Leatherhead 2 v Horsham 4
Saturday 4th February 2006
Ryman League Division One

Reporter: Mark Wells

Promotion chasing Leatherhead and Horsham served up a treat for the supporters, on a grey February afternoon, in a match that began in sensational fashion with four goals inside the opening eight minutes. Any thoughts that this would be a tight affair, with both sides scared to lose for fear of losing ground at the top of the table, were quickly dispelled as the hosts raced into a two goal lead in just three minutes. However, the sides were level once again, just five minutes later, before Horsham skipper Eddie French put the visitors ahead on twenty minutes. Sanity prevailed for almost an hour before the Hornets made the most of the numerical advantage handed them following the dismissal of Leatherhead's Jamie Beer with John Westcott securing the win with a stunning lob.

Horsham's extra-time victory at Hassocks on Tuesday night ended a poor run of form that had seen them win just two of their seven matches during January with their league campaign showing a poor return of just five points. Last weekend's 4-1 defeat against the Metropolitan Police had seen John Maggs' side displaced at the top of the table for the first time in two months and the Hornets knew that they had to achieve a result against their Surrey rivals whose own form seemed to mirror their opponents'. Two draws and only one league win in January had left the Tanners fluctuating between fifth and sixth position, still occupying a promotion play-off berth, but only too aware that the chasing pack were beginning to narrow the gap and their preparations for this match weren't helped when Barry Barnes, joint manager of the club, resigned on Friday.

Fetcham Grove has proved a productive venue for the Hornets in recent seasons, with the visitors earning maximum points on each of their three previous visits, and they were boosted by the return of Lee Carney whose inclusion in Tuesday's Senior Cup tie signalled the end of the midfielder's three match suspension. Andy Walker stepped down to the substitute's bench while Leatherhead's returning 'hero', last year's leading goalscorer Dave Stevens, failed to make the squad.

The matchday programme carried details of a £ 50,000 improvement programme for this famous old ground yet many would suggest that it might be the pitch that required the investment as the pre-match warm up had left it churned up with divots dotted across its entire length. However, this didn't prevent the Tanners from going about their business as Marc Charles-Smith outpaced Andy Howard down the Leatherhead right and crossed for the unmarked Dave Carpenter to put the home side ahead with just two minutes on the clock. Worse was to come for the Hornets, just two minutes later, when Steve Sargent sent Wes Harrison in behind the ponderous Horsham defence and, although Rob Frankland managed to block Harrison's effort, Charles-Smith followed up to prod home the second from close range. The large band of travelling supporters were left shell-shocked and those that had witnessed the debacle against Tooting & Mitcham four weeks before would have been excused for thinking 'here we go again'. Yet, spurred on by good vocal support from the Lardy Boys, the visitors hit back and some determined wing play from Gary Charman ended with a good ball into the Tanners' penalty area being laid off intelligently by Carl Rook into the path of Jamie Taylor whose first time shot beat goalkeeper Tommy Dunn to halve the deficit. Incredibly, the Hornets were level less than sixty seconds later when a quick break saw Taylor and Carney exchange passes and Carney fired home from inside the penalty area to end an astonishing first eight minutes.

Harrison should have regained the lead for the hosts after fifteen minutes when a mistake in the Horsham defence presented Carpenter with the chance to give his team-mate a clear sight of goal but Harrison's touch was poor and the ball was cleared. Charman headed Westcott's corner over the crossbar before a superb flowing move down the Horsham right saw the visitors take the lead. Taylor, Westcott, Carney, Ian Payne and Mark Hawthorne were all involved in a wonderful passing movement that ended with French applying the perfect header into the bottom corner of the net to compliment Westcott's cross. It was a superb team goal that owed everything to its creation and had Horsham supporters acclaiming it as one of the best goals of the season.

Despite the psychological blow of seeing their early lead wrestled away from them, Leatherhead took the fight to their opponents and Howard had to be strong to hold off the threat of Charles-Smith as he sought to latch on to a long ball over the top. Dunn then had to be alert at the other end when Westcott's dangerous near post cross was plucked off Rook's toes by the Tanners' 'keeper. Westcott was enjoying plenty of possession on the right touchline and his driven cross almost produced a fourth goal for his side but Taylor's goalbound header was pushed round the post by Dunn. A sickening challenge involving team-mates Dante Alighieri and Mark Harper led to the new Leatherhead assistant manager leaving the field, clutching his bloodied nose.

The hosts' earlier confidence was rapidly disintegrating as their attacking moves frequently broke down, with stray passes and miscontrol commonplace, much to the displeasure of their disgruntled supporters. However, a rare pass of accuracy from the right-back position found Carpenter lurking on the far edge of the Hornets' penalty area but he was quickly crowded out by the combined efforts of French and Westcott. A mishit ball from Alighieri proved dangerous as it fell invitingly for Charles-Smith but Howard was on hand to hack the ball away with Frankland caught in no-man's land. Howard was also involved in Leatherhead's next attack, moments later, when he was bumped off the ball by Charles-Smith, allowing Harrison a shot at goal but the Tanners' striker-cum-midfielder showed why he had made just the one appearance on the scoresheet this season when he shot wastefully over the crossbar. Five minutes before the break, Beer became the first booking of the afternoon when referee Ian Bentley took exception to his comments and showed him the yellow card - a decision that was to cost the Tanners' full-back dear later in the game.

