Banstead Athletic 0 v Horsham 3
Saturday 11th March 2006
Ryman League Division One

Reporter: Mark Wells

Horsham strolled to a 3-0 win, at a typically chilly Merland Rise, with a performance that was as commanding as the scoreline suggests. Three quality finishes from the visitors lit up a cold afternoon that began with light snowfall, then a spell in which the pitch was bathed in Spring sunshine, before the ground was finally enveloped in dark, threatening clouds. Needless to say, the temperature remained at the standard minus twenty degrees as is expected in this small part of leafy Surrey.

The match signalled the last of four successive fixtures for Banstead against teams pushing for promotion and their previous two games, against Tonbridge Angels and Ramsgate, had yielded them two points from two notable draws suggesting that their threat shouldn't be taken lightly, despite their lowly eighteenth position. The A's goalscoring hero in those two matches, Kwabena Agyei, teamed up alongside Mo Ceesay in what looked a powerful attack, with former Horsham frontman Marcel Dennis wearing the number seven shirt. Horsham were unchanged from the side that started last Saturday's match against Tonbridge Angels although Matt Geard replaced James Cant on the substitute's bench after completing his three match suspension.

A call for more travelling support was clearly heeded as a good number of supporters made the short journey from over the county border to record Banstead's second highest gate of the season but they had little to cheer in the early stages and were indebted to goalkeeper Rob Frankland for preventing the hosts from taking the lead in just the ninth minute when Barry Langford's free-kick deflected into the path of Joe Garner but the Horsham stopper was smartly off his line to produce a good block. Despite enjoying some good early possession, the visitors were unable to apply the telling pass that would enable the likes of Gary Charman, Jamie Taylor and John Westcott to get in behind the Banstead defence and it looked as if Horsham's best chance for a goal would come from a set-piece. Sadly, Eddie French wasted the best chance when he snatched at the ball from Lee Carney's corner, sending his shot out of the ground.

Carney was the culprit on the half hour when his far post cross was chested down by Charman whose shot deflected off of a Banstead body but Carney, who had joined the mass of bodies inside the penalty area, blasted the loose ball out for throw when it looked easier to score. Horsham went ahead four minutes later and it was a goal simple in construction yet devastatingly finished. Westcott flighted in a right wing corner and French leapt unmarked to power in a header that gave goalkeeper Andy Parkinson no chance. Nigel Brake then curled in an enticing ball that just eluded the on-rushing Taylor and Westcott before an even better cross from the full-back found Westcott charging in at the far post but his header was palmed away by Parkinson's outstretched right hand. At the other end, Andy Howard's header back to his 'keeper was slightly underhit resulting in a collision between Frankland and Ceesay that had the Banstead bench appealing optimistically for a penalty. But, after Ceesay had received lengthy treatment, referee Woodward awarded just the corner which came to nought. Brake continued to prove a dangerous outlet for the Hornets on the left and another probing cross forced Ben Shannon into a hurried clearance under pressure from Westcott. Yet despite the Hornets looking good value for their first half lead, a quick breakaway almost produced a Banstead equaliser on the stroke of half-time. Agyei hit a long clearance deep into the visitors' half after a Horsham free-kick had broken down and, as Ceesay and Mark Hawthorne gave chase, the Banstead man appeared to barge his opponent off the ball before hitting a fierce shot that Frankland did well to turn behind at his near post.

That was the last action of the half, and the last contribution from Ceesay, as the Banstead number nine was replaced at the interval by Bobby George, scorer of two goals in last season's corresponding fixture. However, it was Horsham who continued to dictate play and Charman was desperately unlucky when his close range header cannoned away off the upright from Carney's free-kick, just four minutes after the break. Less than ten minutes later, Parkinson, who was enjoying some good-natured stick from the Horsham contingent behind the goal, presented a golden chance to Carney as he scuffed a clearance when under pressure from Hawthorne and Charman but Carney lifted his first time shot high over the bar. Banstead manager Bob Langford replaced the ineffective Matt Birnie with Richard Laming as he tried to inject new blood into his side. But, again, it was Horsham who did all the attacking and Parkinson did well to punch clear from Charman before showing safe hands as Carney volleyed the loose ball straight back at him. The Hornets almost doubled their lead just after the hour when Carney sent in a free-kick from the halfway line and Howard climbed above the home defence to head tantalisingly towards the far post where Taylor was only able to turn the ball into the side netting. The pressure on the overworked defence was relentless and, less than a minute later, Carl Rook headed Hawthorne's cross straight at the 'keeper.

