Match Report
Sussex Senior Cup: Round Two
 Peacehaven and Telscomnbe 3Livett 56 Watton 65,89 |  Horsham YMCA 0 |
| Source: West Sussex County Times |
BELEAGUERED Horsham YMCA's sorry season slipped to a new low on Saturday with a 3-0 Sussex Senior Cup exit to County League Peacehaven and Telscombe.
YM have lurched from one drama to another since the start of the campaign, and this defeat, to a team 15th in County League Division 2, left manager John Suter exasperated.
Chasing the game at 1-0 down, the Gorings Mead outfit conceded two late on, after Matt Russell twice hit the bar.
"Nothing was good about our game," he commented. "I have been in so many games like that and have been on both sides of the fence - I know which side I prefer being on.
"You cannot say a 3-0 loss is unlucky, you go forward, you leave yourselves exposed at the back.
"The important moment was when we hit the bar twice, if we had scored one of those we might have won the game."
A very poor first half was briefly illuminated by YM forward Christian Gainet, on 30 minutes he got on to a through ball and could have gone one-on-one with the keeper but turned back onto his left foot and instead sent over a cross which was easily headed away. Soon after, Gainet crossed for James Grant who headed over.
With the pace picking up, Peacehaven's Ritchie Watton chipped YM stopper Ken Westoby, only to see his effort also clear the bar, and moments later Watton's cross/shot just evaded the far post.
Suter said: "We had by far the greater of the possession and the corners reflected our pressure but it was not pressure inside the Peacehaven box."
In a sloppy start to the second period, Joe Keehan surrendered possession and Simon Bailey saw his shot go past the post. Then came three moments which have almost defined YM's season so far. On 50 minutes Keehan fed Russell who saw his chip come back off the woodwork, moments later Russell crashed Andy Ottley's cross off the underside of the bar.
Then Peacehaven took the lead on 56 minutes when Tom Livett polished off a break by coolly chipping Westoby.
Gainet teed up Keehan who could have done better with his left foot from a good position and Grant shot into the side netting, and it started to look as if it was not to be YM's day.
At the other end Westoby was then forced into a superb stop to deny Livett from Mas Williams' cross before the hosts grabbed their second courtesy of Watton's calm finish.
As YM pressed, Michael Death made a hash of a chance when teed up by Ottley and Keehan failed to make the most of a good opportunity.
Peacehaven rubbed salt into the wounds on 89 minutes as the visitors just left one man at the back, Watton fired a shot beyond Westoby.
"The buck stops with me," admitted Suter. "The sole objective is now to ensure we are in the Ryman League next year, if enough people believe there is a way to do it, then it will happen."
YM (4-4-2): ): Westoby; Garden, White, Bidwell (Flack 80), Ottley; Grant (Greenfield 68), Simpson, Keehan, Keaney; Russell, Gainet (Death 64).