Match Report
County League:Division One
 Littlehampton Town 2 Pearce 81 Churchill 90 |  Horsham YMCA 1 Bidwell 60 |
Date: 26th February 2005 Location: Littlehampton
Source: West Sussex County Times
JOHN Suter insists there is no crisis at Gorings Mead after YM slipped to their third defeat in five games.
The County League runaway leaders' latest blip came at Littlehampton where former YM forward Phil Churchill condemned his old manager to a 2-1 loss with a 91st minute goal.
"Our recent form could be better but it's certainly not a crisis," said Suter. However, YM still have an 11-point lead over second placed Rye although Whitehawk clawed back some ground with a 2-1 win over Sidlesham.
"They are the ones to watch. If they win their two games in hand then they will be ten points behind us," said Suter.
The veteran manager had his work cut-out selecting a team to travel to the south-coast as Matt Duffield, Ali Russell, Nick Levett, Joel O'Hara and Liam Ahearne were all unavailable.
Suter responded by handing Wayne Potter his first start since recovering from injury – the midfielder will spend the next month in Australia – while Nathan Sleat and Gary Bidwell were given rare starts. Clinton Moore joined former Littlehampton man Steve Davies up front.
After a rather tedious goalless first half where neither side threatened, YM took the lead on the hour.
Moore's free-kick was only cleared as far as James Grant who crossed for Bidwell to nod home at the far post.
Littlehampton came forward in search of an equaliser and went close when Darren Pearce fired a 30-yarder over the crossbar.
Disaster nearly struck when Churchill charged down Ian Chatfield's clearance. Littlehampton's Mark Windsor then miskicked in front of an empty goal and Tom Carter nearly completed the catalogue of errors by slicing just wide of the post, narrowly escaping an own goal.
Littlehampton pulled level in the 81st minute, although YM were unfortunate that the injured Barrie Westgate had to go off just before the hosts took the corner which Pearce scored from.
With the game seemingly heading for a 1-1 draw, YM were kicked in the teeth by a familiar face a minute into time added on when Churchill cut back onto his right foot and fired past Chatfield.
The forward, who showed little of that finishing finesse at Gorings Mead at the start of the season, moved to the Marigolds from YM just months earlier.
"How ironic," said Suter. "You could not have written a script that he would score against us. It was all he did in the game but it was worth an extra two points."
YM travel to second placed Rye next Saturday.
Team:(4-4-2): Chatfield; Carden, Hooper, Carter, Sleat; Bidwell, Westgate (Butcher 81), Potter, Grant; Moore, Davies.