Leyton 1 v Horsham 3
Saturday 23rd September 2006
Ryman League Premier Division

Reporter: Jim Bravery

Horsham provided the perfect response to Saturday's FA Cup elimination with a deserved 3-1 win against Leyton that further cemented their second place in the league, with just goal difference remaining the gap between them and leaders Bromley.

AFC Wimbledon's last gasp match winner had dealt the Hornets their first defeat of the season last weekend and supporters were united in their concerns as to how the side might react to the setback, yet their fears proved unwarranted as a side missing Ian Payne, Matt Geard, Lewis Taylor and Gary Charman were too strong for Leyton who had previously lost just once in the league.

John Maggs handed a first team debut to midweek signing from Folkestone Invicta, Stuart Myall, and there was also a surprise return to action for Jose Goncalves, just two weeks after having reportedly left the club, as Maggs sought to compensate for the absence of his missing or suspended quartet. Jamie Baxter joined fellow under 18s player Kieron Johnson on the bench, providing further evidence of the strength of the club's youth system.

Leyton Stadium, tucked away behind the houses in Lea Bridge Road, had a good covering of grass, on a nice flat pitch that seemed tailor made for the Hornets' passing game. But the visitors kicked-off with the disadvantage of having the bright sunshine in their faces and Leyton's playmaker, captain Mark Sophocleous, got in an early shot on target that forced Gareth Williams into a save. Horsham immediately counter-attacked and almost claimed the first goal when Nigel Brake knocked a delightful ball into the path of Jamie Taylor whose first time shot rebounded to Lee Carney off the post. Carney, surprised to find the ball at his feet, could only stand and watch as it went straight back into the arms of James Hasell in the Leyton goal. At the other end, leading scorer Leli Bajada almost carved out an opportunity for Scott Honeyball but the big defender's header went way over Williams' crossbar. With only four minutes on the clock, Brake and Goncalves combined to help create the first goal. When Brake knocked a ball into the edge of the penalty area the home defence, believing the ball was going out for a goal kick, ignored the run of Carney who managed to keep the ball in play, dribbled the ball along the line, rounded Hasell, then beat two defenders before slotting into the net for a superb solo goal, greeted by cheers from the visiting fans. This seemed to settle the Hornets and they started to piece together some good passing moves but the hosts almost found a way through when Sophocleous' free-kick beat the visitors' defensive wall only to lack the venom to beat Williams who made an easy save.

Williams was less comfortable, a minute later, when Emon Protain fired in a  dangerous cross that flew across the six yard box and hit Williams on the chest and had the 'keeper scrambling to collect at the second attempt with Bajada looking to get a decisive touch. Williams' opposite number was then forced to concede corner after Carney's excellent through ball put Taylor in on goal. Protain needed treatment before the corner could be taken, lasting a further five minutes before making way for George Sifinios. Tom Graves defended well when he deflected Vas Soteriou's snap shot behind for a corner and when Soteriou played the quickly taken place kick back into the danger zone, Bajada sent a first time effort wide at the far post, to the relief of the Horsham bench. Leyton, in sixth place at the start of the day, kept up the pressure on the visitors' goal, creating several chances, and Loui Fazackerley teed up Honeyball but the former Enfield defender headed over again. Bajada was also guilty of putting in a weak finish that failed to trouble Williams. The Horsham bench let their frustrations show when Honeyball put in a hard challenge on striker Carl Rook that left the Horsham man on the floor and in need of attention and assistant coach Tommy Warrilow made his feelings known to referee Briffitt. The linesman also came in for criticism when he asked Maggs and Warrilow to get back inside the marked area. Daniel Tenkorang was next to try a shot when he managed to get past Brake and Graves but the power on the shot was weak and Williams saved easily.

