Match Report
Ryman League: Division One South Cup
 Horsham YMCA 1 Massaro 47 |
 Hastings United 2Olorunda 21, Webb 90(+2) |
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| Source:West Sussex County Times |
ALL TALK of the Ryman Division 1 South play-offs has finally been banished at Horsham YMCA, after this 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Hastings United.
The impressive Steve Davies struck before Dean Garden fired home a penalty when Graham Porter was sent off for tripping Davies. But the plucky ten men of Ashford staged a second half fightback which saw Walid Matata and George Fenwick combine to bundle the ball over the line. YM broke the 50 point barrier for the season thanks to the win, to the delight of manager John Suter.
A stoppage time winner from Graham Webb ensured United came away with all three points, gaining revenge for earlier in the season when YM struck twice in the dying moments to claim an improbable 2-2 draw at Pilot Field.
Manager John Suter didn't feel YM were genuine play-off contenders, but some at the club had high hopes. "I think any play-off talk will end," he remarked.
"I stopped it last week, we should only be thinking about the three points on offer every game, it's totally out of the question now."
Chasing promotion themselves, Hastings were difficult to live with in a fast paced first period, Ade Olorunda was a real handful and YM struggled to find any cohesion.
On the front foot almost immediately, Hastings could have taken an early lead when Olorunda's header was saved by Dean Ruddy. The keeper then had to scramble to collect a 30 yard Sam Adams shot at the second attempt as Hastings continued to apply pressure.
And the YM defences were breached on 21 minutes, when Dean Garden failed to get any distance on a clearing header, the ball bounced in front of the centre backs and Adams had space to feed Olorunda who blasted home a shot at the near post. "We were culpable, we should have done better," Suter remarked.
YM remained under pressure though, as Hastings made the most of the conditions which offered a slight advantage. A Russell Eldridge free kick was headed goalwards by Kevin Rose, bill slr;ii)-hl inlo Kuddy's in lib
The home side did clamber back into the contest though, Pat Massaro and Steve Davies should both have done better from free kicks on the edge of the box, before Olorunda was denied by a superb one-on-one Ruddy save.
Suter commented: "We played poorly in the first half, I didn't realise how difficult the conditions were, but we didn't make the most of what we had and we didn't get the ball down to play it."
A more positive home side came out for the second period, and on 47 minutes were rewarded for their enterprise. Garden planted a header into the Hastings box, and Rose could only help the ball on into Massaro's path, and the sriker hit a low cross shot which nestled in the far corner for his seventh goal of the campaign.
"We started off in a real blaze in the second half," Suter said.
A potential match turning incident came just after the hour mark, Davies played in a cross which Jimmy Alford knocked out for a corner with both hands. The referee failed to spot the obvious handball, but still awarded the corner. Suter added: "It was a shame, he didn't see what happened - referees do not cheat."
Hastings had a penalty appeal of their own turned down moments later when Ellis Hooper floored Olorunda when he capitalised on a mix up with Carden, but only a free kick was awarded.
Olorunda continued his one man crusade with a header which flew over following a spell of Hastings pressure and; the visitors looked most likely to snatch a winner.
Two minutes into stoppage time they did. Keeper Lee Worgan took a free kick which sailed into the YM box, the defence allowed the ball to bounce and Adams fired in a shot, Ruddy parried but into the path of substitute Webb, who gleefully tucked away the decisive strike.
YM (4-4-2): Ruddy; Garden, Hooper, Lovegrove, Levett; Greenfield (Ottley 72), White, Kirkwood, Goncalves (Russell 80); Massaro, Davies