Match Report
Ryman League: Division One South
 Horsham YMCA 1 Cavies 38 |  Dover Athletic 5 Dryden 3, 62 Wallis 60, 90(+2) Pouton 90(pen) |
 Source: Patrick Corlett, West Sussex County Times |
| Source: West Sussex County Times |
A MAD few minutes cost Horsham YMCA the chance of getting anything out of their opening game as they lost 5-1 at home to Dover Athletic.
The scoreline flattered the title favourites as a battling YM were quite unlucky, having gone behind to an early goal from Jimmy Dryden, they fought back and more than matched their opponents in the first half.
Steve Davies volleyed home a deserved equaliser but the hosts fell apart when conceding two goals in as many minutes around the hour mark from Jon Wallis and Dryden.
Poor defending gifted the Kent side their goals but Dover moved through the gears at 3-1, with player-manager Andy Hessenthaler and Alan Pouton running the mid-field.
YM pushed towards the end of the game but were picked off with two more goals at the death as Wallis added his second and Pouton scored from the spot.
The Gorings Mead side were not helped by the fact that goalkeeper Chris May was knocked unconscious just before the break and midfield-er Matt Simpson made his debut in the net for the second half which proved to be a baptism of fire for the Horsham wicket-keeper.
Manager John Suter remarked: "It was disappointing for all sorts of reasons.
"We were their equal in the first half, that's the one positive we can take away from it.
"Andy Hessenthaler said we didn't deserve the scoreline. No excuses, they were the better side."
Tom White-started th®gafflie as part of a back three but that allowed the Dover full-backs license to get forward and they made the most of it. In the third minute, Hessenthaler cut the ball back for Matt Fish, his shot was going wide when it bounced up into the danger area and Dryden hooked the ball home from close range.
Frannie Collin knocked the ball down for the dangerous Wallis but he fired just wide.
Suter moved White into midfield to give them the extra man there as they went four-four-two.
YM responded and their former shot stopper, Dean Ruddy, was called into action at the other end, bravely tipping the ball away from Glen Woodburn who was charging in at the far post and James Rogers made a very good block tackle on Seb Kazemi.
In the 36th minute Mark Lovell should have doubled Dover's lead, Hessenthaler's drilled cross hit the striker a couple of yards out from goal as he couldn't have been expecting it and May was able to dive on the ball.
Two minutes later YM were level, White laid the ball out wide for Dean Garden who whipped in a very good cross that flicked off the head of a defender and Davies met it on the half volley to smash the ball into the bottom corner.
Just before the interval, May suffered his injury, Lovell and Kevin Joyce chased back a high ball and the keeper rushed from his area. The defender pushed Lovell into May and the two collided, as they lay on the deck the ball trickled just wide of the upright but after seven minutes of treatment the game continued.
A groggy May was replaced by Simpson and he showed good handling as he saved from Dryden but disaster struck in the 60th minute.
Joyce's clearance went up rather than away and the ball was headed through for Wallis who calmly tucked it past an advancing Simpson.
Then terrible marking from a long throw saw Dryden given the freedom of Gorings Mead and he glanced the header past the helpless keeper.
"It was a couple of minutes of mayhem," said Suter. "They were sloppy goals. Joycey with a vertical clearance and then a simple goal from a long throw. We had three players marking one player and no-one on the goalscorer, Woody had the responsibility.
"Three one and game over, Dover played a lot better then."
Woodburn and Garden then went for the same ball and both missed it, Dryden was clear and played it across the face of goal where Collin couldn't convert sliding in.
Wallis fizzed an effort from distance just wide and it was all the visitors.
Simpson made some smart stops and White made an excellent last ditch challenge on Collin, at the other end substitute Richard Greenfield - on for Matt Russell who had to go at half-time - got to the byline but his pull back was cleared.
Dover grabbed two more goals that could have been prevented, from a very debatable corner in the 90th minute Wallis' cross bounced up and struck Woodburn on the hand and the referee, Luis Pinto Nunes, harshly gave a penalty because it didn't look deliberate. Pouton stepped up and confidently swept the ball into the corner.
In added on time the YM defence let the ball bounce and Collin out-jumped Simpson to leave Wallis with the simple chance to tuck the ball into an empty net.
"It should never have been a corner," commented the YM boss. "Usually when the officials are not sure they give a goalkick not a corner.
The referee looked over to the linesman - who was 80 yards away but had his flag down by his side - and he still gave a corner which led to the goal.
"Matt Simpson shouldn't have been out jumped by their player, but he did well for us. It is another positive to have an outfield player that can play in goal, he made some good saves and his handling was quite confident.
"Although we did miss Chris May, his experience and communication."
YM (5-3-2): May (Simpson 45); Garden, Joyce, White, Woodburn, Ottley; Kazemi (Duffield 63), Keehan, Taylor; Russell (Greenfield 45 ), Davies.
Man of the match: Tom White - was solid in midfield as usual.
Magic moment: The sweet strike from Steve Davies to equalise.