Ringmer 3 v Horsham 1
Tuesday 21st March 2006
Brighton Charity Cup

Reporter: Jim Bravery

Horsham’s hopes of a second cup final appearance of the season were dashed by a player that began the season on Horsham’s books and another that returned from the relative obscurity of minor league football to continue his role as the Hornets’ nemesis.
Andy Ducille, signed by John Maggs in the close season after a spell at Burgess Hill, scored his side’s crucial second goal that enabled the County League leaders to go on and secure the win with former Lewes man Justin Harris netting the third that set up a third round tie with Shoreham. Harris, forever cast as the proverbial pantomime villain in the eyes of Horsham supporters after a career-ending challenge on Martin Lempriere during his Lewes days, was signed from County League Division Two side Wealden shortly before the game and his goal was just reward for a good display against a weakened Horsham team. With promotion the clear aim for the Hornets this season, Maggs selected a below strength side ahead of the vital league clash at Ashford Town on Saturday with no less than nine changes from the line-up that started against Kingstonian at the weekend. Many of the players had been without a game since the reserves’ meeting with Lewes six weeks ago and the likes of Dominik Hudak, Florian Mateos and Ian Payne had made limited appearances from the substitutes’ bench in recent weeks.

Although the Brighton Charity Cup had been much maligned by the club’s supporters, perhaps evident in the meagre attendance of just 65, Maggs has always maintained that it is his intention for his Horsham side to win every match they play and his decision to include club captain Eddie French in the line-up reinforced his desire.

The hosts began the game on the offensive and Gareth Green brought a fine save from Gary Elliott after just five minutes. Tom Graves' reply was poor – his shot sailing harmlessly over Ross Standen’s goal – and the opening exchanges saw a number of physical challenges from both sides that eventually led to a booking for Horsham’s teenage midfielder, Kieran Johnson. Good approach work from Mateos and Matt Geard created another opening for Graves but the Horsham man couldn’t keep his shot down and the ball flew over the crossbar. Hudak, rewarded for his match-saving substitute performance on Saturday with a first start in six games, was unable to reproduce his goalscoring heroics when he got his direction all wrong, heading Geard’s cross out for a throw.

Despite their weakened line-up, the Hornets continued to apply the pressure and the Blues’ rearguard had to concede corners to deny Geard and Hudak. Carlo Castrechino, who would go on to complete his first full ninety minutes since suffering a car accident in October, burst past a couple of defenders but, having done the hard work, he put his left foot shot wide of the near post. The miss proved costly as Ringmer took the lead soon after. Elliott made a comfortable save from Green, and Gavin Jones was off target from distance, before Jones cut inside James Cant and drilled a shot across the face of goal and into the bottom corner of the net to give his side a thirty-fourth minute lead. Jones almost punished the visitors again, sixty seconds later, but his shot went wide. The tricky striker was denied by Elliott, shortly after, when he got through and hit a powerful shot that Elliott had to gather at the second attempt. Hudak headed tamely into Standen’s hands as the Hornets went in search of a goal that would restore parity before the interval and they were rewarded when Cant swung over a deep cross towards Geard and, when Standen could only parry the midfielder's shot into the path of Hudak, the Slovakian unselfishly laid the ball off to Mateos who tucked home from close range to send the teams in on level terms.

In a pre-planned move, Andy Howard replaced his skipper at the start of the second half but the young centre-back struggled in the early stages with one attempted clearance sliced behind for a corner from which Jones sent in a shot straight at Elliott. At the other end, Graves was off target with a speculative chip but the Hornets' 'keeper was quickly back in the action when Matt Beeston fired in a dangerous cross - Elliott making a vital interception in front of the Ringmer players. Elliott's handling had been impressive all night and, after another clean catch from a well flighted corner, his quick thinking began a counter-attack that saw Mateos earn his side a free-kick after his typically jinking run had been crudely ended on the edge of the penalty area. Sadly, the advantage was wasted as Johnson smacked Geard's short pass wide of Standen's goal.

Horsham made their second substitution of the night when John Westcott replaced Graves in an unfamiliar left sided role and Ringmer quickly took advantage of the Hornets' reorganisation to regain the lead as Ducille finished well with a powerful shot after Danny Bird had escaped the attentions of the visiting defenders. Geard thought he had scored his side's second equaliser, only for the goal to be correctly ruled out for an offside decision, and Elliott had to be at full stretch to prevent Green from extending the Blues' lead. However, the home side were full of confidence and, when Harris ventured forward three minutes later, he thumped home a shot from outside the area to effectively settle the tie.

On a night of familiar faces, former Horsham favourite Joe Clark replaced Ducille for the final quarter of an hour that signalled Horsham's best spell of the game. Mateos spurned a good opportunity to reduce the deficit when he shot wide with just the goalkeeper to beat and the same player then chipped in a free-kick that the big stopper fielded comfortably.

The impressive Johnson was replaced by Nigel Brake with little more than ten minutes remaining but the pacy winger had little time to influence the outcome of the tie. Hudak collected a bizarre booking when, after being upended by Harris, the Horsham man tried to wrestle the ball from the Ringmer protagonist only to find himself the recipient of a yellow card from referee Dave Smith. Elliott kept the scoreline at 3-1, coming swiftly off his line to save at Mark Probert's feet and Castrechino's snap shot rattled the crossbar with Westcott unable to convert the rebound. On the stroke of full time, Geard's shot appeared to be creeping into the net only for it to take a deflection off a defender that sent the ball wide.

It's doubtful that too many tears will be shed after Horsham's elimination from the competition that had provided some recent success for the Hornets but Maggs will take pleasure in the performances of youngsters Gary Elliott, James Cant and Kieran Johnson which should indicate a healthy future for Horsham Football Club.


Ringmer: 1.Ross Standen 2.Danny Bird 3.Matt Beeston 4.Julian Curnow 5.Justin Harris 6.Gary Stacey 7.Chris Dicker 8.Andy Ducille (Clark) 9.Gavin Jones 10.Gareth Green 11.Mark Probert Subs: 12.Adam Hunt 14.Joe Clark 15.Dominic Shepherd 16.Paul Ford 17.Sam Adams

Horsham: 1.Gary Elliott 2.James Cant  3.Ian Payne 4.Mark Zydonic 5.Eddie French (Howard) 6.Kieran Johnson (Brake) 7.Tom Graves (Westcott) 8.Carlo Castrechino 9.Dominik Hudak 10.Florian Mateos 11.Matt Geard Subs: 12.Andy Howard 14.Nigel Brake 15.John Westcott 17.Rob Frankland

Goalscorers

Ringmer: Jones (34), Ducille (61), Harris (70)

Horsham: Mateos (44)
 

Att: 65