Match Report
John O'Hara League Cup:Second Round
 Westfield 1Jones 87(pen) |  Horsham YMCA 5 Carden 28(pen) Grant 50 O'Hara 52 Flint 88 Bidwell 90 |
Date: 24th September 2005 Location: The Parish Field, Westfield
Source: West Sussex County Times
THE GOALS flew in as YM moved into the third round of the John O'Hara Cup at the expense of Division 2 side Westfield.
Dean Carden, James Grant, Joel O'Hara, Nick Flint and Gary Bidwell all joined in the fun as the visitors comfortably saw off the underdogs.
"It was not a pretty game to watch but job done," said YM manager John Suter. "It was not a good pitch to play on but we needed to win and we did that."
Despite the deluge of goals, Tom Carter, YM's steadying influence at the back, was voted man of the match. "We defended well. It was a workmanlike performance," added the Gorings Mead chief, who has now seen his side win seven of their last eight matches.
County League champions YM asserted their authority from the first whistle and could have been ahead in the first minute had O'Hara not shot wide after racing clear of the defence.
The same player had YM's next chance following good work by Ali Russell and Russell Eldridge but this time stabbed a shot straight at the Westfield keeper.
But YM did not have to wait long for the opening goal which arrived in the 25th minute. Carter's effort was handled in the box, Garden -YM's seemingly flawless penalty taker - converted from 12 yards.
Westfield's only hope rested on capitalising from a defensive mistake and they almost profited from a rare error moments later when Phil Fitzgerald was caught in possession. Sam Jamison, however, shot wide.
The two teams traded chances before half-time with Jamison just failing to get on the end of a cross before O'Hara's shot was saved by the Westfield keeper's feet.
It was more of the same after the interval as YM pushed forward in a bid to kill off the hosts.
Greg Brabon, fresh from his two goal burst against Storrington five days before, sent a 25-yard drive just wide moments after the restart.
Number two arrived in the 49th minute when Flint won Ian Chatfield's long kick and fed Grant who finished with aplomb.
YM killed off the game when they made it three six minutes later. After good work by Flint, Brabon crossed,
Russell stepped over allowing O'Hara to jink past the keeper and slot into an empty net.
Duncan Jones earned a consolation from the spot three minutes from time after Glen Woodburn had fouled David Miller but YM restored their three-goal lead in the 90th minute, also from the penalty spot. In Garden's absence - he had been subbed off - Flint successfully performed the spot-kick duty.
There was time for one more goal. After Eldridge and Grant had linked up to get the better of the Westfield right-back, Bidwell fired in from 25 yards.
The only downside to an otherwise satisfactory afternoon were injuries suffered by Fitzgerald and O'Hara. Both are expected to be out for two weeks.
Team: (4-4-2): Chatfield; Garden (Williams 70), Carter, Woodburn, Fitzgerald; Grant, Brabon (Bidwell 66), Eldridge, O'Hara (O'Carroll 60); Flint, Russell.