The home side continued to press and a strong run by Charles-Smith saw him deliver a good cross to the far post but Richard O'Connor couldn't keep his shot down and then Frankland had to come smartly off his line to save at Charles-Smith's feet as Leatherhead finished the half strongly. Yet the hosts might have gone into the break further behind when Carney's free-kick flicked off the head of the luckless Harrison, forcing Dunn into a reflex save.

After almost ten minutes of added time, Mr Bentley blew his whistle leaving the supporters to discuss that incredible start, and French's excellent goal, during the break.

John Maggs sent on Andy Walker in place of Matt Geard at the start of the second half after the full-back had struggled to contain the power and pace of Julian Thompson and Thompson it was who came close to bringing the sides level again within minutes of the restart when Carpenter's threaded pass eluded French's outstretched boot but the Leatherhead number eleven dragged his shot harmlessly across the face of Frankland's goal. The Horsham 'keeper had to be strong to meet a free-kick aimed towards the lively Harrison and the same player got the wrong side of Payne but could only put his header wide. Frankland, sporting a new close-cropped hairstyle, was certainly the busier of the two 'keepers early in the second half as the Horsham players' minds seemed to still be in the warmth of the dressing room. A good interchange between Thompson and Charles-Smith caused Frankland to advance from his goal-line to block and there was a repeat performance seconds later when Thompson stole in behind the defence.

Ironically, a rare break from Horsham almost resulted in an equaliser for Leatherhead when a raking pass from Carney to Westcott was cleared upfield and Thompson seized on a misplaced header from French but his hurried shot sailed over the crossbar. Arguably, the outcome of the match was decided by a contentious decision by referee Bentley, midway through the second half. Taylor contested a long ball, deep inside the Leatherhead half, with Beer, the Tanners' full-back. As the two players landed in a heap on the touchline, Taylor was first to his feet but Beer, believing himself to have been impeded, stuck out a foot to prevent the Horsham striker homing in on goal. Bentley infuriated the home crowd by showing the Leatherhead man a yellow card for the second time in the match leaving Beer to storm disconsolately towards the dressing rooms. The man in the middle further incensed the anxious Tanners fans when Walker appeared to nudge Thompson off the ball prompting vociferous claims for a penalty kick.

However, another fine move from the visitors secured a killer fourth goal to secure their eighth away win of the campaign, and a league 'double' over the Surrey side for the second successive season. Carney won the ball in midfield and sent a wonderful defence-splitting pass through to Westcott who won the race to be first to the ball and lifted his shot high over the advancing Dunn to the delight of the Horsham supporters stationed behind the goal.

The visitors began to revel in the space afforded them by the home team's tiring ten men and more good work from Carney sent Taylor scampering through only to be denied by a timely challenge from Harrison. Charles-Smith's persistence on the left touchline almost provided the opportunity for a grandstand finish when his trickery earned Walker a booking for bring down his man and, as the free-kick was swung over, the ball was flicked on for a Leatherhead boot to send the ball crashing off the crossbar with Harrison unable to convert the rebound.

Tanners boss, Dave Harlow, sent on Warren Waugh for the closing stages to replace O'Connor but it was Thompson who had the next chance when he showed good control to bring down a high ball behind the visitors' defence but Frankland was quickly off his line to deny the Leatherhead forward with his legs. But Horsham continued to find gaps in midfield and, when Hendry's desperate challenge on Taylor saw the ball fall to Hawthorne inside the penalty area, the travelling faithful prepared to acclaim their side's fifth goal of the game. However, with so many options made available to him by the beleaguered defence, Hawthorne elected to knock the ball across the face of goal where it was comfortably cleared. A quick break by Taylor saw Rook's diving header easily saved by Dunn then the former Dover man hit a twenty-five yard effort over the crossbar before Bentley's whistle brought proceedings to a close.

Favourable results elsewhere lifted Horsham back to second in the table, and a guaranteed promotion spot, and, if they can show this sort of spirit and clinical finishing, there is no reason why they shouldn't still be there come the end of April.


Leatherhead: 1.Tommy Dunn 2.Jamie Beer 3.Dante Alighieri 4.Iain Hendry 5.Mark Harper 6.Wes Harrison 7.Steve Sargent 8.Dean Carpenter 9.Richard O'Connor (Waugh) 10.Marc Charles-Smith 11.Julian Thompson Subs: 12.Paul Sears 14.Warren Waugh 15.Adam Gray 17.Lee Doherty

Horsham: 1.Rob Frankland 2.Ian Payne 3.Matt Geard (Walker) 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.Andy Walker 14.Tom Graves 15.Dominik Hudak 16.Florian Mateos 17.James Cant

Goalscorers

Leatherhead: Carpenter (2), Charles-Smith (4)

Horsham: Taylor (6), Carney (7), French (20), Westcott (75)

Att: 321