Heybridge Swifts 1 v Horsham 1
Saturday 18th November 2006
Ryman League Premier Division

reporter: Jim Bravery

Horsham's first ever meeting with Heybridge Swifts saw both sides earn a point from an entertaining match played in front of Scraley Road's biggest crowd of the season. In what was arguably their toughest test to date, the Hornets survived a shaky start before taking the game to their opponents and deservedly drawing level through a second half penalty from Jamie Taylor that sent their travelling supporters home happy. Heybridge finished as Ryman Premier division runners-up last season, only missing out on promotion to the Conference South by virtue of a play-off semi-final defeat, and had begun this season in a similar vein with just goal difference separating them and leaders Bromley at the start of play. That Horsham should also be knocking on the promotion door has come as a surprise to many but their performance against Brian Statham's side proved that their lofty position is well merited after gaining promotion to the Isthmian top flight last season.

John Maggs was able to select the same line-up that had recorded back-to-back victories against Billericay and Horsham YMCA with Jose Goncalves continuing to hold down the full-back spot at the expense of Nigel Brake after a series of competent displays. As referee Mr Sandell got the match underway the Swifts immediately lived up to their name, having the ball in the back of Horsham's net inside the opening minute but the linesman ruled that Richard Jolly was in an offside position when converting Gary Burrell's excellent cross. Statham had gone for an attacking formation with three men up front, Burrell playing on the right flank with Sean Marks and Jolly causing mayhem in the middle with their pace and willingness to chase every ball. After that early wake up call, the visitors fashioned some attacking moves of their own. Gary Charman shot wide after being put through by Jamie Taylor,  Lewis Taylor sent a snap shot just wide of the post and Charman was only inches away from connecting with the ball after Eddie French and Carl Rook had helped on John Westcott's cross. Westcott himself fired high and wide when well placed as the opening minutes promised a glut of goals. However, Horsham's plans were hit after just seven minutes when they were forced into an early substitution. With Lewis Taylor receiving treatment for a head injury, Brake looked set to come on in his place only for the number three card to be raised, leading to the withdrawal of Goncalves. The talented Portuguese had apparently damaged a shoulder during the pre-match warm up and was seemingly unable to continue although the look of surprise on the player's face as he left the field left one to believe the nature of his discomfort had been somehow lost in translation !

Almost immediately, Stuart Myall found himself in trouble with Mr Sandell, picking up a yellow card for pulling Jolly's shirt to prevent the Heybridge man a run on goal. Alan Mansfield was being kept busy, twice slicing clearances into touch while under threat from the Swifts' lively forwards who were continually getting through in behind the visitors' defence with their electrifying pace, and he was a relieved man when Jolly broke through again only to pull his shot wide when it seemed easier to score. Ian Wiles evened up the bookings count when he was shown the yellow card for bringing down Jamie Taylor who incurred the wrath of the home fans who thought he had dived. Brake had settled in quickly and was making a number of surging forward runs, supplying some telling crosses, and would have set up a chance for Rook had it not been for the outstretched boot of Heybridge's former Tottenham defender Stuart Nethercott.

Warren Ryan's late challenge on Westcott earned the third caution of the afternoon, on twenty-seven minutes, but it was a Heybridge free-kick that was to put the home side ahead, just three minutes later. Quick distribution from Danny Gay set the hosts on the attack and, when Brake was adjudged to have impeded Burrell, Danny Barber's resulting free-kick was met perfectly by Marks at the far post who marked his one hundredth appearance for the Swifts by giving Mansfield no chance with a brilliant header that arrowed into the top corner of the net. Both sides continued to play good football, in what was fast becoming an excellent advertisement for the Ryman League, with play flowing from end to end and Jamie Taylor should have done better when he applied a weak finish after being put through by namesake Lewis. Jolly was proving Heybridge's main attacking threat and he was denied a clear shooting opportunity by Brake's perfectly timed challenge, eight minutes before the break, and Nethercott sent a header wide from the resulting corner. Jolly was through again, moments later, this time electing to pick out Marks who somehow managed to shoot wide and Mansfield pulled off a one handed save to leave the marauding Jolly frustrated once more. Jacob Mingle, who had been relatively quiet during the opening period, began to get involved as half time approached and his long raking pass out to Brake saw the Hornets win a corner. Unfortunately, Mingle was unable to keep his shot down as Wiles' clearing header dropped kindly for him and the former Ashford (Mx) man could only send his volley high over the crossbar. The visitors spurned a couple of opportunities to go into the break on level terms when Gay saved easily from Rook and Jamie Taylor took one touch too many to allow Wiles to put in a vital tackle before Mr Sandell brought an entertaining half to a close.

