Southern Youth League: Southern Division
 Horsham YMCA 1 |  Three Bridges 0 |
Date: 26th October 2005 Location: Gorings Mead
Source: Spectator Report
After a shakey start to the season YM clinched their second league win of the 2006/7 campaign against local rivals Three Bridges.
The pitch at Gorings Mead was in excellent condition, despite recent torrential rain, credit should go to the YM groundsman – Peter Potter – for his sterling work.
The game started quietly with both sides testing each other out, the ball remaining largely in the midfield area, with maybe Three Bridges getting the slight upper hand.
Certainly after 20 minutes there was mounting pressure on the YM goal.
This initiated one of YM keeper – Scott Harding’s most impressive displays so far, displaying a confidence and ability that was missing during the first games of the season.
On the 25th minute Three Bridges drove the ball deep in to YM’ s half but due to solid defense from YM’s back four the ball was corralled out for what everyone thought was a goal kick.
However, Three Bridges had other ideas and recovered the ball and then played for a corner hugging the flag inviting rash challenges.
In stepped YM’s Will Brownlee who managed to extract the ball and then dribble it up the line to the Bridges half, he knocked an inch perfect ball for Grant Miller to run on to and Grant tucked it away in the visitors goal with a single touch.
YM dominated the rest of the first half, although strong defense by Three Bridges ensured that no further gains were made. A late shot from Bridges in the first half hit the goal post but there was little other threat.
The second half saw a re-invigorated Three Bridges apply increasing pressure on the YM youngsters. Joe Holvey was subbed at half time for Josh Morris, who himself had to be replaced after 20 minutes due to a thigh injury.
YM missed Holvey’s solid defense and more and more Bridges attacks began to drive home on the YM goal.
Late in the second half, the busy Matt Gill was subbed by his namesake Matt Whiteford, but the pressure did not relent. Josh Knightly, Michael Rainer and the third Amtt on the team – Matt Filan, all showed their stature in defense.
Three Bridges threw in their last roll of the dice by substituting three players at once, bringing on Louis Keast (until two weeks ago a YM player).
This was to no avail, with ten minutes to go Three Bridges were down to ten men, due to injury, then in the dying moments of the game Three Bridges almost equalised with a last cross across an open goal when the totally unmarked attackers couldn’t quite reach, their marker – Will Brownlee being AWOL in the wrong half of the pitch.