Match Report
County League:Division One
 Chichester City 0 |  Horsham YMCA 1 |
Date: 11th October 2005 Location: Chichester
Source: West Sussex County Times
CHAMPIONS, YM, are back on top of Division 1 after a 1-0 victory at Chichester. The visitors put in a fine display in what always looked a testing fixture and it would have come as no surprise had the score been a lot more.
"I'm pleased with the result and the performance, which I'm not normally," said manager John Suter. "I felt Tuesday night was a good performance throughout the 90 minutes. We played very well as a team so I went away happy.
"One nil didn't reflect the game, we should have been 3-0 up by half-time. We've played well in patches before but not throughout a game so that made it even more pleasing," he added.
YM had to wait until 20 minutes to go when they finally made the breakthrough thanks to the powerful Ali Russell who held off his marker to fire home.
They had a host of glorious chances in the opening quarter of an hour. The returning Barrie Westgate - who has only played once in the last 11 thanks to suspension and injury - somehow missed a point blank header from Russell Eldridge's free-kick.
Minutes later James Grant blazed over the bar having been clear and Eldridge did the same following excellent link up play by Grant and Kris Trevor.
Chichester were restricted to long range efforts as Bel Al Miah was the first to test Ian Chatfield from 30 yards but the YM stopper saved comfortably.
Chatfield then had to deal with a Scott Tipper header but the hosts were lucky to go into half-time scoreless after the cultured left peg of Eldridge curled a free-kick just over and the same player then saw an excellent chance tipped round the post.
The second half started like the first finished, with the visitors carving out openings. Matt Duffield, who Suter is delighted to see back along with Westgate, cut the ball back for Grant but his shot was clawed over the bar.
Westgate was denied by the keeper with Eldridge again the provider and Duffield won a race with the keeper, squared it invitingly across the goal but there were no team-mates there to convert an easy tap in.
Dan Stimpson had a low drive well held by Chatfield before YM broke the deadlock. The away side caught Chichester on the break as Grant went on a long run at the heart of their defence and fed Russell, he beat the keeper via a slight deflection whilst under pressure.
From another Eldridge set piece Westgate managed to miss the best of his chances. "He headed wide when it looked easier to score, we couldn't have heard the end of it if he had have scored two goals though," remarked Suter.
In a bid to get something out of the game Chichester threw on an extra forward but their only chance was from Tipper and Nick Levett did well to clear off the line.
YM host Eastbourne Town tomorrow (Saturday).
Team: (4-4-2): Chatfield; Garden, Carter, Woodburn, Levett; Duffield, Westgate, Eldridge, Grant; Russell, Trevor.