The action barely relented after the interval and Mansfield had to make himself a couple of routine saves before the Hornets got their first chance of the second half when Mingle got his head to a good cross from Westcott only to send it weakly into Gay's hands. Horsham began to exert some pressure on the hosts' rearguard with Maggs seemingly having changed the formation during the break and more players were pushing forward in search of an equalising goal. Westcott's brief was clearly to get more good crosses into the box but, sadly for the visitors, Taylor and Charman got in each other's way of one such delivery and the ball was cleared. Horsham were handed a lifeline via the match official when Rook contested a cross from Myall and Mr Sandell decided that the Horsham man had been impeded. Both sets of players seemed confused as to what the referee had signalled before the penalty was clearly awarded and Jamie Taylor stepped up to apply the clinical finish to put his side deservedly on level terms. From then on, Horsham felt they could clinch all three points and were surging forward more and more. Mingle and Lewis Taylor were controlling the midfield, covering every blade of grass in their pursuit of another goal, although the home side's threat was there with Jolly the target man giving French and Kevin Hemsley plenty to think about when the long ball was pumped forward. Mansfield had to be at his best, in the seventy-third minute, to turn Ryan's goalbound effort onto the post and out for a corner while, at the other end, Jamie Taylor managed to get a shot on target despite the presence of four home defenders.

With fifteen minutes remaining, Statham made a double substitution with Russell Pond and the tiring Burrell making way for the fresh legs of Neil Cousins and Jamie Richards. The switch had an immediate impact as the Swifts' forwards started to see more of the ball again and only a timely interception from Charman inside his own penalty area prevented a shot on goal and both goalmouths were being tested as each team went in search of a late winner. Hemsley had to head a dangerous cross clear, Gay was called upon to save Rook's header, Cousins shot over the bar and Myall made a superb defensive header to clear further danger before the former Folkestone man came to Horsham's rescue again at the death with a superb challenge on Richards that forced the substitute to shoot into the side netting with the game well into injury time. Myall's heroics came at a price, though, as the full-back needed treatment from physio Geoff Brittain. Six minutes of injury time were seen out before the match was brought to an end by the referee's whistle with both sides having to content themselves with a point apiece that keeps them in contention at the top of the table although Chelmsford City's win at Hendon saw the pre-season title favourites leapfrog both of them into second place.

Heybridge Swifts: 1.Danny Gay 2. Russell Pond (Cousins) 3.Ian Cousins 4.Michael Shinn 5.Ian Wiles 6.Stuart Nethercott 7.Danny Barber 8.Warren Ryan 9.Sean Marks 10.Richard Jolly 11.Gary Burrell (Richards) Substitutes: 12.Sam Keevil 14.Neil Cousins 15.Jamie Richards 16.Gareth Heath 17.Gianni Franks

Horsham: 1.Alan Mansfield 2.Stuart Myall 3.Jose Goncalves (Brake) 4.Eddie French 5.Kevin Hemsley 6.Lewis Taylor 7.Jacob Mingle 8.John Westcott 9.Jamie Taylor 10.Carl Rook 11.Gary Charman Substitutes: 12.Tom Graves 14.Matt Geard 15.Andy Howard 16.Nigel Brake 17.Rob Frankland

Goalscorers:

Heybridge Swifts - Marks (30)

Horsham - J.Taylor (pen,62)

Attendance: 314