Horsham 1 v Hampton & Richmond Borough 2
Saturday 25th November 2006
Ryman League Premier Division

reporter: Mark Wells

The storm clouds had gathered over the Atspeed Stadium long before the lightning and torrential rain that turned the closing stages of this Ryman Premier Division clash into a farce. Enraged home fans had seen their side reduced to ten men, and the visitors awarded a controversial penalty, by referee Anthony Biddulph who booked four further Horsham players as the Hornets tasted defeat in the league for only the third time this season.

Horsham fans were cheered with the news that Kevin Hemsley had passed a fitness test on his tweaked groin and was joined in the starting line-up by fellow defender Stuart Myall, whose place in the side had also been at risk after twisting an ankle in Tuesday's win against Walton and Hersham. Sadly, the third of Horsham's midweek casualties, Lewis Taylor, was unable to claim even a place on the bench after failing to recover from a leg injury. However, the big talk on the terraces before the match concerned Horsham's 'other' Taylor, Jamie, who had been the apparent subject of a seven day approach by an unnamed Conference League club. With tricky matches to come against high flying Bromley, Margate, AFC Wimbledon and Tonbridge Angels, Hornets boss John Maggs now faces a dilemma with both of his leading strikers likely to be missing for all, or some, of those games. Going almost unnoticed among the talk of absent, or soon to depart, players was the news that the club had also received an approach from Broadbridge Heath for Horsham's 'forgotten man', Andy Howard, who was rumoured to be featuring for the County League side this afternoon.

Hampton & Richmond Borough had been among the pre-season favourites for promotion but had struggled to find any consistency to their season, winning just six games, although manager Alan Devonshire was hopeful that his side's midweek victory at Boreham Wood might begin their climb up the table. Missing from the Beavers' line-up was Lawrence Yaku, the prolific former Northwood and Maidenhead United striker, leaving Ian Hodges to lead the visitors' front line with Marcello Fernandes and Kelvin McIntosh, while the heavily bandaged Alan Inns cut an imposing figure in the Beavers' midfield.

Jose Goncalves' shoulder injury meant a rare start for Matt Geard and the former Burgess Hill man put in a good challenge on Hodges to end a mazy run on goal although he soon gave his manager a scare, staying down after a heavy challenge before carrying on after treatment from physio Geoff Brittain. After a period of early sparring, Gary Charman finally called Beavers 'keeper Matt Lovett into action, forcing him into a low, yet comfortable, save on thirteen minutes. Charman threatened again, two minutes later, when he met Nigel Brake's free-kick to power a header fractionally past the far post and Hodges almost took advantage of a loose ball after Myall and Marvin Batley had fought for possession on the edge of the penalty area, the former Slough man sidefooting his effort wide of the target. Batley was playing in an advanced position, despite wearing the number six jersey, and when he popped up in the Horsham area again, Myall got a vital toe in to dispossess the Hampton man who went over the defender's leg to provoke half-hearted appeals for a penalty from the visitors. Batley had the ball in the Horsham net, shortly after, only for a linesman's flag to rule the 'goal' out for offside but the controversy was only just beginning. A brief moment of humour saw Horsham mascot, Howie the Hornet, in a face off with two barking dogs, much to the amusement of the crowd, but the laughter quickly turned to anger when Biddulph produced the red card to an amazed Rook who had appeared to have innocently contest a loose ball with McIntosh. The inevitable vociferous protests followed and Maggs and his assistant, Tommy Warrilow, were spoken to at length by the referee who was roundly booed by supporters around the ground. Inns almost rubbed salt into Horsham's wounds when he climbed high at the far post but he could only direct Graham Harper's deep cross over the bar. Yet the hosts continued with their attacking principles, and Charman headed wide following a good move involving John Westcott, but the visitors were to open the scoring with a scrappy goal, three minute from the break, when Hodges was played through by McIntosh's expertly timed pass and, as Alan Mansfield came out to deny the Hampton man with a fine save, the ball rebounded off Hodges' body before rolling into the unguarded net.

