Molesey 1 v Horsham 3
Saturday 22nd April 2006
Ryman League Division One

Reporter: Mark Wells

Horsham were finally able to secure promotion to the Premier Division of the Isthmian League after a nerve-wracking afternoon at Molesey's Walton Road ground. The Hornets' poor first half display looked like giving their fans another sleepless week, after they had trailed for sixty-eight minutes, before an inspired substitution turned the game on it's head. Trailing to Aaron Nowacki's third minute header, the Hornets put in a nervy display that looked like sending their promotion chase into the final weekend but the expression 'cometh the hour, cometh the man' could never have been more appropriate than when Horsham's talismanic midfielder, Lee Carney, stepped off the bench just ten minutes into the second half. Within twenty minutes, Carney had been instrumental in driving his side on to a 2-1 lead and, from there on in, there was only to be one winner.
The final few matches of the season had seen Horsham's patchy league form effectively hand the title to Ramsgate, who moved five points clear of the Hornets after the last round of matches, and three points were still required to seal promotion under the challenge of Tonbridge Angels. Despite their lowly league position, it is unlikely that Molesey would have figured high on the list of John Maggs' most desired venues in which to travel to in search of those elusive points. With just two wins in their previous seven visits, Walton Road is one of the least successful hunting grounds for the Hornets but their large travelling support were hopeful that they could complete a league double over the Moles, following on from the 5-0 demolition at Queen Street in December.
John Maggs had indicated that he might change his line-up for this game and he was true to his word as he demoted Lee Carney and Gary Charman to the bench, giving John Westcott a starting place on the right wing while Tom Graves slipped in at right back to allow Matt Geard to move into the vacant midfield spot. Charman had been struggling to find his best form recently but a new pair of football boots was given as the reason for Carney's omission - the midfielder struggling from blistered feet.
A fine April afternoon saw the Horsham players take to the field to a rousing welcome from their fans and they were quickly into their stride, forcing a corner immediately from the kick-off and Clark Gooding performed an excellent tip over from Graves' header. Incredibly, Molesey broke quickly upfield and won a corner of their own that called Rob Frankland into early action, stretching high to push Wayne Noad's volley over the bar. It was from this corner that the Moles took the lead as Nowacki climbed above three Horsham defenders to send a header past Frankland and over the line, despite the efforts of Mark Hawthorne at the far post. Another corner, on the Horsham right, was teed up for Andy Howard but the young defender's shot was cleared as the visitors looked to make immediate amends. Sam Lampard almost doubled his side's lead after ten minutes when his good run ended with his shot being blocked and Frankland had to show good awareness when Lampard's miscued cross looked to be heading into the roof of the Horsham net. Nowacki almost repeated his earlier goal when he met the resulting corner with his head but, this time, Hawthorne was able to clear as the visitors' goal led a charmed life. The Molesey full-back was proving a handful for the Horsham defence and he threatened once more when he flicked on Chris Wales' free-kick, conceded needlessly by Carl Rook, after twenty minutes. The Horsham striker was keeping referee, Mr West, busy during a first half in which he was regularly adjudged to have perpetrated fouls on his marker but he was the architect of Horsham's best chance of the half as he picked up a loose ball and sent a dangerous cross towards the far post where Nowacki was able to nick the ball off Nigel Brake's toes as the Horsham man shaped to shoot at goal.
The Hornets had a penalty appeal turned down when Geard flicked on Graves' long throw, hitting Noad at close quarters, and Brake sent in a volley that was easy for Gooding but they flattered to deceive and Phil Ruggles should have made more of an opening created by Wales' intelligent ball over the top of the Horsham defence but the leading scorer was unable to add to his thirty-one goals this season, sending a weak volley straight at Frankland. Graves' interception broke up another Molesey attack and the full-back's quick pass released Taylor who found Brake overlapping outside him but the winger's left foot shot went just too high to trouble the goalkeeper. Brake fared slightly better in the next attack when his hanging cross was fumbled by Gooding but Westcott, perhaps surprised to see the ball drop in front of him, was unable to make a connection from inside the six yard box and the chance was lost. Horsham were temporarily reduced to ten men when their skipper, Eddie French, was sent from the field to receive treatment for a bloody nose but his team-mates held out and produced a corner for themselves that Taylor despatched into the bottom corner of the net, only for play to be brought back following a foul on the Molesey 'keeper. Back into the fray, French gave Gooding an anxious moment when his back header was caught on the goal-line and a disappointing half for the visitors ended with Wales collecting a booking for a foul on Rook.
