Ashford Town (Mx) 1 v Horsham 2
Tuesday 31st October 2006
Ryman League Premier Division

reporter: Mark Wells

Horsham moved into fourth place in the Ryman League Premier Division table with a last gasp win at lowly Ashford Town. The Hornets, without a league win since 23rd September, looked as though they were going to have to content themselves with a single point from an evenly fought match before an inspired piece of play from substitute Gary Charman stole the points, a minute from time. On a clear, cold Halloween night, Charman provided the trick and the treat as he tricked his way past his marker before treating the travelling supporters to an exquisite curling shot that flew into the far corner of the net to provide his side with a timely boost ahead of their FA Trophy tie at Maidenhead on Saturday.

With just one first team fixture having been played in the past fortnight, Horsham's supporters would have been excused for thinking manager John Maggs would be able to field his strongest side for this visit to seventeenth placed Ashford Town but they were proved wrong when Lee Carney failed a fitness test on his injured thigh while Charman was dropped to the bench after some recent below-par performances. Jose Goncalves slotted into Charman's position on the left of midfield, Kevin Hemsley continued to partner Eddie French in the centre of defence and Matt Geard deputised once more for the suspended Nigel Brake at left-back. There were handshakes at the start of the contest as former Aldershot Town team-mates Jamie Taylor and Jason Chewins renewed acquaintances.

A chilly night drew a surprisingly healthy attendance to the Short Lane ground with supporters choosing to spend their evening in the bracing Middlesex air rather than in front of the television set and the dubious appeal of the Barcelona v Chelsea Champions League clash and they witnessed a match of honest endeavour by two sides eager to earn maximum points for differing reasons. The Hornets had begun to fall off the pace somewhat, after their impressive start, while the hosts were hoping that their excellent cup form might manifest itself in the league and help them climb away from the lower reaches of the table. It was the visitors who looked the most threatening early on and a slick break down the Horsham right ended with home goalkeeper Paul Burgess pouncing on John Westcott's low cross. The veteran 'keeper was called upon to make a more routine save, moments later, when he gathered Carl Rook's header after the striker was picked out by Stuart Myall. However, despite their bright start, the Hornets soon found themselves behind as Ashford's pacy attack caused problems down the left and Scott Todd shook off the attentions of French and Geard to finish well at the near post, firing his shot high into the roof of the net. Todd had the ball in the net again, a minute later, but play had been halted for an offside flag and a relieved Alan Mansfield was able to clear his lines from the resulting free-kick. Poor handling from the Horsham stopper had visiting fans' hearts in their mouths as good hold up play from Todd enabled him to bring his full-back into the game and his teasing cross was flapped at unconvincingly by Mansfield and Hemsley had to clear the danger, under pressure at the far post ,as the Hornets endured a rocky passage of play. However, they gradually fought their way back into the game and were rewarded by a deserved equaliser on twenty nine minutes that was an early contender for goal of the season. A long, hopeful ball from Myall found Rook on the far edge of the Ashford penalty area and the big target man managed to hold of the challenge of the defender before squaring the ball to Lewis Taylor who surged forward from midfield and hit a sweet, right-footed strike past the helpless 'keeper from twenty yards.

The goal seemed to give the visitors renewed confidence and another good break almost released Jamie Taylor but the diminutive striker merely ended with a harsh booking after contesting a 50/50 challenge with Burgess that left the apparently stricken custodian in a heap. The remainder of the half saw both sides enjoying reasonable possession without providing much in the way of goalmouth incident and the sides went in level at the break.