Unable to reproduce his previous heroics in front of goal, Agyei was replaced with Dean Holness with around twenty minutes remaining and Dennis summed up his side's afternoon when he blazed a promising opening high and wide prompting the Lardy Boys into a musical tribute to their former player.

Carney's astute pass gave Rook the freedom of the entire Banstead half but the former Hastings and Dover striker hit his shot too close to Parkinson and the big stopper kept his team in the game with a good low save. Banstead's main threat, if any, came in the form of left-sided Byron Brown and, when he won possession from Taylor some twenty yards from goal, a quick ball to Dennis enabled the striker to get in behind the Hornets' defence only to slice his cross behind the goal to the frustration of his team-mates. Taylor thought he had put his side two goals up when he sidefooted home a cross from Westcott only for the linesman's flag to rule that the Horsham goalscorer was in an offside position. Fortunately, the visitors had less than a minute to wait before they could celebrate a second goal and the moment came mixed with anger, brilliance and comedy. Horsham were awarded a free-kick on the halfway line but, as Hawthorne and Carney eyed up their options, Langford gesticulated to the referee that the Horsham players had gained an advantage by moving the ball forward. Woodward raced towards the Horsham pair to return the ball no more than two yards, to the frustrations of the frozen crowd, before Carney flighted in a cross to the far post where Charman met the ball perfectly, sending a header crashing into the back of the net before racing off to celebrate with the fans behind the goal. The irony was not lost on the supporters that, had Carney been allowed to take the kick from where he had wanted, the ball would have been overhit and the score would have remained at 1-0 !

The excellent French prevented the hosts from claiming an unlikely lifeline back into the game when he cleared Holness' effort off the line, after a good cross from Brown, before a marvellous Horsham move highlighted the gulf in class between the two sides. Rook began the move just inside the Banstead half when he pushed the ball to Taylor through the legs of an opponent. Taylor touched the ball off immediately to Carney before a swift one-two saw Carney collect Taylor's clever backheel and hit a low shot past the exposed Parkinson and into the bottom corner of the net from twenty yards. It was a quality finish to a fabulous move that had the Horsham supporters acclaiming it as one of the best goals seen in many years.

In contrast, the visitors' final chance of a dominant afternoon's display began from a hoofed clearance from Tom Graves that was flicked on by Rook to Taylor and, as the Horsham striker cut the ball back, Carney's first time shot was well saved by Parkinson. The final whistle went soon after and Banstead's impressive week was ended abruptly by a thoroughly polished performance from the visitors who, although not entirely impressive during the first half, completely dominated the second period and look in good form ahead of the week's two massive fixtures against Crawley Town and Kingstonian.

Banstead Athletic: 1.Andy Parkinson 2.Joe Garner 3.Barry Langford 4.Martin Beard 5.Byron Brown 6.Matt Birnie (Laming) 7.Marcel Dennis 8.Daniel Amsbury 9.Mo Ceesay (George) 10.Kwabena Agyei (Holness) 11.Ben Shannon Subs: 12.Alfie Bonsu 14.Bobby George 15.Richard Laming 16.Dean Holness 17.Matt May

Horsham: 1.Rob Frankland 2.Tom Graves 3.Nigel Brake 4.Eddie French 5.Andy Howard 6.Mark Hawthorne 7.Lee Carney 8.John Westcott 9.Jamie Taylor 10.Carl Rook 11.Gary Charman Subs: 12.Florian Mateos 14.Dominik Hudak 15.Ian Payne 16.Matt Geard 17.Gary Elliott

Goalscorers

Horsham: French (34), Charman (79), Carney (82)

Att: 161