Horsham 3 v Walton Casuals 1
Saturday 11th February 2006
Ryman League Division One

Horsham's newly christened Atspeed stadium saw the hosts achieve a comfortable win over Walton Casuals and strengthen their grip on second place in the table. The Hornets were always in control against their limited and, at times, robust opponents although Greg Ball's equalising strike, four minutes before the break, had the home supporters a little concerned. Fortunately, long serving wing man Gary Charman popped up with a goal almost immediately to give his side a deserved lead before Jamie Taylor settled matters just shy of the hour mark.
Horsham dignitaries Frank King, Jeff Barrett, David Hillier and John Maggs posed for photographs with their counterparts from Atspeed Steels & Lintels, prior to the match, to celebrate the start of a major three year ground sponsorship deal. Although a major coup for Horsham Football Club, Maggs might have been forgiven if his thoughts were elsewhere when he was given the news that experienced full-back Ian Payne had cried off through illness, Maggs having already been forced to reshuffle his forward line to compensate for the absence of the suspended Carl Rook. The issues were soon resolved with Andy Walker given Rook's number ten jersey, but playing his usual midfield role, while Tom Graves reverted to right-back in the only changes to last weekend's line-up that won so well at Leatherhead.

Walton Casuals arrived in town lying in fifteenth place but having recorded some notable scalps in their inaugural season in the Isthmian League. Last season's Combined Counties champions had already seen off the likes of Tonbridge Angels, Ramsgate and Tooting & Mitcham while Horsham had Lee Carney to thank for a late penalty that secured a point at Franklyn Road back in November. However, with their last six games yielding a meagre return of just four points, manager Spencer Collins was keen for his side to repeat the good form shown at the end of November to avoid dropping further down the table.

The build up to the match had seen the Horsham supporters call for their numbers to try and reproduce the sort of atmosphere created at away games and they were given plenty of opportunity to exercise their vocal chords before the match had even begun when the emergence of the teams saw Casuals' Scott Harris sporting a pair of black tights to protect him from the February chill. The Lardy Boys were quickly into their full repertoire as they gave the visiting player plenty of good-natured stick, to the amusement of some of his team-mates.

Lardy Boys aside, the match began fairly quietly with both sides trading possession. The first chance of the game fell Horsham's way on ten minutes when Matt Geard's corner was cleared only as far as Mark Hawthorne whose shot, through a crowd of players, deflected into the path of Taylor but the striker was denied by a combination of goalkeeper Danny Andrews and the linesman's flag. But Andrews was at fault for Horsham's opener, just six minutes later, when Hawthorne's cross was deflected into the path of Westcott and the Horsham man stooped low to send in a header that the 'keeper initially seemed to think was going wide. The ball span back onto the post before hitting Andrews on the head and dropping over the goal-line to the delight of the majority of the 322 crowd. Then, in a carbon copy of the earlier incident, Hawthorne's shot crept through a crowd of players on the edge of the penalty area to Taylor but, this time, the linesman's flag stayed down but Horsham's leading scorer slipped at the crucial moment and the chance of a second goal was gone.

A few ill-timed challenges and remonstrations were going unchecked by referee Ian Cooper until Geard flattened Craig Carley forcing Mr Cooper to present another yellow card to the Horsham man who begins a three match suspension next week.

An excellent move involving Charman and Lee Carney saw the winger cut the ball back intelligently to the edge of the visitors' penalty area but Carney saw his drive well blocked by Andrews and the ball was cleared. A fumble by Hornets' 'keeper Rob Frankland almost provided the Casuals with an equaliser sixty seconds later when a rare attack led to Harris' corner being dropped by the goalkeeper but Ball could only fire over the crossbar from a promising angle. Frankland soon atoned for his error when Anthony Gale whipped in a devilish free-kick that was met by Ball but the big 'keeper spread himself well to save a point-blank range as the visitors tried to impose themselves on the game. A controversial moment, four minutes later, left players and supporters scratching their heads after a clash in the Casuals penalty area seemingly earned the hosts a penalty. A corner from Westcott was flicked on and Taylor appeared to be impeded by James Pearson as he tried to make contact. The linesman immediately held his flag across his chest to indicate a penalty kick but, before the referee could react, his attention was taken by an incident where Pearson seemed to tread on the prostrate Taylor as he lay in the six yard box. Incredibly, after consultation with his assistant, Mr Cooper decided that a corner kick should be awarded which came to nothing.

