Match Report
County League:Division One
 Horsham YMCA 1 M.Russell 10 |  Whitehawk 1 Phillips 16 |
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Date: 21st January 2006 Location:Gorings Mead
Source: West Sussex County Times
TITLE chasing YM and Whitehawk drew 1-1 as they both lost ground on leaders Ringmer.
The hosts took an early lead in a bruising encounter thanks to Matt Russell from close range but Toby Phillips equalised after a quarter of an hour and that is the way it stayed with the table toppers winning to extend their advantage to nine points, having played three games more than YM.
Having been second best for the opening period of the match, when the Gorings Mead outfit matched their uncompromising opponents in terms of their physical approach to the game, they looked the more threatening.
However YM did escape at the death when the visitors smacked the woodwork.
YM manager John Suter was satisfied with the result, he said: "I felt we had more chances to win but went closest to losing it when they hit the post. We had them under quite a bit of pressure at the beginning of the second half, we needed to score when we were the better side. I don't think either side deserved to lose."
Russell Eldridge gave the Brighton side a warning of what his cultured left foot can produce in the fifth minute when he picked out Dean Garden who came steaming in at the far post but volleyed well over.
Four minutes later Eldridge curled a free-kick into the far post where Glen Woodburn nodded the ball across goal for Russell to finish.
Whitehawk responded strongly and were the better side with lan Chatfield clawing the ball away from Ryan McBride but he could do nothing about the equaliser.
A corner was drilled in low and Phillips smartly clipped the ball into the top corner, inches above the defender on the line.
YM looked rattled and Chatfield kept them in the game thanks a good save from Graham Martin's deflected drive.
Woodburn came close to handing YM the lead again but his shot from another Eldridge cross was headed off the line.
The hosts surrendered possession cheaply and were nearly punished by Tommy Pattenden but Phil Fitzgerald made an excellent block.
Towards the end of the half YM started to play better. Quick thinking by Dave Gellatly sent Eldridge clear but his cross was just in front of Matt Russell who would have had a simple tap in.
The champions came out the sharper side after the break and came close to scoring twice in the opening minutes, first a Garden drive went over then, after good play by Russell and Gellatly, Eldridge fizzed a shot just wide.
A long clearance from Chatfield sent Eldrige away down the left, he skipped past Andrew Beech, pulled the ball back for Russell but his shot was excellently headed off the line.
The remainder of the half was end-to-end as Aaron Gunn fired over from outside the area then Chatfield had to be at his best to thwart Pattenden in a one-on-one and to parry away McBride's shot.
Whitehawk also had a loud shout for a penalty turned down as Woodburn tangled with McBride in the box.
For YM, a mazy run by substitute, James Grant, set up Garden but Matt Ades tipped his shot over the bar and fellow sub Kris Trevor threatened on a couple of occasions.
With three minutes to go Whitehawk nearly stole all three points when McBride rifled against the post but a draw was a fair result, leaving YM and Whitehawk in second and third respectively.
Team: (4-4-2):Chatfield; Duffield, Hooper, Woodburn, Fitzgerald (Levett 68); Garden, Westgate (Grant 60), Potter, Eldridge; Gellatly, Russell (Trevor 78).