Match Report
Sussex Senior Cup
 Horsham YMCA 0 Westgate 39 Eldridge 46 Woodburn 73 Russell 87 |  Arundel 2 Hack 22, 25 |
Date: 26th November 2005 Location:Gorings Mead
Source: Steve Payne , West Sussex County Times
REVENGE was sweet for YM as they overcame the side that beat them in the first game of the season - but they did it the hard way.
Arundel, sporting new signing Matt Axell, who played well for East Preston against YM the previous week, were allowed to go into a 2-0 lead before the home side showed strength and character to bounce back.
Before the match, YM manager John Suter was well aware of where the Arundel threats were likely to come from.
But even he could not have guessed the two goals conceded would have come from an unmarked central defender goal poaching at the far post.
But that is what Stuart Hack managed. His first was on 22 minutes when a volley by skipper Jim Smith was blocked by home keeper lan Chatfield. Smith fired the ball across the goal again and it reached Hack who couldn't miss from about a foot.
He netted the second three minutes later when the ball reached him in the same position, after the defence failed to clear its lines again.
YM were unlucky not to have been given a spot kick after 15 minutes following a strong shout for handball that looked obvious even from the stands.
But it was the visitors who took the initiative and Matt Huckett also had a header cleared away from danger by Tom Carter on the half hour.
By this time YM were getting very frustrated as they were playing the better football and both Joel O'Hara and Barrie Westgate were booked for poor tackles.
The vital breakthrough came six minutes before the break, though, when Garden's cross was poorly cleared and Westgate fired a high shot into the net from outside the box for his first of the season.
YM started the second half as they finished the first and, within a minute, Russell
Eldridge played a short corner with Kris Trevor and Eldridge's fierce cross-shot flew into the far corner.
Arundel were keen to battle back and, on 70 minutes, Dave Walker should have made more of a header with a clean sight of goal.
But it was YM, three minutes later, who edged ahead when Glen Woodburn flicked his header in from an Eldridge free-kick.
Substitute Mazin Hudai had a great chance to add a fourth when his pace and control saw him break away more than half the length of the pitch, only for the ball to bobble away when he tried to beat the keeper.
However, Arundel sealed their own fate with a poor back pass that left Matt Russell a great chance and his flick over the keeper was fitting reward for the tremendous amount of hard work he had put in.
It was a vital win as Ringmer continued their winning ways at the top of the table. It also proved that YM have strength in depth in AH Russell's continued absence with work commitments and with Wayne Potter, James Grant and Matt Duffield all out injured.
Afterwards, Suter was delighted with his team's work. "To be 2-0 down and to fight back to win 4-2 shows enormous character, I think. Even when they got the first two goals I don't think they were two goals better than us.
"It was a very big three points."
Team: (4-4-2): Chatfield; Levett, Carter, Woodburn, Eldridge; Garden, Westgate, Potter (Gellatly 70), O'Hara (Hudai 80); Trevor, Russell.