Match Report
Ryman League: Division One South
 Whyteleafe 5 |  Horsham YMCA 0/b> |
| Source: West Sussex County Times |
CHRIS WHITE admits he is starting to lose patience with a defence which is making a habit of conceding from set pieces.
Saturday's visit to Whyteleafe was supposed to offer a chance for YM to collect points against a team alongside them at the wrong end. Instead it turned into a nightmare 5-0 drubbing - even though it could easily have been five each.
"I have been loyal to some of the defenders, but I think they are just not up to it," White remarked. "If you keep on conceding soft goals you are not going to win a game of football.
"It summed us up this season as we struggled in both areas."
YM went behind early on, after Neil Watts lost out in a midfield aerial battle, Sam Butler was allowed to race half the length of the pitch unchallenged to slide a classy finish beyond Tom Rand.
Only a mixture of poor finishing and some impressive goalkeeping kept YM at bay after that point, as an inspired Rob O'Hara kept out Luke Ge-dling's free kick, and saved well from both John Westcott and Mike Huckett.
YM still pressed, and veteran striker Gavin Geddes, still looking for his first goal for the club, missed a sitter from two yards.
The 'Leafe punishment was clinical, as Tom Rand remained rooted to his line when Ryan Royston looped a header over the keeper from Mark Hammond's 32nd minute free kick.
Royston struck again from a corner after a period of 'Leafe pressure and despite another gilt edged chance for Geddes, White's men somehow went in 3-0 down.
White said: "We do not defend properly from set pieces, we have told them how to defend these situations, but you can only lead a horse to water, it tells me we are not good enough in that area."
YM felt they were only a well taken or lucky goal away from getting back into the game, but that hope faded when Paul Scott raced clear and squared to the unmarked Jordan Wilson for the fourth - surely bringing an end to a run of four home games without a win.
Although YM pressed when they could, Whyteleafe looked ultimately comfortable, and so they should with a four goal cushion.
Geddes had a half decent opportunity, and Huckett was unable to take advantage of an opening before Watts saw Leafe keeper O'Hara save superbly from a deflection.
At the other end though, Wilson found Leon McDowell 25 yards out and his attempted chip was well held by Rand before Hammond crossed and picked out Daniel Platel's run, and the former Sheffield Unit-ed man made it 5-0 with a far post header.
There was almost a sixth when Wilson's 30 yarder just shaved the top of the bar, before Geddes was denied a con-solation as O'Hara kept out his late header.
Geddes' form is a huge conundrum for White, who brought the former Albion striker in from Burgess Hill for one thing, goals.
He said: "Gavin has worked very hard, but it seems there is a curse on our strikers at the moment.
"He has scored goals everywhere, and although he is missing chances for us, at least he is getting into the po-sitions.
"I would have expected him to take some of the chances he has had."
YMCA: (4-4-2):Rand; Watts, Simpson, Cooney (Cooke 60), Pulling; Westcott, Huckett, Gedling, Manton (Shaw 75); Geddes, Lawley.