AFC WIMBLEDON 2 HORSHAM 4

AFC WIMBLEDON:
1.James Pullen 2.Mark Beard (Shroot) 3.Michael Haswell (Gayle) 4.Robert Quinn 5.Jason Goodliffe 6.Lewis Christon 7.Steve Ferguson 8.Sam Hatton 9.Daniel Webb 10.Romone Rose 11.Chris Hussey Subs: 12.Robin Shroot 13.Andy Little 14.Luke Pigden 15.Marcus Gayle 16.Jake Leberl
Scorers: Webb (8), Hussey (pen,73)

HORSHAM:
1.Alan Mansfield 2.Kevin Hemsley 3.Matt Geard (Howard) 4.Eddie French 5.Tom Graves 6.Stuart Myall 7.Lewis Taylor (Mingle) 8.Gavin Bolger 9.Lee Farrell 10.Simon Austin 11.Dwain Clarke Subs: 12.Andy Howard 14.Danny Davis 15.Jacob Mingle 16.Mark Hawthorne 17.Rob Frankland
Scorers: Farrell (23, 89), Taylor (39), Clarke (75)

reporter: Mark Wells
photographs: John Lines

Seldom can the expression "triumph over adversity" have been more aptly used than to describe Horsham's stunning victory that saw John Maggs' side produce arguably their finest result of the season to move back in to the play-off places and bring an overdue smile back to the manager's face. At the end of a week that Maggs described as one of the worst in his long managerial career, Horsham defied the odds to earn their first ever league win against the Dons in a pulsating match played out in front of a 2,689 crowd.

The uncertainty surrounding the club's future was just one of many issues faced by Maggs this week, with player disputes, injuries and a failure to bring in an established striker giving the manager a far from ideal preparation for the visit to the second placed Dons who still harboured outside hopes of overhauling Chelmsford City at the top of the table. Already missing Nigel Brake and Ian Payne, Maggs was forced to recall goalkeeper Alan Mansfield from Horsham YMCA to replace Paul Seuke, whose 'dead leg' prevented him from turning out against his former side, and he was joined on the absentees list by the injured Gary Charman and Lee Carney while Jacob Mingle could only make the bench after suffering a bruised toe against Tonbridge Angels on Easter Monday that apparently left the midfielder 'unable to walk' on Friday. The wind and rain that greeted the players as they stepped into the Kingsmeadow arena provided an uninviting welcome and left the travelling fans fearing that even the weather was conspiring against their side.

The Hornets kicked off in the face of a strong wind that gave Mansfield problems throughout the first half, with several of his goal-kicks failing to reach the halfway line, and it was little surprise that the home side took full advantage of the difficult conditions to take an early lead. Chris Hussey had just seen a cross curl over the top of Mansfield's goal when Sam Hatton sent a diagonal ball towards the far corner of the penalty area where Steve Ferguson headed on and, although Mansfield reacted superbly to keep out Romone Rose's goalbound header, one time Horsham target Daniel Webb was on hand to snap up the rebound to give Wimbledon a 6th minute lead. It was the last thing the Hornets needed but they quickly went about trying to establish a foothold in the game, putting a few measured passes together, and former Don Lewis Taylor almost found an equaliser when he ghosted in at the far side only to head Stuart Myall's free-kick in to the side netting.

Simon Austin's miscontrol spoiled a promising attack for the visitors and, when the ball was quickly moved up the other end, Rose ended a decent run with a disappointing finish that missed the far post by some distance. Matt Geard was similarly off target when another Myall free-kick was cleared to the edge of the area where the combative full-back fired well wide. The home side were finding it difficult to judge their passes early on with the swirling wind frequently taking the ball out of play but, when Tom Graves miscued a clearance, the ball was quickly played on the deck by Hatton in to the path of Ferguson who brought a fine save from Mansfield who got down sharply to block with Mark Beard sending the loose ball into the crowd.

Despite trailing so early in the game, the Hornets continued to try and play decent football with another former Wimbledon man, Gavin Bolger, knitting things together with Taylor in the middle, regularly bringing Kevin Hemsley and Dwain Clarke in to play, and it was Clarke who began the move that brought about Horsham's equaliser. Collecting a clearance from Mansfield, the former Staines Town winger won a corner off Dons' recent signing from Wycombe Wanderers, Lewis Christon, and, in the absence of Carney, Myall's cultured right boot sent in a dangerous cross that was dropped by goalkeeper James Pullen for Lee Farrell to scramble the ball home from close range for only Horsham's second ever goal against AFC Wimbledon on their own turf.

A hurried clearance from Geard almost gave the Dons the chance of an instant reply, when Ferguson's throw-in fell to Robert Quinn inside the penalty area, but Graves was able to clear the defender's sidefooted strike as the Horsham defence stood firm. The conditions, far from spoiling the game as a spectacle, merely enhanced the contest that was starting to even itself out with the visitors gaining in the confidence that Farrell's equaliser had given them although Rose almost conjured a goal out of nothing when he turned away from Myall and let fly from 25 yards, missing the frame of the goal by mere inches as did Hatton's free-kick a minute later.

Determination from Geard set up Austin for a snapshot that went straight at Pullen and another well constructed move saw Bolger almost embarrass the goalkeeper when his misdirected cross caught in the wind and curled suddenly and violently towards the near post where Pullen showed a safe pair of hands, to the relief of the home fans. Hussey was getting little change out of Hemsley down the left flank and another well judged challenge from the Horsham man enabled Bolger to seize upon the loose ball and release Farrell but a heavy first touch saw the ball run harmlessly through to the goalkeeper and the chance had gone.

