Horsham 3 v Burgess Hill Town 3
Monday 17th April 2006
Ryman League Division One

Reporter: Mark Wells

Horsham were left with an agonising wait after a thrilling match at the Atspeed Stadium kept their promotion bid in the balance. Leading 3-2 with just a few minutes remaining, the Hornets looked good for the victory that, coupled with Tonbridge Angels’ defeat at Cray Wanderers, seemed set to virtually guarantee John Maggs’ side a place in the Ryman Premier Division next season. But Ashley Jarvis’ late strike, his third of the game, left Horsham having to win at Molesey on Saturday to seal promotion.
Much had been made of Horsham’s failure to win on Whyteleafe’s grassless pitch on Good Friday and hopes were high that the excellent Queen Street playing surface would offer the players an immediate chance to make amends against a Burgess Hill side struggling in the lower reaches of the division. But, with the inclusion of five former Horsham players in the Hillians’ squad, it was clear that the visitors would be fired up for this ‘derby’ encounter and they stunned the home crowd when Jarvis put them ahead inside the opening thirty seconds. A mistake from Eddie French enabled Luke Gedling to seek out Jarvis and the striker gave Rob Frankland no chance in the Horsham goal, firing home from the edge of the penalty area. The explosive start was given extra spice after five minutes when an off-the-ball altercation between Mark Pulling and Gary Charman earned both players a lecture from referee Frank Meilack.
Nigel Brake headed Horsham’s first chance over the crossbar and good play down the right saw Jamie Taylor send in a good shot that was well saved at the near post by Hillians’ ‘keeper, John Sullivan with Lee Carney’s firm challenge on Herve King, as they contested the loose ball, earning the Horsham man a yellow card to the consternation of the home supporters. More good build up play involving Mark Hawthorne and Ian Payne saw Andy Howard head wide before Taylor’s trusted left boot brought the sides level. Payne’s long ball out of defence dropped invitingly into Taylor’s path and he took one touch before despatching his shot past Sullivan’s despairing dive.
Burgess Hill's pacy front pair of Jarvis and Phil Elkins kept the home defence on their toes and a clever move almost saw Elkins restore the visitors’ lead on eighteen minutes when Jarvis’ pass was dummied by Gedling, allowing Elkins a clear sight of goal but he placed his shot too close to Frankland who made a comfortable save. Carl Rook headed over from Brake’s superb cross as the Hornets showed their attacking threat down the left flank before Payne’s crucial touch took the ball off Elkins’ head as this end-to-end encounter continued to present chances at either end. But it was the hosts who were to score again, after twenty-four minutes, when Rook applied the perfect finish to a touch of artistry from Carney. The midfielder, acknowledged by many as one of the best in the division, picked up a loose ball before threading a wonderful pass through the statuesque defence for Rook to outpace his strike partner and finish with the outside of his foot. Three minutes later, the midfielder was presented with a golden opportunity to extend the lead when Taylor’s superb turn and run into the heart of the penalty area ended with the perfect lay off but Carney, racing in, was closer to the goal in the neighbouring Gorings Mead ground than that at the Cowshed end after blazing his shot wildly over the crossbar.
Gedling reminded Horsham of his own abilities when he latched onto Hawthorne’s wayward pass and skipped away from Payne’s challenge before setting up Jarvis whose first time shot flew narrowly over Frankland’s goal. Gary Charman, the topic of much discussion amongst supporters ahead of the game, delivered a dangerous cross towards Taylor but the striker’s diving header drifted wide and only frantic defending prevented Charman from netting at the far post. An inspired ten minute spell from the Hornets’ wideman then saw him cut in from the right touchline before embarking upon a mazy run that took him across the edge of the visitors’ penalty area to set up Brake but the former Sutton United man sent his left-foot shot into the side netting. The exchange of chances continued to half-time when Pulling’s free-kick caught Frankland in two minds and Ryan MacMillans’ downward header forced the Horsham ‘keeper into an uncomfortable save.
The interval brought excited conversation among the Horsham followers with the news that Ramsgate were losing against play-off hopefuls Dover Athletic while Tonbridge Angels, the only side that could realistically halt Horsham’s automatic promotion bid, were trailing by two goals at Cray. Could the Hornets hold on to their lead and be celebrating promotion at the end of the game? The pessimists and optimists put forward their divided opinions.