Horsham extended their lead, somewhat against the run of play, in the thirty-seventh minute, when a good cross from John Westcott saw Honeyball having to head out for a corner. Westcott, taking the kick himself, found Brake unmarked on the edge of the penalty area and the winger-cum-defender rose majestically to plant a bullet header past the surprised Hasell to register his third goal of the new campaign. Taylor went into Briffitt’s notebook for allegedly following through on Hasell when chasing down a one on one ball and the last five minutes of the half belonged to the home side as they battered away at the Hornets goal, Fazackerley missing a chance at the far post from Soteriou's cross with the Hornets defence at sixes and sevens. A couple of Leyton corners saw Williams get distance on a punch to clear the danger and Goncalves came back to make a timely block on Fazackerley as the winger was setting his sights on goal. The pressure finally told though and, with injury time being played, Horsham were taught a lesson for slack marking when a harmless looking ball was bobbing around inside the penalty area and indecision from the visitors resulted in top scorer Bajada gratefully accepting the gift wrapped chance, giving them a lifeline before the start of the second half.

The second half began as the first had ended, with Leyton on the offensive, with Bajada shooting over when well placed and Williams was again at his best when saving a hard struck shot by Fazackerley. At the other end, Westcott knocked a pass into Rook who hit a square ball to Taylor but, as he was tackled, the ball fell to Carney whose first time shot drew a good save from Hasell. Taylor, who had been battered all afternoon by the no nonsense Honeyball, at last saw Mr Briffitt produce a yellow card for the defender who was still pleading his innocence and Graves was also cautioned for a fairly innocuous challenge. Sophocleous struck the resulting free-kick square to Soteriou and his piledriver looked to be going in until Williams produced a wonderful reflex dive to turn the ball round the post for a corner.

Eddie French became the next player to fall foul of the referee when his name was taken for a hard, but seemingly fair, tackle thirty minutes from the end. Another timely save from Williams ultimately paved the way for Horsham's third, and deciding, goal when Graves and Myall began an attack by working the ball out of defence and into the feet of Carney. The ball was instantly sprayed out to the left to the willing Brake whose short pass to his captain, Andy Walker, was helped on to Taylor and finally Rook who saw Hasell coming out to meet him and a chip over the prostrate 'keeper was all it needed to restore the two goal cushion.

With the pressure off slightly, Horsham then started to play more relaxed football again. Walker was put in but ruthlessly brought down on the edge of the area. Unfortunately, Brake's kick went straight out for a goal kick without troubling anyone. Brake was also booked for a reckless tackle on the speedy Fazackerley which saw the Leyton winger replaced soon after. Just prior to the substitution, Williams had to pull off a double save, clinging on to a difficult cross from Sophocleous, then performing heroics to thwart Bajada. Fazackerley and Tenkorang were replaced by Aaron Cox and Frankie Curley for the last ten minutes and Graves, nursing a groin strain, was also replaced by Andy Howard (himself not fully fit, having pulled a muscle on Thursday for the reserves). There was one chance left before the final whistle and it fell to the visitors. Rook, chasing down a ball on the left wing, knocked a pass across goal to Taylor who beat the defender and slid an inviting ball for Westcott to hit but the winger's shot flew right across Hasell’s goal and missed the far post by a whisker. With Mr Briffitt's whistle bringing proceedings to an end, it was a case of mission accomplished, and another superb team performance that made the team coach a good place to be for the homeward journey with the players taking over the Lardies singing role, sadly no more in tune though

Leyton: 1.James Hasell 2.Bob Thanda 3.Vas Soteriou 4.Des Thomas 5.Scott Honeyball 6.Rio Alderton 7.Loui Fazackerley (Cox) 8.Leli Bajada 9.Daniel Tenkorang (Curley) 10.Mark Sophocleous  11.Emon Protain Subs: 12. Frankie Curley 14.Dave Morgan 15.Ben Gracey 16. Aaron Cox

Horsham: 1.Gareth Williams 2.Stuart Myall 3.Nigel Brake 4.Eddie French 5.Tom Graves (Howard) 6.Andy Walker 7.Lee Carney 8.John Westcott 9.Jamie Taylor 10.Carl Rook 11.Jose Goncalves
Subs: 12.Andy Howard 14.James Cant 15.Jamie Baxter 16.Kieron Johnson 17.Alan Mansfield

Goalscorers:

Leyton - Bajada (45)

Horsham - Carney (4), Brake (37), Rook (68)

Attendance: 102