Match Report
Ryman League: Division One South
 Ashford Town 1 Thorogood 20 |
 Horsham YMCA 1 Kirkwood 36 |
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| Source: West Sussex County Times |
HORSHAM YMCA rode their luck at times to gain a 1-1 draw at Ashford Town on Tuesday evening.
The hosts missed an early penalty and some other good chances in an end to end game with YM not at their best.
Joby Thorogood, who was lively all evening, opened the scoring but Scott Kirkwood fired in a first half equaliser.
Manager John Suter commented: "I was pleased with a point because we possibly didn't deserve it.
"On the night they were the better side but we battled.
"We didn't play well, we were heavy legged and slow in thought. We seemed lacklustre and their performance belies their position in the league."
YM started slowly as Dean Ruddy was forced into a couple of stops and a foul by Dean Garden in the tenth minute gave the hosts a penalty.
However, they did not capitalise as George Fenwick put it wide of the upright.
In the 20th minute Ashford did take the lead when a deep corner was headed back by Ken Jarrett-Elliott and Thorogood blasted in from close range.
"Joby Thorogood was a pain in the backside all evening," remarked Suter.
The visitors responded and should have been on level terms when Dan Sackman headed an excellent chance wide from Nick Levett's cross.
At the other end Joe Hitchings fired a shot just wide but YM equalised in the 36th minute.
A Ruddy goal kick was flicked on and Kirkwood burst through before drilling the ball past the keeper's outstretched left hand into the corner. After the break Matt Duffield cut inside but fired over the bar before Fenwick capitalised on a mistake by Glen Woodburn but shot wide when presented with a good chance.
YM then produced their best move of the match, it was started by Woodburn and was worked across the pitch by Kirkwood and Sackman, who released Duffield but his shot was saved at the second attempt by the keeper.
Substitute Richard Greenfield pulled the ball back for Tom White but he couldn't keep his shot down.
Thorogood raced away but his shot hit Ruddy and went out for a corner.
A poor clearance from Ellis Hooper was smacked over by Hitchings before Simon Glover hit a 35 yard screamer inches wide of the post.
Woodburn made an excellent last ditch tackle on Thorogood when he was through again and Kirkwood and Greenfield had shots blocked at the other end.
The last chance of the game fell to Matt Russell after Kirkwood's shot was half blocked, the ball flew up in the air but the striker miss cued his attempt in front of goal.
YM (4-4-2): Ruddy; Garden, Hooper, Woodburn, Levett; Duffield (Shoefield 78), White, Sackman, Kirkwood; Russell, Massaro (Greenfield 70).