Match Report
Sussex Senior Cup
 Horsham Town 1Mingle 8 |
 Horsham YMCA 0 |
|
|
Source: Allan Norbury, West Sussex County Times |
JACOB Mingle scored his first goal for Horsham as they overcame neighbours Horsham YMCA in the Sussex Senior Cup on Tuesday night.
The new signing's eighth minute strike was enough the separate the two sides in a strangely muted encounter. Anyone hoping for a blood and thunder cup tie between the local rivals would have been sorely disappointed, as the Hornets played much of the game in cruise control and YM struggled to make it out of second gear - failing to muster a single shot on target.
Horsham started brightly, but faded badly and manager John Maggs admits he is baffled why his side cannot perform against the lesser teams.
"It was job done really," he commented.
"The first 15 minutes was the same as the Billericay match, and we should have gone on but we deteriorated and the second half was woeful.
"There's something in our make up, it was like the Tilbury game (in the FA Trophy), they were poor and we muddled our way through and lost our shape.
"We have to be a bit more professional about these sides, and I say that with respect to them, but we have to do a better job.
"The result was the main thing and I'm not knocking that, I want perfection, having seen the way we played on Saturday, that was polished."
YM boss John Suter was disappointed there was not more spark to the game, but conceded Horsham were always the better side.
He said: "It was disappointing, and I'd imagine disappointing for them (Horsham) too, there was not a lot of passion and the game needed a spark.
"Horsham knocked it around well and they have some very good attacking players - they may be a little vulnerable at the back but you can't do anvthing without the ball.
"We didn't have a good touch, we were quiet, and too many of our regular performers didn't play well.
"There were mitigating circumstances, such as having five players missing from the team which played on Saturday, and a rookie goalkeeper in Mike Wood, which affects the people in front of him."
The home side started positively, Jamie Taylor just missing out on a touch from Stuart Myall's long flicked-on throw - but at the back they looked shaky.
Fellow new boy Kevin Hemsley and Gary Charman were guilty of being too casual in possession, almost gifting YM's Scott Kirkwood and Andy Ottley opportunities.
But a fine move for the goal seemed to show the Hornets were settling down. John Westcott and Lewis Taylor combined well to slide a ball into the box for Mingle to arrive a fraction earlier than Matt Ottley and fire his side ahead.
A minute later Charman was carried from the pitch after he clashed with Dean Garden and careered into the advertising hoarding, his replacement Nigel Brake demonstrated Horsham' s strength in depth.
The closest YM came to finding a way through saw Kirkwood dispossess Lewis Taylor and lift a shot over Alan Mansfield's bar, but so far the Gorings Mead outfit were playing in fits and starts.
Horsham retained the ball well, with clever passing from Myall setting a lot of moves into action.
Brake came close to adding a second, but couldn't apply the final touch to Jamie Taylor's cross after the striker robbed Mo Shuga'a.
A flurry of action midway through the first half saw Pat Massaro slice a chance high and wide for YM and Jamie Taylor hit a looping volley over the bar from Carl Rook's chest down, while Glen Woodburn was given a free header from an Andy Ottley cross but didn't connect properly.
A real moment of class almost put Horsham two up on 43 minutes.
Westcott touched a free kick to Jamie Taylor, whose sweetly struck drive smacked into Wood's crossbar.
YM looked a little sharper at the start of the second half, but still lacked any cut and thrust in a subdued second period.
Lewis Taylor flashed a shot wide for Horsham, and Jose Goncalves tried to lift the crowd when he went on a buccaneering run with quick feet to earn a corner.
Horsham were dominant, and the only thing to threaten that was the odd misplaced pass from the back - of which there were too many for the home fans' liking. Fortunately for them YM were unable to capitalise.
On 68 minutes Shuga'a tackled back well to deny Jamie Taylor after he had rounded Wood, but the match was starting to fizzle out as Horsham played it around at the back.
Suter added: "Horsham will say they did what they had to do.
"I have no complaints about being beaten and we were lucky it wasn't more."
Maggs commented: "The only way YM were going to score was if we gave them a present."
Man of the match: Stuart Myall - a wonderful range of passing, could be some player if Horsham can get him fit
Magic moment: Jose Goncalves made a twinkle toes run from deep to lift the quiet crowd.
YM (4-4-2): Wood; Garden, Woodburn, M Ottley, Shuga'a (Fitzgerald 81); Brackley (Duffield 53), A Ottley, Kirkwood, White; Massaro (Greenfield 73), Russell.