Match Report
Sussex Senior Cup - 1st Round
 Littlehampton Town 0 |
 Horsham YMCA 1 Moore 36 |
Date: 5th October 2004 Location: Worthing
Source: By Russell Staves, West Sussex County Times
YM STAVED off a second-half assault from Littlehampton on Tuesday night to move into the second round of the Sussex Senior Cup.
Leading through Clinton Moore's 36th minute header – his fourth goal in two games – YM had to survive a heavy bombardment before edging through to a second round meeting with either Saltdean or Lancing.
However, it was YM who went closest to scoring in the second-half when Moore thumped a 64th minute penalty against the bar and strike partner Nick Flint crashed an audacious 25-yard volley against the post.
"I thought we deserved it, just," said YM manager John Suter, who played for Littlehampton in 1957. "They dominated the second-half but we hit the bar and the post, so we could have won 3-0."
Suter conceded that most of the second-half was played in the YM half and Littlehampton, playing with five men across the back with veteran Gary Young sweeping, had an extra man whenever they won possession.
"We knew they would come on to us so we let them have the ball and kept our shape. Their passing in the middle was better than ours, but they did not force the pace and we defended well," added Suter.
For all their possession and pretty link-up play in midfield, goals win matches and Littlehampton failed to find the back of the net, thanks in large to YM keeper Ben Courtney and centre-half Ali Russell.
Former Forest keeper Courtney, deputising for the injured James Plumley, made a handful of good saves in only his third appearance for the club, the best an outstanding block to thwart Darren Pearce's point-blank volley. His handling, considering the swirling wind, was as secure as Fort Knox.
However, it was the performance of Russell that stood out. A striker by trade, Russell has enjoyed spells with AFC Wimbledon and Carshalton, but the imposing figure slotted comfortably into central defence alongside Tom Carter.
Winning everything in the air and looking equally at home with the ball at his feet, Russell frustrated the Littlehampton forwards, led by the sprightly Clinton More – who should not to be confused with YM's match-winner.
"Ali was man of the match on Saturday and I would have given it to him again last night – he was outstanding," said Suter.
With YM top of the County League and Littlehampton hot on their heels, the Sussex Cup clash promised to be a spectacle. But, as so often happens, the game flattered to deceive and rarely ignited into an all-action tie.
Whether it was due to the wind, both teams abandoned their passing game and thumped long balls towards their forwards. Brian Clough would have winced if he was watching and had the ball been pumped any higher then the great man would have been able to kick it back down to earth.
YM's Moore, fresh from a hat-trick against Pease Pottage on Saturday, looked most likely to break the deadlock. In the tenth minute he sliced Gary Bidwell's cross horribly wide but went closer five minutes later, his header from Matt Duffield's cross was cleared off the line.
Twinkle-toes Flint showed how dangerous he can be just after the half-hour. Collecting the ball 40 yards from goal, the diminutive forward effortlessly weaved through the defence before firing a shot from the edge of the box. Grey-haired keeper Micky Phillips, who played against Suter many moons ago, looked beaten but the veteran scrambled across goal and tipped the shot against the bar.
YM deservedly took the lead when Moore nodded in Flint's cross, which proved to be the only goal of the game.
Littlehampton bossed the second-half and how different the game would have been had Dean Carden not cleared Stuart Hack's header off the line five minutes after the re-start.
The home side, decked out in yellow and black, swarmed forward sensing an equaliser, but they were fortunate not to go further behind.
After another jinking run, Moore unleashed a shot which the creaking Phillips did well to save although the keeper was miles away from the Moore's penalty which cannoned off the bar, awarded by referee Lloyd Rendell for handball.
Littlehampton had two chances in quick succession to level the tie in the 78th minute, but Courtney acrobatically palmed a mis-hit cross wide before pulling off the save of the game when he spread himself to block Pearce's volley.
Moore headed a great chance straight at Phillips while Hack should have equalised in the 84th minute at the other end but he nodded Young's intelligent cross over the bar.
Littlehampton's hopes went with Hack's header but it would have been cruel on the hosts had Flint's last gasp volley found its way past Phillips.
Team:(4-4-2): Courtney; Duffield, Russell, Carter, Sleat; Carden, Bird, Comper, Bidwell; Moore, Flint.