Match Report
Pre-Season Friendly
 Horsham YMCA 1 |  Horsham 2 |
Match Ball Sponsor: GORDON HEAD | Source: Alan Norbury, West Sussex County Times |
STRIKER Dean Wright further pushed his case for a starting role in Horsham’s league opener this weekend, but it was YMCA who were happier after
Saturday’s pre—season friendly.
Wright and Pat Harding netted to ensure the Hornets beat their landlords 2-1, while new signing Allan Tait impressed with a mature performance.
A scrappy goal from Brandon O’Neill pegged Horsham back after Harding’s opener, as a YM side which has undergone a total facelift proved lively throughout.
New YM boss Colin Jenkinson said: "I, was very pleased with that. I said to the boys if the performance was right, the result willfollow. "We were playing a good side who put their full complement out, and I asked our lads to put a good shift in. Considering we are two weeks behind everyone else in our preparation I am While YM claimed to be missing up to eight players.
Horsham fielded what could be their starting line up against Aveley on Saturday, featuring new additions Paul Kennett, John Westcott, Tom Graves, Jay Lovett and Allan Tait - signed last week from Margate. Boss John Maggs said: "We should have gone out there and put on an exhibition of football. I wanted us to impose ourselves on the game".
"I was not too happy with the first half, we didn’t keep the ball well enough. But I was impressed with the front three - Allan Tait will improve us a great deal."
YM, with a squad assembled from scratch since Jenkinson took the manager’s post on June 28, looked lively in the early stages as Matt Males saw an acrobatic effort fly over and Eddy Walker missed the target aftera Mark. Knee backpass put Mark Zawadski in trouble. It was YM winger Harrison Carnegie who caused the most problems, as balls chipped into the space on the flanks proved to be the hosts’ most effective weapon.
Horsham grew into the game though, and their class up front shone through with the opening goal.
“Tait held the ball up well and his clever ball round the corner sent Harding racing away for a clinical finish. Nine minutes later, YM were deservedly level, even if the leveller arrived in fortunate style. O’Neill lined up a free kick which fizzed low into the Horsham box and evaded everyone as it bobbled into the far corner.
O’Neill produced a better effort moments later as his curled free kick grazed the side netting. Horsham made four changes at the break, and started to get a handle on the game. Steve Sargent and Tait had tricky chances as the Hornets began to impose themselves, but chances were still rare. The movement between Lovett, substitute Wright and Tait was beginning to cause huge problems in the YM defence.
Within a minute of Wright’s left foot shot flying over the bar, he had put his side back in front. Another deft touch from Tait released Wright, who. had spent two years at Three Bridges after leaving Horsham, and he beat keeper George Ellis before rolling a finish just inside the near post.
There were some late jitters for Horsham and goalkeeper Zawadski - who escaped with a yellow card after handling outside the box as he saved from 17-year old Ike Roberts. A red would have seen him serve a costly suspension once the Ryman League gets underway.
YM (4-4-2): Ellis; Duff, 0’NeiIl, Grant, AIIosa; Ludford, Carnegie, Lai (Law 40), Walker (Wedderburn 15); Wornham (Roberts 69), l\/lates (Taylor 81).
Horsham (4-4-2): Zawadski; Page (Elliott 45), Knee, Andrews, Graves (King 45); Westcott (Tuoknott 45), Sargent (Davies 75), Kennett, Lovett; Tait, Harding (Wright 45).
