Match Report
County League:Division One
 Chichester City United. 0 |  Horsham YMCA 0 |
Date: 16th April 2005 Location: Chichester
Source: West Sussex County Times
COUNTY League champions YM showed few signs of a post-title hangover when they drew 0-0 at last year's winners Chichester City United.
The visitors, who sealed the first County League triumph in their 107-year history thanks to a fraught 1-0 win at Arundel the previous week, found Adie Girdler's men less hospitable than the Mullets.
Chichester, in danger of collecting the rare accolade of champions one year, relegated the next unless they pick up some much-needed points, afforded their opponents little charity in a game that could have seen both sides reduced to ten men.
"It was a hard fought draw," said YM boss John Suter, who is still glowing following his team's recent coronation.
Motivating players who have nothing but pride to play for is a nightmare scenario for a manager, but Chichester's physical approach during the early exchanges geed-up the champions.
A clash between the normally sterile Nick Flint and Chichester's Matt Osbourne set the tone for the rest of the game, while Alex Ward's bad tackle on James Grant did little to calm the atmosphere.
In keeping with a game of fouls, YM's first chance came from a free-kick which Ali Russell fired on target but Barry Squires saved comfortably.
Chichester forward Roger Moore should have opened the scoring minutes later, but, after being sent clearby Mark Jackson, he shot wide.
Grant was next to go into the referee's note-book for a foul, soon followed by Dean
Garden and Moore, although the latter was lucky to stay on the field after aiming a punch at his YM opponent. Osbourne was the fifth player to be booked towards the end of a combative half.
However, there was just enough time for Scott Tipper to test lan Chatfield, the YM keeper smartly turning the looping shot over the bar.
The interval did not calm the ill-feeling and Grant could
have been given his marching orders after swearing at the referee early in the second half.
YM captain Matt Duffield came within the width of the post from handing YM the lead while Flint's rebound was blocked and hacked clear.
Russell headed Nathan Sleat's cross over the bar and YM finally had the ball in the back of the net soon after but Lee Butcher was adjudged to be offside.
Joel O'Hara, normally so clinical in front of goal for a midfielder, then nodded Duffield's cross wide as YM began to gain the upper hand.
Despite their dominance, the visitors were given a nasty fright when Russell inadvertently headed against the underside of his own cross bar from a Jackson corner. The Chichester bench screamed for a goal, convinced the ball had bounced down and crossed the line, but the referee played on.
The visitors were given another let-off towards the end of the game when Barrie Westgate upended Tipper, but, for a second time, the referee incensed the Chichester bench by turning away their appeals for a penalty.
Team: (4-4-2): Chatfield; Garden, Westgate, Carter, Sleat; Duffield, Butcher, Grant, O'Hara; Russell, Flint (Moore 77).