Match Report
County League: Division One
 Horsham YMCA 3 Marshall 62 Elliott 79 Rhodes 89 |  East Preston 1 Dodd 85 |
| Source: Allan Norbury, West Sussex County Times |
THE PRESSURE started to show, but YM eventually saw off East Preston on Saturday to take them a step closer to the Division 1 title.
Goals from Scott Marshall, Paul Elliott and James Rhodes secured a 3-1 win, and with wins in their final two games the County League crown, plus promotion to the Ryman League will be theirs.
It was a scrappy game characterised by two goal-keeping howlers, although two decisive finishes from Elliott and the impressive Rhodes proved enough.
YM boss Chris White said: "We knew it wasn't going to be a day for pretty football.
It was about the result.
"We looked anxious in the first half, I told them to calm down and be calm on theball, the second half we played some good stuff and thoroughly deserved it in the end.
"We have got to win two games of football and we are capable of doing that, we stay patient we will be fine."
The anxiety was felt on both sides, and it was the hosts who carved out the better chances against relegation threatened East Preston.
Tom Graves headed into Alex Bryant's clutches from a Rhodes corner, and when Elliott went over in the box the penalty appeals were waved away.
Shaheen Sadough and Elliott put two similar chances each way over from the edge of the box, while
EP did carry a threat on the break - Terry Dodd dragged one wide when the ball fell kindly for him.
And when Steve Metcalf's low ball across the box just evaded Ryan Bradley's lunge, the fingernails were in danger.
Half time came at the right time for YM, they were able to reorganise after losing Sadough to injury, and looked the better for it after the break. Elliott fired over, Scott
Marshall had a shot deflected wide and Tom Manton saw an effort scrambled away.
Now the pressure was all on the visitors - and it told on 62 minutes. An innocuous Marshall cross was spilled into his own net by Bryant, and YM were on their way. White's men did have to wait until the 79th minute for a second - Elliott producing a poacher's finish from Clay Lament's flick.
There was still time for some nerves in the dying moments, when Tom Rand waited for a ball to roll into his area, only to allow Dodd to nip in and slide home.
Rhodes made sure moments later however, turning on the edge of the box and firing in a clinical finish.
White remained confident after more results went their \ way. It meant a win on Tuesday would have all but guaranteed second place and a probable spot in the Ryman Division 1 South.
YMCA: (4-3-3):Rand; Williams, Metcalf, Flack, Graves; Rhodes, Manton, Lawley, Sadough (Marshall 40); Bradley (Lament 78), Elliott (Death 90).