As had become common practice in recent weeks, many Horsham supporters were checking their mobile 'phones during the interval for updates from around the grounds, thanks to the sterling efforts of Bob Frankland, and those in the know passed on the news that Tonbridge Angels were ahead by a goal to nil in their match against Hastings United, thus heightening the anxiety among the travelling fans. Their nerves were stretched even further, just moments after the restart, when Lampard set up Ruggles with a chance but his chipped shot drifted just wide of the far post. Taylor sent a shot wide of the static Gooding after French and Geard had helped on Graves' long throw and Hawthorne tested the 'keeper with a shot from distance that had to be gathered up at the second attempt with Taylor closing in as Horsham began the second period in positive mood. Taylor headed Graves' long free-kick over the crossbar but, at the other end, Horsham's failure to clear a Molesey attack saw Ruggles set up Lampard with a good opportunity but his team-mate didn't share his own goalscoring prowess and the shot was sliced horribly wide.
Some nimble footwork by Geard almost conjured up an equaliser when he collected a short corner from Westcott and jinked his way into the Moles' penalty area but Gooding stood up well and pushed the shot around the post. Ruggles was sent on his way when Ian Payne failed to deal with a long ball from the edge of the hosts' penalty area but the Moles' frontman got his sights all wrong as he miscued his intended pass with the Horsham defence outnumbered.
With ten minutes of the second half gone, Maggs made a tactical switch, sending on Carney in place of Howard, and moving Graves alongside French in the centre of defence with Payne swapping flanks to slot in at right-back. Geard moved out of midfield into the now vacant left-back berth. Possibly the decisive moment of this match occurred in slightly comical circumstances with little under half an hour remaining. Graves had just headed a Westcott cross wide of the target when a long ball out of defence caught the Hornets' defence flat-footed, allowing Warren Burton an unhindered run on goal. As Frankland advanced from his line, the Molesey forward lobbed the ball past the hopelessly exposed Horsham 'keeper before embarking on a celebratory run as his effort bounced towards the open net. Yet, astonishingly, the ball bounced up and back into play off of the crossbar only to hit Burton in the midriff and rebound to safety from two yards out. At 2-0 down, it is unlikely the Hornets would have been able to force a comeback but, with this chance afforded them, Maggs decided to gamble once more, sending on Charman for the inconspicuous Westcott. The pressure was beginning to tell on the pitch with Hawthorne and Brake verbally criticising each other's performances while Rook collected a booking which was balanced up by Lee Richardson who caught the Horsham striker with a late tackle.
Moles' manager, Steve Beeks, made his first substitution of the game with twenty minutes remaining, sending on Steve Brown for Noad but, within sixty seconds, Horsham's own substitute was making his mark. Carney had all the time in the world to look up and curl in a cross deep to the far post and Rook was on hand to touch the ball home after Gooding had failed to make the catch. This unexpected lifeline breathed new belief into the visitors and, two minutes later, a sweeping move brought a second goal when Rook displayed his sharpness in the penalty box to tap home after Carney's volley had been fumbled by Gooding. This was a signal for the party to begin as the fans, who had been excellent in their support of the players all afternoon, raised their own performance levels and continued to belt out their songs amid a sea of yellow and green.
Further substitutions from the home side failed to have any influence on the outcome of the match and, with the visitors' tails very much up, a third goal was added when Brake headed on for Taylor to outpace skipper Paul Gower, making his final appearance for the Moles, before brushing off the challenge of Gooding and firing in a left foot shot from an acute angle for his twenty-eighth goal of the season. It was a sad end for Gower who seemed determined to end his playing days embroiled in a spat with Rook but the game was to have one final, humorous moment, when Horsham tried to make their final substitution of the afternoon. With Geard ambling off the pitch, assistant manager Tommy Warrilow screamed at Florian Mateos to 'just get on the pitch' as the referee grew tired with the delay in making the switch. The Frenchman, jolted into action by Warrilow's barked order, tore onto the pitch only to be called back to put on the amber jersey having crossed the touchline wearing a dark green training shirt. Even Horsham's emotionally charged coach could afford a smile, giving Mateos an affectionate hug as he returned sheepishly from the bench, now suitably kitted out.
As the final whistle blew, there were cheers from the Horsham contingent, who had contributed towards Molesey's highest crowd of the season, and the champagne corks and singing was the prelude to what was sure to be a night to remember for the players and supporters of Horsham Football Club as they began to look forward to life in the Premier Division.

Molesey: 1.Clark Gooding 2.Aaron Nowacki 3.Phil Caughter 4.Paul Gower 5.John Murphy 6.Lee Richardson 7.Chris Wales (Cross) 8.Wayne Noad (Brown) 9.Warren Burton 10.Phil Ruggles 11.Sam Lampard (Lucas) Subs: 12.Dan Lucas 14.Paul Cross 15.Steve Brown 16.Dave Skilton 17.Eranni Adin

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

Goalscorers

Molesey: Nowacki (3)

Horsham: Rook (71, 73), Taylor (82)

Att: 302