Horsham 7 v Bashley 1
Saturday 29th April 2006
Ryman League Division One

Reporter: Mark Wells

Horsham gave their supporters an afternoon to remember as they brought their successful league season to a close with a resounding victory over visiting Bashley. The New Forest side had enjoyed an excellent second season in the Ryman League and were expected to provide the Hornets with a difficult test after an impressive run of results had seen them only narrowly miss out on a promotion play-off spot. However, spurred on by another excellent crowd at the Atspeed Stadium, Horsham overwhelmed their visitors during a second half in which substitute Florian Mateos helped himself to a hat-trick as the hosts recorded their biggest home win of the season.
After the tension of the previous weekend's promotion clinching win at Molesey, Horsham's players and supporters could relax and enjoy their promotion party although they could still snatch the title from leaders Ramsgate if an unlikely set of freak results were to contrive to see a goal difference of fourteen overcome!
Before the match, presentations were made to Horsham's successful youth sides with the under 12s re-presented with the County Cup they received for their win over Roffey Robins while the under 16s were acknowledged for their achievements in finishing as runners-up in the Arun & Chichester League as well as being given medals for coming top of the sportsmanship awards. Both sides then embarked on a well received lap of honour around the Queen Street pitch.
With their Sussex Senior Cup Final appearance just two days away, Maggs might have been tempted to rest a number of his senior players for this game but, in the end, it was just Mark Hawthorne who found himself on the bench, given the opportunity to rest a troublesome achilles.
The Hornets had conceded a goal in the opening moments of each of their previous two matches and the league's leading marksman, Richard Gillespie, almost made it three in a row when he got goal side of Ian Payne only for Rob Frankland to produce an instinctive save. Five minutes later, Horsham's own hotshot, Jamie Taylor, went even closer when Carl Rook's knock down enabled the striker to beat the diving Stacey Harper with a toe-poked effort that rebounded to safety off of the upright and John Westcott's follow up was cleared for a corner. Taylor could consider himself unfortunate with that miss but he should have done better on ten minutes when Lee Carney's long throw was flicked on at the near post by Tom Graves and the diminutive forward headed over from close range. Taylor then became provider when, in the very next attack, he sent a diagonal cross towards the far post where Gary Charman's powerful header was well fielded by Harper. Westcott then showed some nimble footwork to control a lively ball inside the Bashley penalty area but his finish failed to match his skilful approach and the shot went harmlessly wide.
A raking pass out of defence by Nigel Brake had Harper anxiously back-pedalling to take the ball under pressure from Taylor as the Hornets continued to dictate proceedings. However, a misdirected pass by Tom Graves almost let in Gillespie after Danny Gibbons' chip had sent the striker clear on goal and Frankland had to make a timely interception to nick the ball off the Bashley man's toe. But, back at the other end, a sweeping Horsham move saw the ball switched from left to right flank before finding Rook in space. The former Hastings man picked out Carney on the edge of the penalty area but his shot was off target, sailing high over Harper's goal. Matt Parnell's vital interception prevented Taylor from getting on the end of Westcott's drag back, after Carney's wonderful pass had given Westcott the chance to attack the full-back, and the winger was involved again, soon after, when he teed up Graves to send a rasping drive inches wide of the post. Rook should have done better when he latched onto Eddie French's powerful header out of defence and the skipper went close when he bravely threw himself full length to head Graves' flick-on over the bar before a piece of opportunism from Carney broke the deadlock. Horsham were awarded a free-kick, some twenty yards from goal, and, while Harper was stood on his right hand post lining up his wall, the Hornets' midfielder stepped up and curled a shot into the opposite corner to leave the bemused 'keeper shaking his head. Yet, if Harper had found the cheeky shot difficult to believe, he would have been been thoroughly perplexed at Gibbons' miss that would have taken the sides into the break on level terms. Dave Wakefield's pass allowed Gillespie to outpace Payne on the left touchline before pulling the ball back to the unmarked Mark Preston at the far post who sidefooted his effort unconvincingly towards the far post. The shot appeared to be going wide until it reached Gibbons, just two yards from goal, but the big striker inexplicably sent his shot high over the fence and into the car park to give the Horsham defence its second huge let off in as many games after Molesey's Warren Burton's amazing miss the previous Saturday. The visitors created one final chance of the half, on the stroke of half-time, when Preston and Gillespie combined again for the latter to send in a thunderous drive that Frankland turned away at the near post.