The home side certainly began the second half in positive fashion, Charman creating a chance for Taylor and only a desperate challenge by Kieran Curry preventing Charman from nipping in between the full-back and goalkeeper. But Frankland was called into action, steering Pulling’s shot round the post after Elkins and Gedling had combined well but he was powerless to prevent Jarvis from netting the equaliser seven minutes after the break. With his back to goal, Jarvis received Pulling’s free-kick, produced a clever turn to shake off the attentions of Charman, and curled an exquisite shot into the top corner. And, in a double-whammy for the home side, news came through that Ramsgate had produced their own equaliser at the Southwood Stadium to put the Kent side back in the championship driving seat. Charman tried to restore his side’s advantage but his firm header was straight at Sullivan and the Burgess Hill goal led a charmed life with no-one in a yellow shirt able to convert a bobbling ball and the predatory Rook was a whisker away from touching home Taylor’s excellent pass. Hillians’ boss Gary Croydon sent on Glen Matten for King to join Pulling, Gedling and Leo Day in forming a quartet of former Hornets on the pitch but they were all left despondent, just after the hour, when Howard regained the lead with his second goal of the campaign. The young centre-back, who has enjoyed a fine debut season for the Hornets, rose to head home Carney’s free-kick to the frustration of Pulling who vented his anger towards the linesman before being pulled up by Mr Meilack. Shortly after, Hawthorne’s caution, for disputing an offside call, highlighted the inconsistency of the match official who allowed Pulling’s outburst to go unpunished and this point wasn’t lost on the home supporters who made their feelings known towards the man in black.
Brake’s pace almost put him in on goal but his touch was too strong, as he went past Sullivan, and the ball rolled out for a goal-kick. The exuberance of the visitors, who were fielding a young and experimental side, was very much in evidence as they piled forward in search of a second equaliser and they came agonisingly close when Gedling cut inside and rolled the ball across the face of goal but Jarvis’ first time shot dipped just over the crossbar with Frankland some way off his line. John Westcott came on to replace Charman for the second match in a row, with little over quarter of an hour remaining, and Geard was booked for not retreating at a free-kick before Michael Death completed the old boys reunion when he replaced Elkins. Rook could – should – have sewn up the match five minutes from the end when a quick break from Westcott gave the home side a three to one advantage but he chose to hit his shot first time and it sailed over the crossbar before nestling in the trees that lined the car park. Westcott miscued his volley, after Taylor had helped on Carney’s throw, before John Maggs decided to strengthen the midfield by sending on the fresh legs of Tom Graves allowing Carney to leave the pitch to appreciative applause from the home fans. But this pulsating match, that had maintained its pendulum like course throughout the second half, had one final sting in the tail. A Burgess Hill throw-in, on the Horsham left, saw the ball worked into Jarvis and the striker claimed his first ever hat-trick for the Hillians when he flicked out a boot and sent the ball spinning into the net off his heel to leave the Horsham players and supporters crestfallen. In a period in which so many late goals had helped sustain the Hornets’ promotion charge, it was, perhaps, ironic that one such goal against them should prevent them from achieving their ultimate aim but it could have been so much worse for Maggs’ side as Eddie French had to come to his side’s aid to deny MacMillan after he burst through Howard’s challenge to set up a shooting chance at the death.
As the final whistle blew, the results from elsewhere were mixed. Dover’s eight match unbeaten run came to end as the Rams look favourites to take the title in their inaugural season in the Isthmian League while Tonbridge’s defeat gave heart to the Hornets who now know that victory at Molesey next weekend will see them reach the Premier Division for the first time in their history.


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

Burgess Hill Town: 1.John Sullivan 2.Kieran Curry 3.Neil Watts 4.Mark Pulling 5.Ryan McMillan 6.Phil Greatwich 7.Luke Gedling 8.Leo Day 9.Herve King (Matten) 10.Ashley Jarvis 11.Phil Elkins (Death) Subs: 12.Michael Death 14.Glen Matten 15.Mark Price 16.Mitchell Day 17.Matt Airs

Goalscorers

Burgess Hill: Jarvis (1,52,90)

Horsham: Taylor (15), Rook (24), Howard (61)
 

Att: 550