Match Report
County League: Division One
 Horsham YMCA 2Kirkwood 28 Carden 32(pen) |
 Molsey Ruggles 49 |
|
|
Source: Alan Norbury, West Sussex County Times |
JASON Dumbrill went from villain to hero thanks to a dramatic injury time penalty save at the death of an action packed match.
The Horsham YMCA stopper guessed correctly to dive to his left and keep out a Steve Brown spot kick with 92 minutes on the clock.
Scott Kirkwood and a retaken Dean Garden penalty gave YM a two goal advantage at half time, but dangerous Molesey front man Phil Ruggles was gifted a goal early in the second period by Dumbrill.
It was a stressful way for YM to gain their first ever home win in the Ryman League, but Suter admitted he had to be happy with the three points, gaining revenge for a tepid FA Cup preliminary round defeat to the same opposition a week earlier.
"The requirement tonight was that they looked like they wanted to win. The difference from last week was that everyone gave everything they had. At times it was not enough but you cannot ask for more."
A scrappy start saw both sides struggle to assert themselves or keep possession for long periods. A moment of casual defending almost cost YM on 12 minutes. Skipper Ellis Hooper tried to walk the ball out and was mugged by Ruggles, but the striker hit a tame effort at Dumbrill.
YM had struggled put anything cohesive together until the 20th minute when Dave Gellatly was afforded some space in midfield.
And then, almost out of the blue YM took the lead with some of the best football they have produced so far this season.
Tom White fed James Greenfield on the right flank with a perfectly weighted ball, Kirkwood held his position well on the far side of the box to meet Greenfield's cross and produced a cool finish to put the Gorings Mead outfit a goal up.
Neither side had threatened until then and Molesey were incensed at conceding the first goal.
Three minutes later their anger intensified.
James Grant, who worked his socks off as a support striker, found his way to the by line and his scrambled cross struck John Murphy on the arm from close range.
Referee Paul Andrews pointed to the spot - cue protracted protests from the visitors. Garden stepped up but Chuck Martini fell the correct way and beat out the penalty.
The Molesey joy was immediately cut short when Andrews ordered it be re-taken - he had spotted Martini come marginally off his line. Garden kept his cool as others were losing theirs, and once the furore died down, placed an unstoppable penalty which brushed the side netting as it went in.
Molesey were totally shell shocked and the next five minutes saw some extremely scrappy football.
Grant missed a golden opportunity to compound Molesey "s misery, he mis-kicked on the stroke of half time after Kirkwood found him in space in the box.
The visitors' mood improved soon after the break however. The YM defence passed up the responsibility of clearing and passed back to Dumbrill, rather than clearing high into the mild Friday evening sky, he took a touch.
But Ruggles was on him like a flash, the striker charged down Dumbrill's clearance and had the simple task of nodding the ball into the net when it spun kindly for him.
In the mad few minutes that followed, Ruggles smashed an effort onto the bar and YM were rocking, a few desperate clearances later and the home side were met with the unlikely sight of Garden instructing his team mates to calm it down.
YM had stopped creating chances, and White's shot which whistled just wide of Martini's upright was as close as they came to restoring the two goal advantage.
Just as the three points looked in the bag, a roller coaster game took another twist two minutes into stoppage time when Hooper was penalised for handball.
Brown scored the winner at the same end in the FA Cup clash between sides last week, and now had the chance to rescue a late point, but Dumbrill dived low to keep out the penalty and earn three vital points.
Man of the match: Dean Garden - kept his cool in an explosive game and worked well alongside Rob Mills in defence.
Magic moment: Tom White's ball to Greenfield in the build up to YM's opener was superbly weighted.
YM (4-4-2): Dumbrill; Garden, Mills, Hooper, Levett; Greenfield (Shoefield 70), White, Gellatly, Kirkwood; Grant, Davies.