Lewes 1 v Horsham 1
Wednesday 21st February 2007
Sussex Senior Cup quarter-final

reporter: Jim Bravery

Hornets boss John Maggs was glowing with pride after his players held Conference South side Lewes to a draw at the Dripping Pan in a controversial Sussex Senior Cup Quarter-Final tie. Having been defeated by the Rooks in last year's final, Horsham were looking for revenge against a side with whom they'd enjoyed little success in recent years. Three times they had conceded six goals on recent visits to the East Sussex club and, although Steve King's side are currently in something of a slump in form, it was the home side who were slight favourites at the start of play. Yet Maggs' players responded by putting in a performance full of desire, passion and plenty of skill on a difficult surface and were the better team for much of the tie despite playing with ten men following Jacob Mingle's harsh dismissal. "Every one of them was a hero for me tonight," Maggs enthused. "Our fitness was far superior to Lewes and I can't fault any of my players for their commitment. I was proud of each and every one of them. With a bit more luck, we could have won that tie tonight."

Matches between Lewes and Horsham are rarely without incident and Wednesday night was another that provided more talking points than Prime Minister’s Question Time. Heavy handed stewarding on the terraces, weak officiating, mocking celebrations by Lewes goalscorer Lee Farrell in front of the Horsham bench and the appearance of members of Lewes Constabulary at the end ensured that this match would be yet another in the long line of controversial meetings between the two sides. But take nothing away from the Hornets who once again displayed the character, team spirit and utter determination to prove themselves against so-called 'better' opposition.

With just the one recognised striker available to him, Maggs once again opted to push Lee Carney into a more advanced position to partner Carl Rook after the midfielder’s good performances against Tonbridge Angels and AFC Wimbledon, against whom he notched the equaliser on Saturday. Missing from the line-up was Stuart Myall who suffered a hamstring injury against the Dons, Tom Graves taking his place at full-back, while goalkeeper Gareth Williams was given a first start in five months with Alan Mansfield dropping to the bench.

The first half had few chances to talk about as both sides cancelled each other out. Horsham tried to get their passing game going but time and again the moves were breaking down after three or four passes while Lewes’ tactics seemed to weigh heavily on the long ball forward for the threat of Lee Farrell, back in Lewes colours after his recent successful loan spell with the Hornets. Farrell produced the first effort on goal after three minutes, inadvertently directing Kevin Hemsley's delayed clearance out of the penalty area towards Williams who made the save. That early chance aside, the visitors’ defence stood firm despite the best efforts of the Rooks’ Simon Wormull and Gary Hollaway who were working hard to try to work an opening. The competitive nature of this tie was shown early on when Wormull and Rook squared up to each other, earning both players a stern lecture from referee Irvine Woodward. Gary Charman was put away down the left and hit a great cross across the box, the ball was cleared long and Farrell almost got in behind the defence, only Williams’ alertness clearing the danger. Next it was Charman again, raising the away supporters hopes when he cut in on goal, his effort rebounding off Rooks’ goalkeeper Steve Williams’ legs to safety. Namesake Gareth should have been tested moments later when Hollaway cleverly picked out left winger Jordao Diogo but his effort caused no problems as his shot only just missed the corner flag. Nigel Brake evened things up with an equally poor shot after a good one two with Charman had put the wing back through. Paul Booth was Lewes’ first substitution on twenty-eight minutes, the home side’s leading scorer being replaced by Craig O'Connor, and, within a couple of minutes the substitute won a corner after his and Hollaway's shots had been blocked. Leon Legge, venturing forward for the corner put his volley just over Williams’ crossbar.

