report
County League: Division One
| Arundel 4 Cappell 14 Scerri 15 Wimbleton 51 Hack 77 |
Horsham YMCA 1 Duffield 1 |
Date:6th December 2003 Location:Gorings Mead
Source: Russell Staves, West Sussex County Times
CHRISTMAS might be the time of giving, but YM were guilty of being seasonally generous in their marking against free-scoring Arundel.
After Matt Duffield gave the visitors the lead after just 55 seconds, YM pressed the self-destruct button by continuously handing over possession like an unwanted Yuletide present and leaving themselves open at the back.
The home side went level when Elliott Cappell tapped in unharrassed at the back post and were ahead a minute later, the unmarked Miles Scerri benefiting from some slack defending to head home.
Jason Wimbleton made it three after the break with another header and the game was over as a contest in the 77th minute when Stuart Hack lashed the ball into the top corner after a goalmouth melee.
"I don't know what to do at the moment,' confided disappointed YM boss John Suter. who is the longest serving manager in the County League.
"1 thought they were a good side, they score a lot of goals, but we could not have had a better start and were still in the game at halftime:' he added.
Suter admitted that his side are having problems at both ends of the field, they are not scoring enough goals and their defence is porous to say the least.
"You can defend poorly and score goals, but you can't defend poorly and not score goals, he admitted.
And their plight was not helped by Andy Lutwyche's recent departure to Worthing. "I asked him not to go. When you sign for a club, it is for better or worse: said Suter
The weather might not have been inspiring — it was about as cold as an ex-wife — but the fabulous setting certainly was as the exposed ground sits next to the meandering River Awn and under the gaze of the magnificent Arundel castle, home to the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk.
YM, decked out in their changed blue strip, made a dream start when Duffield put YM ahead after less than a minute. Arundel keeper Matthew May, who looked unimpressive in the warm up, spilled Paul Young's low drive from the edge of the box but the visiting skipper was on hand to net the rebound for YM's first goal in five matches.
The small stand behind the dugouts, with its rows of white plastic garden chairs, looks like it was furnished from a trip to the Homebase January sale, but YM were not content to sit on their laurels and created another opening when Young took Duffield's pass but pulled his first time volley past the far post.
Despite YM's encouraging start, Arundel looked dangerous once they found their stride, particularly down the left where their twinkle toed blond winger Danny McLaughlin gave Dean Carden the runaround until his withdrawal late in the game.
It was from the left that Arundel. who are the league's top scorers, equalised in the 14th minute with a wonderful move which started after YM had given the ball away.
Scerri collected the scraps, played it wide to Gary Norgate who laid a teasing ball across the six yard box to Cappell who tapped it home after steaming in to support from right midfield.
It was from a similar position that Arundel doubled their lead a minute late. Again it was Norgate who delivered the killer pass to pick out Scerri and the former Storrington forward bad the simple task of heading past the exposed James Plumley.
The double blow deflated YM but emphasised Arundel's ability to score goals and only John Rigdens hooked clearance from under the bar prevented Wimbleton from heading a third.
Young looked the likeliest player to haul the visitors back into the game and he nearly embarrassed May for a second time with a free-kick from 25 yards but this time the keeper parried it wide, The resulting Nathan Sleat corner fell at Phil Churchill's feet but the ball got stuck under his boots and when he finally got his shot away he pul it over the bar from a tight angle.
YM kept coming forward and had chances to draw level in the dying moments of the half. Barry Pidgeon ruffled a few feathers when he nearly put Young's loss cross into his own net and Duffield tested May with a drive which the keeper needed two attempts to hold.
Arundel started the second half with vigour and only a fantastic, save from Plumley prevented them scoring a third when Jon Tucker sent McLaughlin clear.
But there was nothing the teenage keeper could do to stop the hosts going further ahead in the 51st minute. McLaughlin played a short corner to Scerri who ghosted past Young before laying a perfect cross for an unmarked Wimbleton to head in off the far post.
It looked a step too far for YM to get back in the game but an unmarked Davies should have scored when he met Carden's deep cross but headed it against the far post.
It was an awful miss from three yards and one that could changed the outcome of the game had he put it on target.
Plumley had to come to YM's rescue in the 68th minute. Ryan Andrews, who seemed to lose heart for the battle after the third goal, gave away possession and did not track back as Arundel streamed fowrard. McLaughlin laid it out to Norgate but Plumley rushed off his line to block.
Duffield could not get enough lift on the ball when he tried to chip the keeper in the 76th minute but it was game over for his side a minute later when Arundel scored a fourth.
From another short corner, substitute Steve Blake's cross fell invitingly for Hack to blast into the top corner.
Arundel were hungry for more as the night closed in, but blocks from Paul Charman and Sleat and two more excellent saves from Plumley to deny Norgate and then Scerri meant YM could at least leave with their pride intact.
YM travel to East Preston tomorrow hoping to improve their recent run of one win in 12 games.
Team:Plumley; Carden, Charman, Sleat, Rigden (Maynard 77); Duffield, Andrews, Potter (Brabon 83), Young (Jarvand 67);Churchill, Davies.