The half-time talk among supporters revolved inevitably around the ramifications of Rook's dismissal, and of Taylor's possible departure, as the skies darkened almost sympathetically over the old Queen Street ground. If Mr Biddulph thought his first half eccentricities were to be forgotten by the crowd during the second period, he was sadly mistaken as, within two minutes of the restart, he reacted to Elliott Godfrey's elbow on Hemsley by brandishing just the yellow card to the understandable frustrations of the home crowd. The tricky McIntosh showed good trickery to cut inside Westcott and Hemsley to unleash a firm drive towards Mansfield's goal but his effort was deflected wide by Hodges as the visitors began the second half in positive mood, hoping to capitalise on their numerical advantage. Mansfield had to race quickly from his line to snatch the ball off Batley's head, after a swift attack had sliced open the Hornets defence, before the Hampton man was replaced by Dean Wells. The Beavers had the ball in the net again only for it to be ruled out, as before, for a clear offside. Horsham continued to rally and McIntosh was cautioned for pulling back the marauding Westcott before good work from Taylor almost saw Matt Elverson put through his own net. Wells might have done better, when played through by McIntosh, after sloppy defending had presented the visitors with the ball but his shot was deflected out for a corner and Mansfield made a good claim under his own crossbar when Graham Harper's long range shot ballooned into the air off of Charman. Geard tested Lovett with a rare shot on goal by the home side who, for all their endeavour, had understandably failed to put the Beavers goal under much pressure without the threat of Rook and they were made to pay shortly after, in the game's second controversial moment. Good approach play by Inns and Hodges sent Wells racing towards goal only for the substitute to be denied by a perfect sliding challenge by French. Incredibly, Mr Biddulph adjudged the Horsham skipper to have fouled his man and promptly pointed to the spot. Surrounded by a posse of incensed players, the official waved the yellow card in the direction of the Horsham men although who, aside from French, received the cautions is unclear. The dramatic events were given additional theatrical content as a bolt of lightning lit up the thundery skies as Godfrey strode up to send Mansfield the wrong way to double the visitors' lead. The heavens opened as the players lined up for the restart, sending supporters scurrying for cover, yet, incredibly, the Hornets were back in the hunt inside a minute when Brake returned Myall's crossfield pass in to the Hampton box where Charman was on hand to head home from close range to raise a cheer that threatened to lift the roof off the covered terrace. The level of support from the home fans was intense as Horsham poured forward in search of an equaliser and Maggs went for broke, with a little over ten minutes remaining, sending on Goncalves in place of Westcott. Biddulph still found time to show Geard the yellow card after catching second half replacement, Jon Henry-Hayden, with a challenge that owed as much to the dreadful conditions as anything else and the Horsham midfielder was promptly replaced by Tom Graves to prevent any further disciplinary issues. Charman went close with a near post header and some brilliant play from Jacob Mingle was ruined only by a fractionally overhit cross that Taylor tried desperately to head on target but the the final action of the match saw Mansfield pull off a good save to deny Henry-Hayden a second goal in successive matches. A goal then would have been harsh, to say the least, on the home side whose supporters left the match officials in no doubt who they felt was responsible for this defeat, gathering to deliver their heated protests at the end of the match.

Horsham: 1.Alan Mansfield 2.Stuart Myall 3.Nigel Brake 4.Eddie French 5.Kevin Hemsley 6.Matt Geard (Graves) 7.Jacob Mingle 8.John Westcott (Goncalves) 9.Jamie Taylor 10.Carl Rook 11.Gary Charman Subs: 12.Lee Saxby 15.Tom Graves 16.Jose Goncalves 17.Rob Frankland

Hampton & Richmond Borough: 1.Matt Lovett 2.Graham Harper 3.Obinna Ulasi 4.Matt Elverson 5.Rob Paris 6.Marvin Batley (Wells) 7.Alan Inns 8.Elliott Godfrey (Henry-Hayden) 9.Ian Hodges 10.Marcello Fernandes 11.Kelvin McIntosh (Matthews) Subs: 12.Glen Harris 13.Matt Nash 15.Dean Wells 16.Barrie Matthews 17.Jon Henry-Hayden

Goalscorers:

Horsham - Charman (69)

Hampton & Richmond Borough - Hodges (42), Godfrey (68 pen)

Attendance: 456