Match Report
Senior Sussex Cup: 3rd Round
 Hastings United 2Ramsay 16 Sawyer 50 |  Horsham YMCA 5 Lawley 35 (pen) Sadough 69, 85 Metcalf 73 Manton 89 |
| Source: West Sussex County Times |
A SUPERB Horsham YMCA booked their place in the last eight of the Sussex Senior Cup with a stunning 5-2 defeat of Hastings United.
Chris White's County League Division 1 title contenders tore Ryman Premier League Hastings to shreds in an impressive second half, and were dominant throughout Tuesday's tie.
Shaheen Sadough bagged a brace, and further goals came from Tom Lawley's penalty, left back Steve Metcalf, and Tom Manton's last minute effort.
A delighted White enthused: "The scoreline is only what we deserved, we were better than them.
"They (Hastings) had a full side out, and considering they were pretty much at full strength it was a fantastic performance and thoroughly deserved.
"We are starting to gel as a team, and we are seeing them best of them now. This was not a freak result, we were by far the better side."
Hastings were dumped out of the Ryman League Cup by Burgess Hill the previous week, and a leaky defence have struggled to plug a flood of goals in recent weeks.
But after an even start, it was the hosts who took the lead on 15 minutes. Scott Ramsay ran through to net, despite the howls of derision from the YM contingent who thought they had legitimate claims for offside.
YM wasted little time in regaining their composure and levelled shortly after the half hour mark when striker Paul Elliott was bundled over in the box as he chased a Sadough through ball. Lawley stepped up to coolly slot the penalty.
It was no more than YM deserved for some enterprising football and slick passing on the Pilot Field surface.
White used the half time pep talk to urge his side to shoot earlier, rather than letting a chance pass.
Hastings started the second period well though, a mix up between Neil Watts and James Virgo saw Sawyer nip in and finish with aplomb for 2-1.
And when Ramsay missed a chance he should have taken, that signalled the start of YM dominance.
Taking on board his manager's advice, Sadough cut in from the left, beat two men and unleashed an exocet of a shot for YM's second equaliser - beating Greg Nessling in the United goal before he could move.
And four minutes later, lovely interplay between Matt Geard and Metcalf saw the full back put the visitors ahead for the first time.
By now YM were running riot, and called Nessling into one amazing save from a Watts deflected effort.
Sadough bagged his second, a near carbon copy of the first, but added a little more finesse to the curled finish.
Manton then applied the coup de grace in the final minute, sliding home Ryan Bradley's cut back.
White commented: "The pleasing thing was that we came from behind twice, we look like a team now, the spirit is there. There have been times this season where we might not have come back from that."
YM face Brighton & Hove Albion in the quarter finals.
YM (4-3-3): Rand; Williams, Lamont, Cirgo, Metcalf (Timms 85); Geard, Watts, Manton; Lawley, Elliott (Bradley 85) Sadough.
