Sussex County League: Division One
Match Report
Sussex County League: Division One
 Horsham YMCA 1 Stillwell 83 |  St Francis Rangers 1 Walsh 12 (pen) |
Match Ball Sponsor: CAMERON BARCLAY | Source: Tom Norris |
DONNELLY PLEASED WITH POINT AS YM ‘LEARN HOW TO DRAW’
A late goal from youngster Tom Stillwell salvaged a point for Horsham YMCA as they recorded their first draw of the season at home to Division 1 strugglers St Francis Rangers on Saturday afternoon.
|
Match Stats |
||
|
Horsham YMCA |
V |
St Francis Rangers |
|
5 |
Shots On Target |
7 |
|
5 |
Shots Off Target |
8 |
|
4 |
Offsides |
6 |
|
4 |
Corners |
4 |
|
13 |
Fouls |
7 |
|
1 |
Yellow Cards |
2 |
|
0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
Aaron Walsh opened the scoring from the penalty spot for a Rangers side that looked incomparable to their lowly nineteenth position at the bottom of the Division 1 table. They proved a constant threat for a still injury-fraught YM, as the hosts struggled to create chances all afternoon.
Striker Nick Sullivan shone for Donnelly’s men to fashion the odd rare attack, but it was Burgess Hill loanee, Stillwell’s close-range effort seven minutes from time, which eventually rescued a point.
Boss, Donnelly, said, ‘The one important thing that’s come out of today is the fact that we’ve learnt how to draw. We’ve not drawn a game, and there’s been games where we’ve been pressing and pressing and pressing, but just couldn’t score. I’ll take the point on a day where a draw was probably a fair result.’
YM were again troubled with player availability, as Lloyd Graham, Justin Gregory, Lee Wood, Joe Ransom and Liam Hunter were all still sidelined through injury, and George Hillier and Timmy Martin were away on holiday. This again handed ninety minutes of football to assistant manager Mark Hawthorne, whilst new-signing Tom Lyons was given his first start after joining from Crawley Down.
Brad Curtis dragged a shot wide of the far post for YM early on, but after that Rangers dominated the possession, winger, Kieron Pamment causing havoc down the left flank. The warning signs were there as he first fooled makeshift full-back Ashley Dugdale, cutting inside and poking a shot wide, before minutes later, he created Rangers’ opener.
Darting into the area, he released a shot that was blocked by the YM defence, only for the ball to fall to Walsh, who was brought down inside the box. The striker then picked himself up to convert the spot kick, sending YM ‘keeper Simon Lockwood the wrong way.
And the visitors continued in the same vein after breaking the deadlock, Luke Leppard first pulling a delightful ball back to an empty box and Pamment then again leaving Dugdale for dead, before forcing a fine stop out of Lockwood at the near post.
YM eventually produced their first real opportunities of the game as Dean Wright volleyed straight at the ‘keeper from 25-yards, before turning provider to feed Sullivan a delightful through ball, only for his drilled shot be well kept out by Rangers’ stopper, Rob Gordon.
Donnelly added, ‘I didn’t think we turned up in the first half. We weren’t tight enough in midfield, but we had chances. Nick Sullivan probably had the best of those today, and their goalkeeper pulled off two outstanding saves.
‘They were quite lively and we were a little over run in midfield because we went for the three up top, but what I put to the lads was that we played three up top against Redhill, where we could have won by a bigger margin.’
YM started the second period brightly, defender Matt Crane leaping highest to head over a Dan Sullivan corner, before youngster Lewis Scally replaced the struggling Dan Smith. Dugdale moved into his regular midfield position, and the hosts looked instantly more dangerous on the front foot.
However, Rangers could and probably should have doubled their lead, as full-back Brannon O’Neill’s cut back was cleared to Pamment, who fired wide from the edge of the box.
YM then pushed Matt Crane upfront in an attempt to offer a more aerial threat in attack, and it seemed to work. The big man flicked a long ball on for Wright, whose cross from the left found Sullivan, only for the striker’s touch to let him down six yards out.
Wright then drilled a deflected shot inches wide of the near post, forcing a corner and the impetus for YM’s equaliser. The set piece was taken quickly, and Dan Sullivan’s lowly driven cross through a horde of players was somehow poked home by Stillwell from close range.
With the wind in their sails, YM’s Dugdale then forced another fine stop from ‘keeper Gordon with a scrappy near post effort, before Stillwell was replaced following a poor challenge from Rangers’ Lou Pople, perhaps deserving of more than just the booking he received for his two footed tackle.
But it was the visitors who should have stolen all three points, as two minutes into injury time lively forward Leppard was fed clean through on goal, only for the onrushing Lockwood to deny him with a smart, low stop.
YM (4-4-2): ): Lockwood, D. Sullivan, Crane, Stillwell (Conteh 90), Dugdale (c), N. Sullivan, Curtis, Hawthorne, Smith (Scally 55), Wright, Lyons (King 74)
Unused Subs: G. Donnelly
