Match Report
County League:Division One
 Horsham YMCA 1 Eldridge 21 |  Chichester City United 1 J.Smith 46 |
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Date: 14th January 2006 Location:The Old Barn
Source: Steve Payne, West Sussex County Times
WANTED: one striker. Abilities needed - to hit the target with the hope of scoring goals. Apply Horsham YMCA manager.
Saturday's match proved YM desperately need someone able to score goals or, at least, trouble the keeper.
The side should have sealed ,*his match in the first half, but were punished for their poor finishing.
It was a familiar sight as the -players chalked up two shots .on target (scoring from one) .but had 15 off target.
The visitors also had two on target (scoring from one) and just three wide of the mark, but it would have been no surprise had Chichester snatched victory.
YM have Matt Russell (though still injured on Saturday) who can score, but his strengths lie in the ability to shield the ball and supply chances for others.
Kris Trevor is still finding his way after injury, while Joel O'Hara is more of a wide player.
A despondent manager John Suter summed the match up afterwards: "The game should have been won in the first half.
"We dominated the game and created the better chances.
"Not only do we not score goals, we get so many shots off target. In the last third of the field we lose our composure.
"All we think about is trying to create a defence-splitting pass or having a shot. We don't think about the options, we take the first one and go gung-ho at it.
"They [Chichester] would have thought at half-time 'we've ridden our luck but we're still in the game' and I think it encourages other teams to attack more in the second half.
"It's the F word - frustration."
The first half misses came from Dave Gellatly (three), though he performed well in midfield, James Grant (two), including a lob that was nowhere near, a header wide from O'Hara, and a shot from Nick Levett that went off target.
The goal came after 21 minutes from a corner and the ball was not cleared but fell to Eldridge who pinged it in.
As spectators wandered back from their half-time cup of tea, Chichester levelled.
With 30 seconds gone, a good break saw YM's defence shouting for offside but the ball was whipped in to the far post where both Scott Tipper and James Smith were waiting, and the latter fired home.
YM dominated once more, but the goalmouth again seemed to have a barrier round it as Ellis Hooper blasted over twice in good positions, sub Trevor fired wide and, from a corner, the ball miraculously went over the bar during a melee in the penalty area.
Chichester had a couple of decent players in defender Miah Belal and sub Neil Murfin but, in truth, YM made their opposition look good.
Remarkably, the ref played around eight minutes injury-time in the first half and another ten for the second. However, the way YM were shooting the side would have needed far more before they scored again.
Team: (4-4-2):Chatfield, Garden, Carter, Woodburn, Levett; Duffield (Trevor 72), Hooper (Potter 80), Gellatly, Eldridge; Grant, O'Hara.