Match Report
County League:Division One
 Ringmer 0 |
 Horsham YMCA 1 Moore 59 |
Date: 11th December 2004 Location: Ringmer
Source: Patrick Corlett, West Sussex County Times
A MOMENT of magic from Clinton Moore lit up an otherwise drab affair at Ringmer.
After 59 minutes of huffing and puffing, Moore settled the top of the table clash with a wonderful piece of individual brilliance.
With his back to goal, the forward let Nick Levett's throw-in run across him, swivelled, and volleyed past Ross Standen in the hosts' goal.
The tall keeper could be forgiven for scratching his head after picking the ball put of the net as a goal from either team looked as likely as a white Christmas. But then miracles do happen at this time of year.
A merry John Suter strolled around the Ringmer bar after the game with a grin wider than Santa's sleigh, and who could blame him? His side are 11 points clear at the top of the County League after all.
"That was a very big three points," said Suter, as he took a sip from a celebratory pint. "It was a very good result. It was a good battling performance against a side who are a good battling side themselves. The sides cancelled themselves out."
The game was a battle, epitomised by Dean Garden's bloody nose in the first half and Joel O'Hara's black eye, but YM came through unscathed thanks to Moore's goal.
"It was a quality finish. A goal worthy to win the game," added Suter.
On a dank afternoon in East Sussex, it was clear that pretty football would be at a premium once you had a look at Ringmer's heavy and bumpy pitch.
The visitors lined up with Ellis Hooper and Lee Butcher, formerly of Carshalton and Three Bridges respectively, but neither side managed to string much quality together.
Ringmer slightly edged the opening exchanges with the lively Dominic Shepherd and Grant Bean wasting good chances to open the scoring.
YM, in keeping with the festive spirit, seemed content to give the ball away when they did manage to win back possession.
The home side were the width of the post away from taking the lead in the 42nd minute. Shepherd, who together with the YM defence had a running battle with the linesman in the first half over some contentious offside calls, raced clear of his marker.
But with Ian Chatfield to beat, the forward dragged his shot and watched it rebound off the far post.
The two sides traded chances at the start of the second half as the winter night began to draw in. Ringmer, who were playing down the slope, worked a corner well, with Gareth Green flicking the ball on to Gary Stacey.
His header looked to be looping in until Chatfield leapt and tipped the ball over.
Tom Carter, who was outstanding at the heart of the YM defence alongside the classy Hooper, then headed over at the other end.
Ringmer's poor floodlights did little to lighten up proceedings but Moore's strike certainly lifted the spirits.
The forward almost repeated the dose three minutes later when another volley was scrambled away, despite Steve Davies' best efforts to bundle the ball home.
Chatfield made another super save, diving low to deny Green who had waltzed through two tackles, while Davies missed a great chance soon after.
O'Hara, who ran like a gunman's dog all afternoon, tackling ferociously, chasing down lost causes and fetching possession, charged down the line and crossed into the box. Davies timed his run and jump to perfection but sent a header wide.
The blond forward squandered another chance when he latched on to Danny Bird's weak back pass and shot horribly wide, and he was unlucky not to poke in James Grant's effort with five minutes remaining.
But his wholeheartedness typified the visitors and while Ringmer will have felt hard done by, victories like this are what champions are made of.
Team:(4-4-2): Chatfield; Ahearne, Carter, Hooper, Levett (Sleat 89); Garden (Duffield 73), Grant, Butcher, O'Hara; Davies (Flint 85), Moore.