Match Report
County League:Division One
 Sidley United 2 Miles 59 Rose 60 |
 Horsham YMCA 5 Russell 30, 57 Moore 43, 77, 82 |
Date: 4th December 2004 Location: Gorings Mead
Source: West Sussex County Times
YM BANGED in five top quality goals as they beat Sidley United.
The 5-2 victory sent the Horsham side 13 points clear at the top of the table.
Clinton Moore nailed a hat-trick from the bench and Ally Russell scored two in a fine display.
"It was our hardest working performance of the season," said manager John Suter.
"I said at the beginning of December that I would be relatively pleased with six points from this month and we have three already which is a good start," he added.
The hosts made a lively start to the game but it was YM who had the first opening after 17 minutes when Matt Duffield released Steve Davies but his shot was blocked by the keeper.
Russell then had a chance to score minutes later but he wasted it having been put clear by Davies.
However, it was Russell who broke the deadlock on the half hour mark when he rose prodigiously to beat the keeper to Liam Ahearne's long ball and head into an empty net.
Davies scuffed an effort from the edge of the box before YM doubled their lead in fine style.
Two minutes before the break some good work down the right resulted in substitute Moore playing a one-two with Davies before he thrashed the ball into the back of the net.
Moore blazed over right on the stroke of half-time when he could have done better as YM pushed for more goals.
At the beginning of the second half Sidley nearly pulled one back when Jordan Wood's header from point blank range went straight at a grateful lan Chatfield from a left wing corner.
At the other end, Moore played a fan¬tastic first time pass to Davies who did well to control the ball and beat his marker but failed to hit the target.
James Grant and Davies both put efforts wide of the post as the visitors were cruising and after 57 minutes, YM finally added a third, route one style.
Chatfield launched the ball up the pitch to Davies who found Russell and the powerful forward cut inside and unleashed a blistering drive that flew into the back of the net from 30 yards.
"It was an astonishing strike, no-one moved," purred Suter.
YM were stunned by two quick goals in as many minutes as the hosts came back into the match. The first came in the 61st minute
Chas Lister found Kevin Rose, his shot was parried by Chatfield and Keith Miles rilled the rebound back into the top corner.
Rose got the second as he arrived unmarked at the far post to clinically finish off a good move to make YM a little nervous.
The league leaders nearly surrendered their lead shortly afterwards but a fine tackle by Barrie Westgate diverted Rose's shot just wide of the upright.
But the visitors settled down and were back on top as Joel O'Hara saw his effort well blocked by the Sidley keeper from a Moore cross.
The visitors scored a fourth when another Chatfield long ball was missed by everyone apart from Moore who latched on to it and dispatched it into the back of the net.
The scoring was completed by Moore who claimed his hat-trick with a tremendous curling shot that went into the top corner from outside the area.
O'Hara was again denied when Moore sent him clear but the three points were in the bag for Suter's men.
A table topping clash tomorrow sees YM face a trip to third placed Ringmer in what could well prove to be their toughest test in the league to date.
Team:(4-4-2): Chatfield; Ahearne (Bidwell 77), Westgate,Carter, Levett; Duffield (Garden 77), Potter (Moore 31), Grant, O'Hara; Russell, Davies.