Worthing 3 v Horsham 2
Tuesday 26th December 2006
Ryman League Premier Division

reporter: Jim Bravery

Horsham's stuttering Christmas form suffered another setback when they were surprisingly beaten by lowly Worthing in this Boxing Day 'derby'. The hosts sat in twenty-first place at the start of play, with just two wins from their twenty matches, but Horsham’s tendency to struggle against sides from the wrong end of the table continued as they slipped to their fourth defeat of the season. Having seen his side throw away a two goal lead against Folkestone Invicta just three days before, Hornets’ boss John Maggs was entitled to demand an improved showing from his players as they went in search of their first win over the Rebels since November 1980 but his plans were hit by the withdrawal of Lee Carney through illness with his place going to Ryan Rummery.

A cloudy afternoon meant that the match kicked off under the glare of the floodlights, with the Hornets attacking down the slight slope, and it was they who fashioned the first chance when Rummery was fouled by former Hornet Leo Day but Rummery’s cross was easily claimed by Worthing ‘keeper Rikki Banks whose immediate distribution began an attack that saw Danny Davis race away down the right flank before cutting inside and drawing a brave save by Banks’ opposite number, Alan Mansfield. Nigel Brake, one of the few Horsham players to emerge with any credit from the game, was the subject of a reckless challenge by Ben Andrews that earned the Worthing man a caution and Rummery just failed to control a return pass from Jacob Mingle after the two had attempted to execute a neat one-two. The match began to flow from end to end and Brake’s challenge presented the hosts with their first corner of the match which Andrews headed wide of the post. But Worthing’s next corner was to prove more profitable when Jamie Lawrence’s header was deflected into his own net by Gary Charman to give the hosts an eleventh minute lead. The Horsham winger tried to make immediate amends but his long range effort failed to trouble Banks as it curled away from goal and Carl Rook’s cross sailed wastefully over the angle of crossbar and post.

Midway through the half, John Westcott’s searching cross just eluded Mingle and Charman before being kicked away to safety and, minutes later, Banks made a clean catch to thwart the danger after Westcott had escaped the attentions of Mark Knee. The lively James Fraser hooked a volley wide of Mansfield’s goal on the half hour and the Horsham ‘keeper made two attempts to claim a corner but, apart from a dangerous cross from Davis, the visitors controlled the final ten minutes and were to go into the break on level terms. Charman hit a half chance wide of the target before turning provider to set up Rummery who headed the cross over the bar. Rook then shot wide from Brake’s through ball and another excellent ball into the box from Westcott failed to find a Horsham player. With the game entering injury time, Horsham’s pressure finally told as a free-kick into the Worthing penalty area was contested by Rummery and Kevin Hemsley with the former’s header appearing to take a touch off his team-mate’s leg before entering the net. The players’ mutual handshakes gave no indication as to who was claiming the goal although it was later to be credited to Rummery for his third in four matches.

Horsham maintained the pressure upon the resumption of the second period, with Rook having the first opportunity only head Stuart Myall’s cross over the top of Banks’ goal. Banks was well situated to repel Brake’s well struck free-kick but, with the Horsham man subsequently out of position, Davis made in-roads down the right, cut inside Eddie French and sidestepped the advancing Mansfield but, just as he prepared to put the Rebels in front for a second time, French appeared from nowhere to produce a vital challenge to deflect the winger’s shot out for a corner. Worthing were showing commendable spirit for a side who had lost their previous five league games and they made life difficult for the fourth placed Hornets, contesting every fifty-fifty ball and disrupting their opponents’ play. Their efforts were rewarded on fifty-five minutes when Joe Keehan’s free-kick was taken on the chest by Andrews who knocked in an inch perfect cross to find Fraser stooping to guide the ball past the flat-footed Mansfield to restore the lead. The home supporters, rejuvenated by their side’s passionate display, got behind their side who were lifted further by an outstanding goal from Day just six minutes later. Collecting a clearance from a corner, Day teed himself up some thirty yards from goal and let fly with a Christmas cracker of a shot that gave Mansfield no chance as it flew into the top right hand corner of the net.

Horsham’s response was languid. Charman headed Brake’s free-kick straight at Banks and Brake and Westcott scuffed disappointing crosses out of play, prompting Maggs to make the first change of the afternoon, replacing the tiring Westcott with Matt Geard who slotted into the left back berth enabling Brake to move forward for the final twenty-two minutes. Fraser brought a good save from Mansfield, after the hard working striker had left French for dead, before Maggs went for broke, removing his skipper and sending on recent signing Dan Rice to form a three-pronged attack. He may have been made to regret the decision to do away with French’s defensive prowess as his side had to face two quick corners, Charman heading the first one away from on the goal-line and Andy Alexander heading the second narrowly off target. Horsham reduced the arrears in the seventy-eighth minute, just after Fraser had left the field to a standing ovation from the home fans, when a typical long throw from Myall found its way to the unmarked Rice who scored through a crowded goalmouth to set up an exciting finale.

A misplaced free-kick from Brake almost gifted the Rebels a fourth goal when the ball was hacked clear from outside the penalty area towards the eager Davis, resulting in a corner for the home side. Referee Mr Lennard had to lecture Geard and Davis after a minor skirmish on the touchline that saw players from both sides rushing to join in, although the official did well to bring matters quickly under control. With just minutes remaining, Geard’s immaculate cross found Charman at the far post but his header dropped agonisingly wide of the upright and Mr Lennard’s whistle brought proceedings to a close shortly afterwards to leave the Hornets with just a single point from their two seemingly winnable Christmas fixtures. Results elsewhere meant that Maggs’ team dropped just one place to fifth but, with Saturday’s opponents Slough Town now occupying bottom spot, his side will need to assess their approach to the game if they are to avoid another similar debacle.

Worthing: 1.Rikki Banks 2.Joe Keehan 3.Mark Knee 4.Jamie Lawrence 5.Ben Andrews 6.Andy Lutwyche 7.Danny Davis 8.Leo Day 9.James Fraser (Smith) 10.Andy Alexander 11.Sonny Cobbs Substitutes: 12.Smith 14.Tom Rand 15.Karl Akehurst 16.Jamie Brotherton 17.Jason Winch

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

Goalscorers

Worthing: Charman o.g (11), Fraser (55), Day (61)

Horsham: Rummery (45 + 1), Rice (78)

Attendance: 431