Perhaps shaken by this injustice, the Horsham players seemed to lose concentration and the visitors were given a lifeline on forty-one minutes when Harris' ball over the statuesque defence had Frankland racing off his line to head clear from the marauding Carley. Unfortunately for the home side, Eddie French lost possession of the loose ball and Ball was able to claim his fourteenth goal of the season with a well struck shot that beat the back pedalling 'keeper and a defender, creeping just inside the post. The goal was cruel on Horsham who had enjoyed the better of the first period but they weren't behind for long. Charman had just headed Westcott's cross wide before Carney's driven ball to the far post saw Andrews get up well to punch away, under pressure from French, only for Charman to send a looping header into the open goal from fifteen yards to give the home side a half-time lead.

Horsham began the second half well and only frantic defending prevented them from extending their lead on fifty minutes when a defender's two-footed lunge blocked Carney's drive and Westcott's ball back into the box saw Charman fail to get enough contact on his shot when under pressure from James Crowe. However, the presence of seven Casuals outfield players couldn't prevent Taylor from notching Horsham's third, on fifty-eight minutes, after Graves had flicked on Westcott's right-wing corner.

Five minutes after the goal, another Horsham attack resulted in a rash challenge by Walton's John Ambridge on Walker just outside the visitors' penalty area. The Horsham man leapt to his feet in protest at the tackle and was immediately surrounded by the entire Walton Casuals team including goalkeeper Andrews who ran fully twenty yards to get involved. As a number of Horsham's players waded in, several of the visitors' bench came on to the pitch as the referee appeared to lose control. Incredibly, after the fracas had died down, Cooper decided to refer to his linesman despite the incident happening just yards from the referee. After a few minutes of deliberation, the yellow card was justifiably brandished to Andrews yet, astonishingly, Westcott was also a recipient of an official warning despite appearing to have little involvement. With order restored, play resumed with Collins withdrawing Gale and Neil Wicks, sending on Michael Cobden and Chris Morrison, as the unmarked French headed the free-kick over the crossbar.

Frankland had to be alert to save from Carley at his far post and Steve Sutherland powered a header over the top from the resultant corner. That signalled Carley's final contribution to the game before he was replaced by Michael Carpenter. Harris, who had ignored the baiting of the crowd over his attire, then received a throw-in and sent in a thunderous drive that brought a spectacular save from Frankland as the visitors looked to set up a grandstand finish. But Taylor was nearly in again for the home side when a lofted clearance from Andy Howard was misread by Charman and the Casuals defence leaving him with just a defender to beat but, having done the hard part, his shot lacked the power to beat Andrews who made a good save. Geard then advanced and sent in a low shot that was comfortable for the 'keeper before the Hornets brought on Dominik Hudak for Walker. The big striker was soon in the thick of the action, winning his aerial battles, and he was involved in another contentious moment, ten minutes from time, when Geard's corner was headed goalwards by Graves but Cooper decided that Andrews had been fouled as the ball dropped into the back of the net.

Michael Cayford then unleashed a fearsome snapshot from twenty yards that Frankland had to push round the post and his defensive partner, Crowe, followed suit just moments later when his powerful drive flew narrowly wide.

But the match ended as it had begun, with Harris centre stage. Frustrated at seeing his side slip to their twelfth defeat of the season, the tights-wearing number ten was booked for a foul on Lee Carney prompting further taunts from the contented Horsham supporters.


Horsham: 1.Rob Frankland 2.Tom Graves 3.Matt Geard 4.Eddie French 5.Andy Howard 6.Mark Hawthorne 7.Lee Carney 8.John Westcott 9.Jamie Taylor 10.Andy Walker (Hudak) 11.Gary Charman Subs: 12.James Cant 14.Dominik Hudak 15.Florian Mateos 18.Gary Elliott

Walton Casuals: 1.Danny Andrews 2. James Crowe 3.Michael Cayford 4.John Ambridge 5.James Pearson 6.Steve Sutherland 7.Anthony Gale (Cobden) 8.Craig Carley (Carpenter) 9.Greg Ball 10.Scott Harris 11.Neil Wicks (Morrison) Subs: 12.Michael Carpenter 14.Michael Cobden 15.Danny Cormack 16.Chris Morrison

Goalscorers

Walton Casuals: Ball (41)

Horsham: Westcott (16), Charman (44), Taylor (58)

Att: 322