Match Report
Ryman League: Division One South
 Horsham YMCA 1Dodd |  Chipstead 2 Rivers Simpson |
Match Ball Sponsor: Cameron Barclay Consultancy | Source: West Sussex County Times |
IT WAS A case of after the Lord Mayor's show on Saturday for Horsham YMCA in their return to league action.
Chris White's men had seen off Horsham 2-0 in a much celebrated Ryman League Cup result the previous Tuesday, but the boss blamed a lack of focus and a casual approach for the 2-1 defeat to Chipstead.
The result means YM are right back in the heart of the struggle at the foot of the table, after five games unbeaten had started to see them pull away.
And it was all going so well for the hosts midway through the first half, ahead courtesy of Terry Dodd's penalty, and playing against ten men.
White commented: "We have done so well in the last five or six weeks, but I sensed it the warm up. It felt a bit flat and a bit casual.
"They were not focused enough, I pointed it out before they went out. It's easy to get up for the games against Horsham and Croydon but the game on Saturday was more important to us."
YM made the better start to the game, Gavin Geddes saw a volley well saved after being picked out by Tom Lawley's cross, and he also had another chance go begging.
Dodd then made it 1-0 from the spot after Geddes was sent sprawling, but rather than pushing on, they sat back and coasted.
White said: "Going ahead made it even worse."
Even when Chipstead had a man sent off for a second yellow card - his first was for conceding a penalty and the second for felling Neil Watts - YM still failed to raise themselves out of first gear.
Chipstead levelled five minutes after going down to ten men. The hosts went to sleep from a cross and their front man was allowed to smash in.
In fairness, YM were hampered by injuries to centre back Drew Cooney (hamstring) and winger John Westcott (groin), and were missing midfielder Mike Huckett.
It remained 1-1 until the 70th minute when Chipstead won a penalty, given away when Nigel Brake and Tom Lawley left a ball to each other and Lawley ended up kicking the visiting striker in the head.
Chipstead dispatched the spot kick as Tony Di Bernardo's excellent record of penalty saves was blotted.
For the remainder of the game, YM finally showed some urgency, and although camped in the Chipstead half, were unable to force the leveler.
Substitute Shaheen Sadough dragged a shot across the face of goal, and goalscorer Dodd was booked for diving when YM thought they should have had a nailed on penalty.
White remarked: "How many times do you see that a team with ten men dig in for a result? We never got out of first gear.
"I say to the lads before every match, if you start the game quickly, you can dictate the tempo and slow it down when you need.
Start slowly though, and it's very difficult to pick it up, and that's what happened on Saturday." YMCA: (4-4-2): Di-Bernardo; Watts, Cook, Cooney (Virgo 20), Brake; Westcott (Metcalf 25), gedling, Manton, Lawley; Geddes (Sadough 75), Dodd.