The hosts took just a minute of the second period to double their lead when Brake escaped the attentions of Preston down the left wing and sent over a tantalising cross for Charman to rise above Josh Thomas and power home his fifteenth goal of the season. The lead was almost extended, shortly after, when French's floated pass was touched off by Rook but Taylor's delicate chip was just too high. A cause of concern among the supporters this season has been the number of unnecessary bookings collected by Horsham players for dissent and this unfortunate pattern was repeated when Carney picked up a yellow card for disputing a decision by the generally impeccable referee, James Evamy. And Evamy was busy taking the name of Gary Charman after fifty-four minutes, albeit as goalscorer, when his cheeky backheel finished off a move involving Rook and Westcott to the delight of the partying fans.
To their credit, the visitors continued to try and take the game to their hosts and James Rowe showed neat skill on the edge of the penalty area, turning Carney and then Graves, before sending a good left foot shot just over the top of Frankland's goal and French was called into making a desperate challenge that forced Andy Culliford to slice his snapshot wide. Eighteen year old defender Jack Cleverley, making his second substitute appearance of the season while on loan from AFC Bournemouth, was sent on to replace Thomas, and Brake followed Carney into the referee's notebook for unnecessarily voicing his opinions too firmly towards the official. Frankland kept the visitors at bay after Wakefield's near post cross was turned goalwards by Gibbons and the goalkeeper had to be at his best again, a minute later, when Steve Riley sent Gillespie scampering clear of Howard before sending in a good shot towards the near post. With Monday's cup final tie in mind, Maggs made a double substitution, replacing Rook and Taylor with Mateos and Dominik Hudak for the final twenty-two minutes, while Bashley sent on Steele Saunders for Culliford.
Graves' timely intervention prevented Parnell from getting a shot in on goal before Neil Morant found himself standing between five Horsham players and the goal and Carney made no mistake, receiving a pass from Charman and cutting inside, to lash the ball home for the fourth of the afternoon.
It was 5-0 a minute later when French joined the attack and passed to Westcott, in space on the edge of the Bashley penalty area. The former Eastbourne man looked up and found Carney making a characteristic late run into the penalty area and, although Harper made a good save to keep out his header, Mateos was on hand to nod the ball back over the prostrate 'keeper to ensure that the party could really get under way. The Hornets were now rampant. Charman cut inside and curled a good effort inches wide of the far post and Hudak's determination saw him take on two defenders and the 'keeper, only for his shot to deflect wide. But it wasn't long before they grabbed their sixth of the afternoon. Carney broke from inside the Horsham half and, when the ball was eventually worked out wide, Westcott drilled in a cross that took a wicked deflection off Morant, sending it looping high to the far post where Mateos had the simplest task of helping the ball across the line. That was to prove to be Carney's final involvement in the game as a recurrence of his groin injury saw him leave the field to be replaced by James Cant while Bash sent on Zeke Rink for Wakefield.
Preston should have pulled a goal back for the visitors when Gillespie's astute pass found his team-mate on the blind side of the defence but he put his shot wide. However, they were rewarded for their endeavours on eighty-four minutes when Saunders' well struck free-kick hit the back of the net, despite Frankland's valiant effort to save, with the goal being met by almost total silence in the ground. Moments later, Cant's vital interception prevented Saunders from homing in on goal before Mateos wrapped up the scoring when he converted from close range after Graves had flicked on Westcott's corner. Rowe fired in a late effort for the visitors but the final whistle sounded soon after and the players and supporters gathered in mutual appreciation at the end of an excellent season.
At the end of the game, club secretary Jeff Barrett presented Mark Hawthorne with the supporters' player of the season award while speeches from Eddie French, John Maggs, Tommy Warrilow, David Hillier, Frank King and Hawthorne himself raised cheers from the hordes of supporters who had gathered in front of the main stand. Ultimately, Horsham had failed to win the title by virtue of seven goals but that didn't seem to worry any of the supporters as they made their way to the clubhouse to begin their evening of celebration.
 

Bashley: 1.Stacey Harper 2.Neil Morant 3.Josh Thomas (Cleverley) 4.Steve Riley 5.Matt Parnell 6.Mark Preston 7.Andy Culliford (Saunders) 8.Dave Wakefield (Rink) 9.Danny Gibbons 10.Richard Gillespie 11.James Rowe Subs: 12.Steele Saunders 13.David Elm 14.Zeke Rink 15.Jack Cleverley

Horsham: 1.Rob Frankland 2.Tom Graves 3.Ian Payne 4.Eddie French 5.Andy Howard 6.John Westcott 7.Lee Carney 8.Gary Charman 9.Jamie Taylor (Mateos) 10.Carl Rook (Hudak) 11.Nigel Brake Subs: 12.Dominic Hudak 14.Florian Mateos 15.Mark Hawthorne 16.James Cant 18.Gary Elliott

Goalscorers

Horsham: Carney (35,70), Charman (46,54), Mateos (71,78,89)

Bashley: Saunders (84)

Att: 563