The GB Deaf international was soon celebrating with his team-mates, though, when Taylor scored one of the most outrageous goals of the season to give the Hornets a 39th minute lead. Picking the ball up in midfield, Taylor laid the ball out wide to Geard before running in to the channel to collect the full-back's return pass. Hit high and long, Taylor was beaten to the ball by Hatton who could only head it up in to the air and, from 25 yards, the unsettled midfielder instinctively volleyed the ball in to the back of the net with Pullen hopelessly stranded. It was a stunning strike that owed little to the conditions and everything to a player whose technique and skill drew grudging applause from sections of the home crowd. Referee M Rowley, though, took exception to the goalscorer's celebrations and promptly booked him, to the delight of the many fans who had been taunting their former player throughout the half. Moments later, Taylor was joined in the official's notebook by Farrell after contesting an offside decision.

Wimbledon were shellshocked and tried desperately to restore parity before the break. Hussey dropped a cross on to the top of Mansfield's goal but the 'keeper then hung on to a testing cross under pressure from Rose to ensure that Horsham's players could enjoy their half-time cuppa with the rare comfort of an interval lead against their South London opponents.

H/T AFC Wimbledon 1 Horsham 2

Dons' boss Terry Brown had some harsh words to say to Mr Rowley as the sides left the pitch but his anger clearly wasn't confined to the referee as he made two changes for the start of the second period, sending on Robin Shroot and the imposing Marcus Gayle for Beard and Michael Haswell while the Hornets remained unchanged.

This time it was the visitors who made the better start, forcing an early corner, and the result should have been put beyond doubt, just 4 minutes after the restart, when Farrell was inadvertently put clear by Christon's back header but, as before, the striker's first touch was disappointing and a relieved Pullen was able to dive on the ball when a third goal beckoned. However, Maggs' side's intentions after the break looked one of defending their lead, rather than adding to it, and on the few early occasions that they did mount an attack, they were denied by the linesman's flag.

An astute pass from Hatton found Shroot unmarked at the far post but Horsham were relieved to see the ball run away from the youngster who was hoping to celebrate his recent call-up to the Northern Ireland U20 party with a goal to add to the one he scored in the Dons' 2-0 win at the Atspeed Stadium back in February. As expected, the hosts applied heavy pressure to their opponents' goal but the Horsham defence, in which the outstanding Graves suffered a couple of hefty challenges, stood firm and prevented the home side from truly testing Mansfield. At the other end, Myall's corner evaded Pullen but was just too high for French at the far post.

Horsham were working tirelessly to close the Dons down, denying them time on the ball, and Ferguson, faced with three markers, could only run the ball in to touch to the obvious frustration of the home crowd who, having suffered the shock of a home defeat by relegation threatened East Thurrock United 8 days earlier, were facing the prospect of seeing their side suffer back to back home defeats for only the first time since their reformation 6 years ago.  They were given a glimmer of hope, though, when Mansfield had to punch clear Hatton's inswinging free-kick and, when the ball was worked back in to the danger area, Hussey could only blaze over the top when well placed.

As the Hornets countered, Hussey's attempted clearance hit Taylor to send Farrell through on goal but Pullen pulled off a good stop before play was held up while Hemsley received treatment after being on the end of a full-bloodied challenge by Jason Goodliffe. Play continued to flow from end-to-end but Shroot's wild shot failed to trouble Mansfield after another pacy attack from the home side.

It took a contentious refereeing decision from Mr Rowley to get Wimbledon back on level terms when Hemsley was adjudged to have handled Christon's goalbound effort and Hussey squared the match at 2-2 from 12 yards, his spot-kick only just eluding the outstretched hands of Mansfield who guessed the right way and, with just over 15 minutes remaining, this intriguing contest was in the balance once more.

Geard was booked for deliberate handball, despite his best efforts at trying to conceal his misdemeanour, but Hussey's free-kick was poor and Taylor promptly charged the length of the pitch only to shoot tamely at Pullen before another strong run from the midfielder saw Horsham restore their lead, just 3 minutes after being pegged back. A neat exchange of passes with Austin saw Taylor cut inside and a clever dummy from Myall allowed Clarke to collect the crossfield pass, sidestep Quinn and curl a sweet shot inside the upright for his first Horsham goal.

Cue widespread dissention among the Wimbledon fans until Rose latched on to Hatton's pass and curled a delightful chip over Mansfield that smacked against the post before being hacked away to safety by Bolger. A couple of dubious offside decisions in the space of sixty seconds stopped Farrell in his tracks but the siege continued at the other end where Mansfield spread himself well to deny Ferguson's free shot on goal. Horsham were using every opportunity to slow the game down but, when Geard went down under a challenge, his injury was genuine enough, prompting Maggs to send on Andy Howard in his place. Geard was soon followed by Taylor, the recipient of a malicious tackle by Quinn who received the home side's first caution of the game as the Horsham manleft the field on a stretcher with Mingle coming on for the final minutes of the game.

With 2 minutes remaining, Hatton's first-time effort struck Graves and spun crazily towards his own goal to be collected, comfortably in the end, by Mansfield and, with Austin and Farrell making life difficult for the hosts to build their attacks from the back, Farrell struck again in the closing seconds to seal a stunning win for the Hornets. With home fans streaming out of the ground, and their players unable to clear their lines, Farrell latched on to a headed pass from Bolger to send a bobbling shot across Pullen and in to the far corner of the net to leave the travelling fans rejoicing behind the goal.

Seconds later, Mr Rowley's whistle signalled the end of the match and Horsham, with just 11 goals in their previous 14 games, had become the first visiting side to score 4 goals against the Dons in 2 years to put a grin on John Maggs' face as wide as the Kingsmeadow pitch. Few would begrudge the amiable manager his moment of glory.

NEXT MATCH: v Ashford Town (a) Tuesday 1st April ko 7.45pm