With neither side showing any changes to personnel upon the resumption of the game, it was the hosts who posted an early assault on their opponents' goal and they looked to have a strong penalty claim waved away as the ball appeared to hit a Horsham hand inside the eighteen yard box but referee Power waved play on. Geard collected his almost obligatory booking within five minutes of the restart as the competitive nature of the match increased and Horsham were indebted to a fabulous save from Mansfield to maintain parity on fifty-five minutes. Ashford had made good use of the long throw-in and, as another ball was delivered in from the sidelines, Stuart Lake met it first time to send a volley arrowing towards goal only for Mansfield to stick out an arm to prevent it reaching the back of the net from close range with Ashford's players preparing to celebrate their second goal of the night. Westcott wasn't quite so accurate with his shooting when he blazed a shot high over the bar when well placed, as the sides traded chances, and Mansfield was quickly off his line to narrow the angle after John Palmer raced away from Myall, forcing the striker to place the ball wide of the far upright. A mishit cross from Myall then drifted inches wide of the angle before the former Folkestone Invicta man earned his side's second yellow card of the night for upending the tricky Darren Deegan. Todd fired in a shot from distance that was comfortably saved by Mansfield, French sliced the ball behind his own goal after a quick break and cross from Deegan and the Hornets' skipper was on hand to help prevent his side going behind once more when he headed another dangerous flick-on off of the goal-line.

The game was becoming an open affair as both sides battled for the winning goal but Rook was unable to provide the power to beat Burgess when he got his head to Westcott's whipped cross and the striker's frustrations got the better of him when he pushed away Russell Canderton after the centre-half had brought him down, provoking a minor flare-up involving players from both sides. After the dust had settled, Canderton joined team-mate Deegan in Mr Power's notebook. With a quarter of an hour remaining, Maggs replaced Graves with Charman but it was the home side who almost struck next when John Hamsher sent his volley just wide of Mansfield's goal. Goncalves had proved an ever-willing outlet on the left hand side of the pitch but his possession frustratingly bore little in the way of positive creativity for the Hornets and, when he lost possession midway inside the Ashford half, the home side quickly broke away and a clumsy challenge from Myall looked to have gifted the hosts a penalty when Todd went down inside the area. Once more, Mr Power said 'no penalty' and the ball was cleared upfield. Chewins had marshalled his defence well all game, keeping close tabs on his former team-mate Taylor, but he was visibly tiring and ended up in Power's notebook for a clumsy foul on Rook. Westcott should have put his side ahead after French's free-kick had led to good work in the Ashford penalty area from Jamie Taylor but the winger placed his shot wide of the goal from close range and the visitors' luck looked out as the ball seemed to hit Chewins' hand after a goalmouth melee in the closing stages before they survived a huge let-off themselves, just five minutes from the end. Gavin Smith, on for Palmer, got away from French and raced towards the Horsham goal before cutting the ball back to the waiting Todd. His colleague's perfectly weighted pass cut out the exposed 'keeper leaving Todd with the seemingly easy task of putting the ball into the back of the net but Geard defended superbly, spreading himself to block the shot and send it over the crossbar for a corner. With the end of the game fast approaching, Ashford boss Mark Butler replaced the veteran Chewins with James Newman to see out time. However, there was little that Newman or his colleagues could do when Myall's searching ball was picked up by Charman who turned and slipped his marker before clipping a shot across Burgess and into the far corner before racing away to celebrate amid a mass of Horsham shirts. 

Ashford Town: 1.Paul Burgess 2.Vinnie O'Sullivan 3.Jason Chewins (Newman) 4.Russell Canderton 5.Brett Cooper 6.John Hamsher 7.Ricky Wellard 8.Stuart Lake 9.John Palmer (Smith) 10.Scott Todd 11.Darren Deegan Substitutes: 12.Gavin Smith 14.Lee Passmore 15.James Newman 16.Matt Baxter 17.Ben Lauder-Dykes

Horsham: 1.Alan Mansfield 2.Stuart Myall 3.Matt Geard 4.Eddie French 5.Kevin Hemsley 6.Lewis Taylor 7.Tom Graves (Charman)8.John Westcott 9.Jamie Taylor 10.Carl Rook 11.Jose Goncalves
Substitutes: 12.Andy Howard 14.Gary Charman 15.Lee Saxby 17.Rob Frankland

Goalscorers:

Ashford Town - Todd (14)

Horsham - L.Taylor (29), Charman (90)

Attendance: 235