Match Report
County League:Division One
 Littlehampton 1 Levett (og) 75 |  Horsham YMCA 2 Carden 23 (pen) Russell 68 |
Date: 7th January 2006 Location:The Sportsfield
Source: Steve Payne, West Sussex County Times
YM CAST off their Boxing Day demons with six of the best points in 72 hours.
The sad home defeat to Three Bridges was a distant memory as the Gorings Mead men won both games on the road against tough opposition.
Saturday's win at Crowborough was probably the best, considering the quality of the home side and the poor quality of the pitch.
But Monday's victory on a top quality Littlehampton pitch showed the side's ability to control a game and frustrate the opposition.
However, there was a cost as the hard-working Mall Russell pulled a hamstring, leaving manager John Suter with Kris Trevor, himself just back from injury, as the main striker.
On Monday, Suter said: "In the last 72 hours we have got six difficult away points. And we have to be pleased with that. It was a shame what happened on Boxing Day but we tried our best to cover that."
YM took control in the first half at Littlehampton with Dave Gellatly, Joel O'Hara and Russell all having good shots saved by the keeper in the first 20 minutes.
This was after the home side had tested YM keeper lan Chatfield in the first minute.
It was no surprise when the visitors took the lead, though Littlehampton gifted it.
The dangerous Dean Garden was creating problems down the right and another of his telling crosses after 23 minutes was handled by Mark McCallum and Garden smacked home the spot kick.
It was nearly 2-0 three minutes later when a flick header from Russell fed Russell Eldridge whose shot cannoned off the post.
The home side pushed another player up front after the break but Littlehampton were restricted to long shots.
YM finally extended their lead after 68 minutes when another Garden cross found Russell in the box and he comfortably beat the keeper.
Littlehampton did not look like scoring until Nick Levett decided to lunge at a long back pass that he should have left alone.
The deflection sent it past Chatfield who had come out to collect and the ball ended up rolling gently into the net.
Virtually from the kick-off, sub Kris Trevor had a shot saved and Gellatly fired the rebound well over the bar from close range.
With 15 minutes left after the own goal it was a question of YM desperately trying to hang on to the ball and the home side scrapping for possession, making it a very untidy finale.
Suter said after the game: "It was a very good first half. We totally dominated it and 1-0 didn't reflect the amount of old story - suddenly they're on the front foot and we are on the back foot. It was an ugly last 12-15 minutes and I feel relieved to get the three points."
Team: (4-4-2):Chatfield, Garden, Hooper, Woodburn, Levett; Duffield, Potter, Gellatly (Grant 92), O'Hara; Russell (Trevor 70), Eldridge.