Horsham were still trying to attack but seemed to push too many forward at times and, with the home defence happy to punt the ball upfield, the visitors’ defence looked vulnerable at times. Hemsley had to show a cool head after Graves’ deep cross was retrieved by Wormull who immediately cleared long, looking for Diogo, but the former Eastbourne Borough defender showed his experience to clear the danger. Soon after, Hemsley needed attention after getting O'Connor’s boot in the face, the referee seemingly unaware of the facial injury and letting play continue to the annoyance of the visitors’ bench. Farrell then found himself in space but his free shot on goal went wide of the post, the frustration clearly showing as he looked toward the dug out for sympathy. Horsham were fighting for every 50/50 ball and were starting to benefit with the tigerish Lewis Taylor and Mingle beginning to gain some control of the midfield. Carney was also using his ability to create chances although most of the crosses into the Lewes area were swallowed up by Williams whose handling looked sound. Farrell was showing his potential by getting into good positions and he forced a good stop from Williams, minutes before the break, the Hornets stopper diving low to his right to palm the ball away and he deserved his luck as O'Connor blasted the loose ball back but over the bar. A Farrell header was also saved after Wormull had set up the chance and the game’s most controversial incident came after Williams’ clearing kick found Gary Charman on the right who instantly won his side a throw, close to the corner flag. With Hemsley and skipper Eddie French coming forward, Charman launched his throw into the box but the ball was claimed and instantly cleared by Williams who found Farrell just inside Horsham's half but a yard offside. With the linesman’s flag raised in apparent indication of the offence Mingle, now the lone covering ‘defender’, made a challenge that saw Farrell fall to the floor prompting Woodward to instantly show the red card without consultation with his official on the line. The furious Maggs immediately pulled Carney back into Mingle’s midfield position leaving Rook to fend for himself as the sole striker. The referee brought the first half to a close moments later, leaving the pitch with the Horsham management team making their feelings known.

Despite the injustice, Maggs was in a positive mood during the interval, full of belief that his players could pull off the win in spite of the circumstances and the second half began with the Hornets looking as if they would run themselves into the ground to try and get their reward. Taylor needed treatment after a stray elbow whacked him on the nose, just three minutes after the restart, but he quickly recovered and watched Rook go close after Charman’s header had given him a half chance. Brake was also enjoying a lot of the ball as Horsham took the game to the Rooks, his wicked cross from Carney’s astute pass won them a corner from which French's back header caused panic in the Rooks penalty area as it went agonisingly wide of the far post with nobody able to put a finishing touch to it. Still applying the pressure, Carney was next to try a shot but Williams saved easily and, on the hour mark, Gareth Williams made a superb save to keep the Hornets in the match and again it was that man Farrell who forced the save. Lewes were starting to get a few chances as the game opened up and Wormull should have done better than blasting his effort well over the bar after being teed up by O'Connor on the edge of the box. Diogo knocked in a good cross towards Farrell whose deft back header saw Williams at full stretch to his left to make another stunning save. After the first corner was cleared behind by a defender, the next one found O'Connor but, like the other efforts, it ended up with the Lewes supporters behind the goal. Horsham won a free kick out wide on the left and John Westcott’s curling, teasing cross just missed the far post on its way through for a goal kick. After Wormull had wasted another chance, Diogo was booked for a very late challenge on Carney and the Lewes bench decided to inject some new blood in the form of Jean-Michel Sigere with fifteen minutes remaining, hopeful that the substitute could repeat his goalscoring heroics of May’s final victory over the Hornets. He had to wait for his chance, though, because it was Horsham who looked the most likely team to break the deadlock, and an excellent passage of passing involving Carney, Westcott, Brake and Taylor ended with Taylor getting past the last defender only to see his shot rebound to safety off the approaching keeper’s legs. With energy levels dropping, and only nine minutes of normal time left, Hemsley and Graves collided with each other in an attempt to clear the ball, fortunately neither was badly hurt and were both able to continue. Carney sent Taylor through again but his tired legs were just unable to control the ball and Williams was able to save. Wormull had been a tireless worker for the Rooks all evening and after putting a long range effort wide, he produced a difficult deep cross towards the far post. With a mass of players trying to get on the end of the ball, Williams proceeded to pluck the ball out of the air one handed to keep his goal intact.
Brake was booked for a very tired and late tackle, just inside the Rooks half, before sending in a cross that saw French go close with another header. There was just time for Lewes to try and clinch the match when panic in the hitherto impeccable Hornets defence led to the stray ball finding Sigere in oceans of space. But, faced with only having to hit the ball into an empty net, his chance of glory was wasted as his shot ended up missing the post and going out for a goal kick. That was to be the last passage of play of the ninety and somehow the weary legs had to play 30 minutes of extra time.

