Match Report
Sussex County League: Premier Division
| Horsham YMCA 4 Churchill 7 O'Hara 60 Young 82 Bird 90 |
Chichester City United 3 Leigh 75 Laidlaw 84 Jackson 90 |
Date: 2004 Location:Gorings Mead
Source: Richard Bryne, West Sussex County Times
YM BEAT league leaders Chichester despite a late wobble to record back-to-back league wins for the first time since October.
A 4-3 scoreline might suggest a Spurs against Manchester City thriller but YM were in control of the game from the moment Phil Churchill put them ahead in the seventh minute.
They preserved their lead until the break with a committed performance and looked to have settled the match when Joel O'Hara nodded in from a corner on the hour.
But the Mead men never like to do things the easy way, and although they had rarely looked under pressure, they allowed Steve Leigh to give the visitors a sniff of a point when he netted from close range with 15 minutes left.
As the game opened up, Paul Young's clinical finish in the 82nd minute eased the home fans' nerves but within two minutes Chichester substitute Jamie Laidlaw pulled it back to 3-2.
In the final minute, James Bird, on his debut after re-signing for YM from Burgess Hill, arrowed a spectacular 30-yard 'Frank Lampard' into the corner and that appeared to be that. However, the ease with which YM allowed Chichester to score again suggested there might be a shady betting syndicate sitting in the corner of the stand, and the hosts had to last out the final few seconds.
YM manager John Suter felt the scoreline flattered the hosts. "It looks like it was close but it was not really," he said. "I felt we were the better side all the way through. We kept them in the game by giving them goals but it made it exciting for the spectators."
He was obviously pleased to beat the leaders and joked: "Despite our recent form I don't think we are going to win the league, but it is encouraging."
Anyone who saw the corresponding fixture last year will remember
FIRST blood. YM striker Phil Churchill slips the ball past Chichester keeper Lee Preston to open I the visitors producing some of the best football seen at Gorings Mead all season in a 3-3 draw, but on this evidence they do not look like potential league champions.
"We were better than them today and we've taken four points off them this season. I think it's between East Preston, Rye and Three Bridges," said Suter.
"I said to my players that if they play to their potential they will win the game. We didn't sit back and defend, we kept pushing forward and creating chances. It was a good performance and everybody deserves credit for it. We worked ever so hard."
On a bright sunny afternoon, the smattering of fans had just settled down when GLS man of the match Churchill gave YM the lead. Nathan Sleat won the ball in the centre circle, Young's delightful flick sent his fellow striker striding away, and Churchill slipped the ball past the advancing Lee Preston.
With the combative Bird and Wayne Potter in the middle of the park, YM made it difficult for the visitors, orchestrated by Ali Rennie who barked instructions from the dugout. Matt Duffield and O'Hara tucked in to combat Chichester's three men in the middle and Young and Churchill never gave the visitors' back-three a moment on the ball.
The visitors had plenty of possession but rarely threatened and their only real chance came in the 17th minute when veteran striker Roger Moore flicked on a near post corner but Dean Garden headed off the line.
YM's energy disrupted the visitors. Chichester's back-three sometimes dwelled on the ball too long and Young's persistence twice almost embarrassed them.
The game was compressed into the middle third but the battle between YM's no-nonsense defender Barrie Westgate and Chichester's flame-headed striker Scott Tipper was absorbing. Westgate nailed his opposite number when he careered in to win a header near halfway prompting a cry of "have some of that" from a home fan. After several more strong challenges Westgate was clearly winning the battle as Tipper moaned unsuccessfully to referee Henry De Winne.
Tipper, who Suter has called up to the Sussex squad this season, was clearly not on his game and miskicked badly when Moore pulled back the ball invitingly into his path.
YM defended well and got bodies behind the ball but were less effective in possession. The pace of Young and Churchill always posed a threat, but the home side gave the ball away too easily at times and Bird was feeling the effects of a seven-week lay-off as he struggled to keep the ball on the pitch with several attempted long passes.
The hosts should have doubled their lead shortly after the break when Duffield skinned Mark Jackson down the right and whipped in a cross. O'Hara arrived, unmarked at the far post but the ball skimmed his forehead as he dived in to try and convert.
Duffield had another great opening in the 58th minute when he robbed Leigh but the shaven-headed sweeper just managed to get back and block as the home skipper was poised to shoot. But YM scored from the resulting corner when Westgate headed the ball back across goal and O'Hara nodded home as the visitors watched.
Chichester boss Adie Girdler responded by immediately throwing on two substitutes.
Skipper Paul Thomas tried to catch lan Chatfield with a shot from the restart but the Horsham keeper, who is on loan at Gorings Mead, held the ball comfortably.
But YM oozed confidence. Duffield knew he had the beating of Jackson down the right and the Chichester wing-back must have been sick of the sight of the number seven bombing past him. The home skipper's crosses were equally telling and O'Hara and Young were both close to adding a third.
In the 72nd minute Chichester gambled and threw Laidlaw up front. Within three minutes they pulled one back when Leigh netted from close range after Ben Hitchman caught the home defence napping when he launched a long throw into the box.
As the game became stretched more goals looked likely. With eight minutes left, Bird played in Young and the leggy striker appeared to have settled it when he drilled the ball into the net but within two minutes Laidlaw replied from close range to again put the result in doubt.
In the 88th minute, YM substitute Gil Taylor launched a quick counter, O'Hara pulled the ball back and Bird was only denied by a fabulous one-handed save by Preston.
But the visitors' keeper had no chance in the final minute when Bird beat him from 30 yards with a crisp strike that flew into the bottom corner.
"I'm happy to be back at YM, it's always a friendly club. I just put my head over the ball and hit it," said Bird.
YM must have felt safe but Chichester did their Terminator impression and got up one more time when Jackson scored in stoppage time. It would have been an injustice if the visitors had grabbed a draw but with only seconds left, even YM could not give it away again.
Team: Chatfield; Garden, Westgate, Silsby, Sleat; Duffield, Bird, W Potter, O'Hara; Young (Taylor 84), Churchill (Still 90).