Match Report
County League:Division One
 Worthing United 0 |  Horsham YMCA 2 O'Hara 35 Davies 64 |
Date: 26th March 2005 Location: Worthing
Source: by Russell Staves, West Sussex County Times
STEVE Davies scored his fifth goal in as many games as ten man YM moved a step nearer the County League title on Easter Saturday.
Davies popped up with his almost customary strike in the 64th minute, toe-ending lan Chatfield's long kick past opposite number Dean Fuller as YM ground out a 2-0 win over Worthing United.
Joel O'Hara had earlier put the visitors ahead when he side-footed home James Grant's low cross after a typi¬cally mazy dribble from the industrious midfielder.
However, the game could have been so different had Worthing United punished Barrie Westgate for a moment of recklessness that saw the league leaders reduced to ten men in the 58th minute.
After YM had conceded a foul on the halfway line, Westgate landed a petulant kick on Neil Shelley's shin as the midfielder lay on the floor.
Referee Carl Brook had no option but to brandish the red card, prompting the crimson faced Westgate to disconso¬lately troop off, past his seething manager John Suter, before he sat behind the YM dug-out.
"It was a dreadful sending off," said Suter. "It was a rush of blood and I have no doubts about the validity of the refer¬ee's decision. He [Westgate] said 'sorry' afterwards but it could have cost us.
"But it's another excellent three points, especially with a man sent off," he added.
The Worthing United ground, sandwiched between Sainsburys and a horse field, is hardly the most inspiring arena.
Cut into a hill, the rutted pitch made football difficult and the first half offering was more Sainsburys' value selec¬tion than their gourmet range.
On a warm afternoon, it was the hosts who had the first chance in the ninth minute when Tim Vaughan controlled Fuller's long kick but weakly dragged his shot wide of lan Chatfield's left post.
Grant then flashed a shot over the bar as play switched to the other end but Worthing squandered the best opening on 19 minutes, Joe Shelley vol¬leying straight at Chatfield as the YM defence desperately pleaded for an offside.
YM began to come to terms with the bobbling ball and cre¬ated a number of good open¬ings. Top-scorer Davies should have done better when he lobbed into Fuller's grateful arms after being played through by the superb Grant, while the strangely subdued Ali Russell tested the Worthing keeper with a daisycutter of a free-kick.
The visitors took the lead in the 35th minute. Grant, a con¬stant thorn in the hosts' side, went on a jinking run on the left hand side of the box before crossing to O'Hara who tapped in a chance your grandmother would have tucked away.
Neither side grabbed the ini¬tiative at the start of the second half although YM defender Ellis Hooper forced every male in the sparse crowd to wince when he lamped a ferocious free-kick into a Worthing defender's nether-regions.
The cultured defender sent the rebound goalwards, an effort which was blocked, and Fuller saved Hooper's third attempt.
Westgate's silly sending off might have sparked a Worthing revival, but YM doubled their lead with a route one goal that the Wimbledon of old would have been proud of.
Chatfield launched another meaty drive downfield, his opposite number Fuller fal¬tered allowing Davies to prod home from 12 yards. Goal to goal in two touches - simple.
The Worthing subs ironically wore blue t-shirts bearing the slogan 'bring out the beast', but the hosts were kept at bay by some dogged defending, with the magnificent Dean Garden to the fore.
Team: (4-4-2): Chatfield; Westgate, Hooper, Carter, Sleat; Garden, Butcher, Grant, O'Hara; Russell, Davies (Moore 89).