Match Report
County League:Division One
 Horsham YMCA 1 Lawley 52 (pen) |  Chichester City United 2 Young 5(pen) Vassallo 54 |
| Source: Steve Pickthall, West Sussex County Times |
HORSHAM YMCA proved their own worst enemy in a 2-1 defeat to a disciplined Chichester City United on Tuesday night.
Captain James Virgo and goalkeeper Tom Rand combined to gift their visitors the early lead from the penalty spot, and having spurned a host of first half chances YM equalised through a Tom Lawley penalty early in the second half.
But having finally levelled YM's defence fell asleep at a corner just two minutes later allowing the lively Ben Vassalio to steer in what proved the winner as the hosts tried in vain to force a second goal.
The referee was given no option but to point to the spot after just five minutes when Virgo's header back to his keeper was well short and the onrushing Rand could only clatter Mike O'Neil. Young stepped up to send Rand the wrong way for the lead.
A minute later YM were given another scare when the pacey and direct Young sprinted down the left and cutback for O'Neil to force a good low save from Rand, and the striker had another close range effort well held by the stopper soon after.
But after being stunned for the first 15 minutes YM pro-ceeded to create a hatful of chances and play the better football with midfielder Matt Geard at the centre of everything, both good and bad.
The former Horsham and Lewes player found himself free in the box but his shot was a good height for Matt Short to tip wide, and he was then played" through and having taken it past a defender with his first touch, he was unlucky to see Short land on his low shot and keep it out.
It looked like third time lucky for Geard when Tom Manton again slipped him through the centre and his shot across goal seemed destined for the net only to miss the far post, and further gilt edge chances fell to Shaheen Sadough and Paul Elliott before the interval.
Another warning came straight after the break when Vassalio flicked the ball past Paul Williams and crossed for O'Neil to head into Rand's arms, but Geard won his team a penalty on 52 minutes when he lured captain Darren Hickman into a clumsy challenge in the box, and Lawley calmly scored from 12 yards.
The feeling around the ground was that YM would be the ones to go on and win the game, so there was evident frustration when James Hilder wasn't picked up from a low corner minutes after, and his flick at goal was stabbed in by Vassalio to restore Chichester's lead.
Geard showed both sides of his game when he followed a yellow card for a needless scuffle with Hilder with a jinking run into the box, only to again shoot at Short, but as the half wore on YM's search for a goal grew increasingly desperate.
Tony Timms did have the ball in the net for YM on 70 minutes, but he had clearly used an arm at the back post when he could have met it with his head.
Clay Lament was brought on to give some height upfront, and he had two chances, the best a flick on from Ryan Bradley which he headed over under pressure, and Chichester had the resilience to hold on.
"We had enough chances to win four games of football," said YM boss Chris White.
"Some of the football we played, especially in the first half, was outstanding. "We should have come in 5-1 up and it would have been game over.
"But we let in two cheap goals and that's what is most disappointing."
YMCA: (4-4-2):Rand, Watts, Williams (Lamont 70), Timms, Virgo; Marshall, Geard, Manton; Sadough (Joseph 80), Lawley, Elliott (Bradley 80).
