Match Report
County League:Division One
 Horsham YMCA 5 Russell 5 O'Hara7, 19 Davies 61 Duffield 85 |  Hassocks 2 Harding 4, 68 |
Date: 30th April 2005 Location: Gorings Mead
Source: by Russell Staves, West Sussex County Times
ON THE day of their coronation, County League winners YM put in a champion performance to beat Hassocks 5-1
However, it was anything hut a cakewalk and they had to Overcome a Hassocks side who were intent on spoiling the party, particularly the impressive Pat Harding.
He opened the scoring in the fourth minute, side-footing Home from five yards past Ian Chatfield after James Langley had headed across goal.
YM drew level a minute later with a goal of the highest quality. Ali Russell - surely a contender for the club's player of the year award - curled a stunning 25-yard free-kick which left Hassocks goalkeeper Joel Harding rooted to the spot.
The 305-strong crowd had barely caught their breath when the hosts went ahead in the seventh minute, Joel O'Hara heading in after Matt Duffield had worked himself some space on the right.
The frantic pace continued as both teams knocked the ball around crisply on a snooker table of a pitch, courtesy of groundsman Peter Potter, and openings presented themselves at either end.
Steve Davies went close to a third when he lobbed the onrushing Harding but the ball clipped the outside of the post. Moments later, Hassocks' other Harding, Pat, would have equalised but for a good save by Chatfield.
The home side were irresistible at times, typified by their third goal which came on 19 minutes. Nick Flint, who has been on fire in recent weeks, trapped Tom Carter's long ball, swiftly turned and played in O'Hara in the blink of an eye. YM's flying winger applied his customary deadly finish.
It could have been more as YM turned on the style. Flint latched on to a weak header and drilled a thunderous shot against the near post, and moments before the interval the same player shot at Harding after good work by Duffield and Dean Garden.
Goal number four arrived in the 61st minute, although there was an element of fortune about Davies' goal.
James Grant headed Garden's cross towards the far corner where Harding made a flying save. Unfortunately for the keeper, Davies showed his predatory instincts and tapped home his 22nd goal of the season from four yards.
But a resilient Hassocks were in no mood to be cast as the jokers of the party, pulling a goal back in the 68th minute when Pat Harding cleverly curled into the top corner from the edge of the box.
Both sides made substitutions as the players finally displayed signs of weariness, but there was still time for one more goal two minutes from the end, fittingly scored by the captain.
Pushed up front by manager John Suter, Duffield showed a striker's prowess to touch home Gary Bidwell's cross to spark the long awaited celebrations.
Team: (4-4-2): Chatfield; Garden, Carter, Russell (Sleat 50), Levett (Bidwell 77); Duffield, Butcher, Grant, O'Hara; Flint, Davies (Moore 67).