Match Report
County League:Division One
 Littlehampton Town 2 Windsor 21 Brackley 45 |  Horsham YMCA 4 Flint 55, 70 Butcher 80 Russell 90 |
Date: 28th March 2005 Location: Littlehampton
Source: West Sussex County Times
YM TOOK a giant leap towards County League glory after they came from two goals down to beat Littlehampton.
Trailing to Mark Windsor and Peter Brackley strikes at half-time, Gorings Mead boss John Suter switched from 4-3-3 to'4-4-2 and the results were instantaneous.
Man of the match Nick Flint, in his first start since February 5, put in the sort of performance everybody knows he is capable of and pulled the hosts level with a brace.
Now in the ascendancy, the runaway league leaders - who need just two points to win the title - took the lead ten minutes from the end when Lee Butcher stabbed home. The dramatic turnaround was complete in the last minute thanks to Ali Russell's late tap-in.
"You would never have thought that we would get anything out of it at half-time," said a relieved Suter, who has watched his side turn three 2-0 deficits into victories this season. East Preston and Redhill were the other two sides who failed to subdue a resilient YM second half performance.
The YM supremo admitted he made a blunder with the formation and added that the introduction of substitute Joel O'Hara in the second half improved his side's fortunes.
"We played without enthusiasm or touch, but the formation was the thing that was wrong. Ali Rennie [YM assistant manager] was not in favour of it and he was right. We changed it at half-time and it made all the difference," he added.
Despite struggling to adapt to the new formation, YM nearly opened the scoring in the seventh minute when James Grant's header rebounded off both posts before Russell's follow-up shot was cleared off the line.
Grant had another chance which he miscued but Littlehampton, who exploited the space in the midfield, began to fashion opportunities of their own, with Windsor and Lee Gibbs both guilty of squandering openings.
Windsor, however, made amends in the 22nd minute, beating YM keeper Ian Chatfield to Brackley's pass before shooting into an empty net.
Tom Carter's header was saved at the other end as YM sought parity, but it was the visitors who went closest to scoring again.
Chatfield was nearly left red faced when he was caught in possession by Brackley. The Littlehampton striker sent a curling shot goalwards but Nick Levett scurried back and heroically headed over the bar.
Brackley then crashed a thunderous shot against the post - "he nearly broke it," said Suter - but the lively frontman was not to be denied a third time, clinically dispatching the ball past Chatfield after Levett was robbed of possession.
After a ' change to four in midfield and a few stern words, YM were a different side after the break and made their intentions known early in the half as Russell nodded two chances at goal.
They pulled a goal back in the 55th minute when Flint knocked in a rebound after Ellis Hooper's shot had been saved.
With O'Hara causing problems down the left and Flint a constant menace, despite a horrible miss soon after his goal, YM pulled level on 70 minutes.
Flint, with team-mates screaming for a pass, opted to go alone and fired a stunning shot in from the edge of the box.
Barrie Westgate and Grant saw chances go begging as YM pushed for a winner and a third goal duly came ten minutes from the end as Butcher prodded into an inviting net following a spillage from the Littlehampton keeper.
The league leaders nearly threw it away as Chatfield and Hooper got in a muddle at the back, but the defender recovered to deny Windsor with a magnificent last ditch tackle.
With nerves frayed, Russell sealed the win in time added on, beating the Littlehampton keeper to Chatfield's long kick before rolling the ball into an empty net.
"I was relieved more than anything at the end," said Suter. "It's a big three points."
YM will be crowned champions if they can win at Arundel tomorrow.
Team: (4-3-3): Chatfield; Garden, Hooper, Carter, Levett; Grant, Westgate, Butcher; Davies (O'Hara 58), Russell, Flint (Moore 83).