There were few chances in the first period but Gareth Williams had to come to Hemsley’s rescue as the central defender’s uncharacteristic lapse let in Sigere round the back, the Hornets’ ‘keeper making a brave save at the feet of the Rooks’ substitute. Westcott was next with a chance, cutting inside from his wing he let fly with a left foot effort that Williams had to save. With the first half coming to a close, the Hornets opened the scoring with a touch of class. Good interplay between Charman and Carney progressed them to well inside the Lewes half and Carney’s inch perfect defence splitting pass put Rook in on goal. As Williams came out to narrow the angle, he calmly slid the ball past the stranded ‘keeper and into the bottom corner to send the Lardies into ecstasy, Rook scoring against the Rooks once more to give the reporters a tailor-made headline. The second period of extra time began straight away with no space for a breather, albeit just enough time for the desperate Rooks bench to throw on Anthony Storey in place of the tiring Paul Kennett. Realising that their chances of retaining the trophy were rapidly disappearing, the game started to degenerate into a battle and the referee was once again brought to question with some more dubious decisions. Firstly Matt McEntegart was shown the yellow card for hacking down Westcott who, after treatment, was kept waiting by the inept Woodward before finally being allowed back onto the field of play. Another strong challenge saw Hollaway and Carney booked after showing their dislike for each other and several other players were lucky not to get booked as tempers were clearly getting frayed. The referee had not yet finished his appalling display, reaffirming his inconsistent showing by brandishing just a yellow card to Wormwull for a crude challenge on Carney. The irony of the Lewes player being the last man was not lost on the Horsham supporters or officials who had seen Mingle dismissed for precisely the same reason and Wormwull’s slow trudge towards the touchline indicated that he accepted the inevitable red card. Yet, to the amazement of the 383 crowd, Woodward’s whistle recalled the Rooks midfielder who escaped with just a caution and the decision was to have a major effect on the outcome of the match, with only three minutes remaining and the legs barely able to move, Lewes’ eleven men formed an attack down the left, the defence failed to clear the ball and chief tormentor and recent Horsham hero Farrell brought the sides level by slotting in an undeserved equaliser that was to give them another bite of the cherry at the Atspeed on Tuesday evening. Even the equalising goal was tinged with controversy, Farrell having appeared to have been standing in an offside position just before he scored before infuriating Horsham’s supporters and assistant manager Tommy Warrilow by celebrating in front of the visitors’ bench.

Just like last May, Horsham will feel hard done by at not earning the victory that their whole-hearted performance deserved but they can approach the replay in positive mood and hopeful of producing yet another memorable display in a season that has already exceeded all expectations.

Lewes: 1.Steve Williams 2.Steve Robinson 3.Matthew McEntegart 4.Paul Kennett (Storey) 5.Ian Simpemba 6.Leon Legge 7.Simon Wormull 8.Gary Holloway 9.Lee Farrell 10.Paul Booth (O'Connor) 11.Jordao Diogo (Sigere) Substitutes: 12.Jean-Michel Sigere 14.Craig O'Connor 15.Steve Elliott 16.Anthony Storey 17.Kenny Hewitt

Horsham: 1.Gareth Williams 2.Tom Graves 3.Nigel Brake 4.Eddie French 5.Kevin Hemsley 6.Lewis Taylor 7.Jacob Mingle 8.John Westcott 9.Lee Carney 10.Carl Rook 11.Gary Charman Substitutes: 12.Matt Geard 14.Dean Wright 15.Jamie Baxter 17.Alan Mansfield

Goalscorers:

Lewes: Farrell (117)

Horsham: Rook (105)

Attendance: 383