Match Report
County League:Division One
 Horsham YMCA 2 Grant 10 Carden 60(pen) |  Worthing United 0 |
Date: 13th September 2005 Location: Gorings Mead
Source: russell Staves, West Sussex County Times
YM MOVED up to fourth in the league after a comfortable 2-0 win over Worthing United on Tuesday night.
Goals in each half from James Grant and Dean Garden were enough for the hosts who might have won by a more flattering scoreline had it not been for the heroics of Dean Fuller, the Worthing United goalkeeper.
He made five top-class saves as YM began to show signs of the form which brought their first County League title last season.
"I'm pleased with it," said YM boss John Suter. "It was a good team performance - people worked hard from start to finish."
The Gorings Mead men have made a habit of switching off for a half, whether it be the first or second 45 minutes, and Saturday's FA Cup defeat to Croydon, where they threw away a 1-0 lead after bossing the first half, was a fine example.
But the win over Worthing United, where they threatened in both halves without looking in danger, was an indication they might have found the remedy.
"We played for the whole of the game, probably for the first time this season," added Suter. "It was going to be difficult in the second half to match our first 45 minutes, but we played some good stuff."
YM started well in front of a sparse crowd and should have been in front within the first minute when Ali Russell latched on to a poor back pass but was denied by the excellent Fuller.
The visitors went close five minutes later, the portly Paul Brown stroked a free-kick inches wide of Ian Chatfield's goal, but the YM keeper had little to do all evening.
The same could not be said of his opposite number, Fuller, whose impression of a human wall prevented a humiliating scoreline.
United's gangly keeper made a super stop after ten minutes, flinging himself to his right to palm away Barrie Westgate's header which was looping into the top corner.
However, there was little he could do about YM’s opener a minute later.
Matt Duffield's through ball to Grant looked a little heavy, but the makeshift forward turned on the gas, beat the onrushing Fuller to the ball, rounded him and rolled the ball towards the goal.
United centre-half Mike Footman, who had galloped back in a desperate bid to clear the danger, tried to hack it clear but comically ended up tripping over the ball and watched in horror as it dribbled over the line.
YM went close to adding a second on 17 minutes but again Fuller was equal to the task, leaping to scoop wide Russell's header in a carbon copy of the save he made from Westgate.
YM were in the ascendancy, knocking the ball around smoothly, although often they lacked a final ball which would have rounded off a flowing move.
Grant had the last chance of the half when he shot past the far post with his left foot.
There was little of note at the start of the second half until Brown was penalised for needlessly pushing Westgate in the box in the 57th minute. Garden buried the penalty with due aplomb.
United, perhaps frustrated at being two goals down, turned the game into a bit of a kicking match. Their diminutive right back
Jason Hughes seemed intent on upsetting YM's man mountain Russell -a mismatch if ever there was one.
Russell thought he had scored number three but the referee disallowed the 'goal' for handball.
It was not Russell who possessed the Hand of God, however, for that belonged to Fuller.
He added to his fine collection of stops ten minutes from time when, having spilled Russell Eldridge's driven shot, he reacted bravely to throw himself in front of Russell - not a very nice prospect - who swooped on the rebound.
The final piece of action involved substitute Greg Brabon who collected a return pass from Russell before shooting. Needless to say, Fuller saved.
Team: (4-4-2): Chatfield; Garden, Woodburn, Carter, Fitzgerald (Levett 82); Duffield, Potter, Westgate (Brabon 71), Eldridge; Russell, Grant.
