Match Report
Ryman League: Division One South
 Horsham YMCA 2Gordon Collewijn |  Whyteleafe 1 O’Filaherty |
Match Ball Sponsor: MR KELSEY | Words by Tom Norris |
Horsham YMCA recorded their first three points of the new season with a 2-1 win over Whyteleafe on Sunday. Two close range strikes from Gavin Gordon and Joey Collewijn was the difference between the sides, before a goal late on from the visitors ensured a tense finish for Colin Jenkinson’s men.
YM were fortunate to enter the break a goal up after a scrappy first half saw very few clear cut chances created by either side. A sharp save from Whyteleafe keeper Robert O’Hara denied Eddie Walker early on, but it was the visitors who made the most of their superior first half possession.
Winger, Chris O’Filaherty posed a constant threat down the Whyteleafe left, but some good saves from Mark Fox prevented him and his side from scoring. Neither team really took the game to the opposition, until the end of the first half when a flurry of YM attacks lead to them breaking the deadlock. Glen Woodburn intercepted a Whyteleafe pass and turned defence into attack when he sent a long ball up field for Walker to chase. The nippy winger did just that, before taking on two defenders and squaring the ball for Gordon who netted on his second attempt.
Both teams made changes at half time with YM’s injured Byron Napper, on loan from Crawley Town, being replaced by Jensen Grant. It was Whyteleafe, however, who started the second half the brighter of the two teams, creating several chances in the first five minutes. YM did soon find their feet and looked a lot sharper than in the first forty five. Gordon wasted a golden opportunity when he glanced a free header wide and skipper Peter Barkley had a goal bound shot blocked on the line.
The visitors’ best chance came from a corner when a close range header was instinctively kept out by Fox, much to the dismay of the Whyteleafe players and bench who were adamant that the ball had crossed the line. Any shouts of a goal were waved away by referee Matt Eva and YM were able to break on the counter. A chipped through ball was played over the top for Collewijn who was clean through on goal, only to be brought down by the on-rushing keeper. A penalty was given but a chorus of boos filled the Gorings Mead ground when O’Hara was amazingly only shown a yellow. The resulting spot kick was then saved by the towering and extremely fortunate goalkeeper, Collewijn unable to convert from twelve yards.
Yet more YM chances were then squandered as two superb crosses from youngster Brannon O’Neill failed to be converted and a second one-on-one was wasted by front man Gordon. However, with seventeen minutes left on the clock, left back O’Neill scuffed a corner across the Whyteleafe penalty area, somehow clearing the first defender and falling to the feet of Collewijn, who made up for his earlier miss by smashing the ball into the roof of the net.
The visitors failed to give up and O’Filaherty finally got his goal with eight nervous minutes left to play. YM could and should have put the game to bed but instead, some nail-biting defensive work ensured that Colin Jenkinson’s men eventually ran out 2-1 winners.
YM face Fleet town in the league at home on Tuesday and will be hoping for a repeat performance of Sunday’s hard fought display.
