HORSHAM 0 HARLOW TOWN 1

HORSHAM:
1.Paul Seuke (Mansfield) 2.Kevin Hemsley 3.Matt Geard 4.Eddie French 5.Tom Graves 6.Stuart Myall 7.Jacob Mingle 8.Gavin Bolger 9.Lee Farrell 10.Simon Austin (Davies) 11.Dwain Clarke Subs: 12.Andy Howard 14.Danny Davis 15.Mark Hawthorne 16.Steve Davies 17.Alan Mansfield

HARLOW TOWN:
1.James Hasell 2.Kenny Davis 3.Mark Taylor 4.Clark Akers 5.Ryan Kirby 6.Danny Chapman 7.Leon Lalite 8.Danny Green (Gliddon) 9.James Bunn 10.Jordan Fowler 11.Rhys Henry Subs: 12.Leo Roget 14.Lewis Baker 15.Kevin Warren 16.Shaun Gliddon 17.Michael Dumoulin
Scorers: Gliddon (80)

reporter: Mark Wells

On a day when Horsham welcomed 'Kids for Free' to this penultimate fixture at their Queen Street ground, it was schoolboy defending that was to prove decisive as the Hornets crashed to their second defeat in 5 days to leave their play-off ambitions hanging by a thread. Clark Akers was untroubled as he crossed low into the goalmouth with just 10 minutes remaining and Shaun Gliddon stole in to make the most of a mix up between Kevin Hemsley and Alan Mansfield to poke the ball home for the only goal of the game to put daylight between the Hawks and the sides fighting against relegation. In truth, it was no more than John Maggs' patched up side deserved after failing to trouble James Hassel in the visitors' goalmouth throughout the entire match and, but for an amazing miss by Rhys Henry, the result could have been even more emphatic.

After last Saturday's first ever league victory against AFC Wimbledon, Horsham looked favourites to take up one of the 4 promotion play-off positions only for them to continue their inconsistent run of 'win one, lose one' as they came crashing down to earth at Ashford Town in midweek with Maggs declaring the loss of Lewis Taylor to injury as 'the straw that broke the camel's' back. He would have been delighted, then, with the news that Jacob Mingle had passed a pre-match fitness test and was able to take his place in the starting line-up although Lee Carney, Nigel Brake, Gary Charman, Yinka Salaam, Danny Davis and Ian Payne remained on the sidelines.

The Hawks came in to the match in 15th place, just 3 points clear of second bottom East Thurrock United and without an away win since the first week in January but they had their hosts on the ropes immediately with a quickfire start to the match that saw a slip from Matt Geard result in a first minute corner that was hastily cleared. However, the early promise quickly faded out as the match became one dominated by both defences with Eddie French, in particular, outstanding for the Hornets. It took until the 25th minute before the fans were given a glimpse of any real goalmouth incident when Stuart Myall's deep throw was flicked goalwards by Lee Farrell where Ryan Kirby rose to head the ball clear from under his own crossbar.

A strong challenge by Geard on Danny Green left the full-back out of position from the resulting throw and the visitors quickly attacked through Henry who created an opening for Akers, only for the defender to drive well wide of the post under pressure from French, but it was the home side who dominated the possession only to lack any real fluency when going forward. Mingle and Dwain Clark were given plenty of the ball in wide positions but were unable to produce any telling moments although Mingle produced one fine run when he raced down the right flank and turned inside Mark Taylor before hitting a near post cross too close to the defender who was able to clear the danger.

The killer instinct was missing again, soon after, when a good pass from Mingle found Myall in space but, as the midfielder moved in to the area to collect his team-mate's driven cross, he was guilty of overplay and was crowded out by four defenders. Paul Seuke was finally called in to the action on 33 minutes when Leon Laltite's low pass to Green saw the midfielder turn French on the edge of the area only to send his shot straight at the Hornets' 'keeper who promptly became a spectator once more as play moved up the other end where Clarke's dangerous cross failed to find a colleague in an advanced position and the former Staines man couldn't reproduce the quality delivery when his resulting corner failed to beat the first defender.

The Hornets were looking the more likely to score at this point and forced a number of corners, the most dangerous of which saw Simon Austin denied at the near post, thanks to a fine tackle by Kenny Davis. Mingle has built a reputation for scoring spectacular goals and, on another day, we might have been discussing his latest entries for the Goal of the Season competition but numerous efforts were sliced wide of the target with supporters able only to speculate on the effect his injured toe had on today's performance. However he, along with the deceptively talented Myall, continued to prove to be the Hornets' most constructive performers.

With the half-time interval almost upon us, Horsham's growing injury list was about to be added to as Seuke came to meet a corner from Lalite and clashed with Austin, knocking the ball in to the path of Kenny Davis who drove the ball straight back into Seuke's arms. However, in what appeared an innocuous collision with his team-mate, the 'keeper was led from the field in obvious discomfort, thanks to a dislocated a finger and  was replaced by Mansfield. As play restarted, a minor scuffle ensued on the near touchline, for which Geard and Lalite were yellow carded, to provide a fairly apt conclusion to what had been a wholly unsatisfactory opening 45 minutes

H/T Horsham Harlow Town 0

The players were met with heavy rain as they made their way back on to the pitch and, within 2 minutes of the resumption, Mansfield reinforced his reputation as a fine shot-stopper with an expert save to deny Green. Henry did well on the right to outfox Graves and send in a cross that was met first time by Green who slid a volley towards the bottom corner only for Mansfield to dive smartly to turn the ball away. Mingle quickly led the counter-attack, finding Myall who spread the ball out to Clarke but, as he fired a good low ball in to the box, no-one was on hand to turn it past Hassel for what would have been the game's opening goal.

A slip from Clark might have proved costly when he presented the ball to Lalite, 20 yards from goal, but the midfielder's pass found Green in an offside position making Mansfield's fine save an irrelevance. Myall began and finished Horsham's best move of the game when he broke from midfield but, when Geard's cross was played back out to the edge of the penalty area, Myall could only slice wide under pressure from Taylor. A strong run from Farrell was ended when he was impeded by Kirby but Myall, assuming the role of 'dead ball' expert in the continued absence of Carney, could only send his effort over the crossbar.

The unusually ineffective Austin was replaced by Simon Davies for the remaining half hour to give the Hornets an aerial presence in attack. Mingle shot in to a crowd of players, after Davies had headed on Myall's throw, but Harlow should have taken the lead when Henry made in-roads down the left before picking out the unmarked Green who lacked composure and blazed wide of Mansfield's goal.  Back at the other end, a sweeping ball from Myall picked out Mingle on the far edge of the penalty area but his first time volley sailed harmlessly past the post with Hassel untroubled.

With 20 minutes remaining, Harlow replaced Green with Gliddon and, almost immediately, the Hawks spurned the clearest of opportunities to go ahead. A Horsham move broke down on the edge of the opposing penalty area and a long ball out of defence saw Hawks' skipper James Bunn release Henry who ignored the offside appeals from the static home defence to race clear and take the ball round the exposed Mansfield but, to the astonishment of the small band of travelling fans stationed behind the goal, the Harlow number 11 somehow contrived to put the ball wide of the open goal from 10 yards.

Encouraged by this near miss, Harlow quickly broke again and, this time, Bunn sent Akers through in to the penalty area but his delicate chip beat Mansfield and the far post leaving both 'keeper and forward in need of attention after colliding accidentally. Clark's hopeful penalty appeals came to nought after referee Robinson deemed Davis' tackle to be a fair one and Horsham's frustrations continued when Mingle was booked for a late challenge on Taylor. The home fans were calling for the official to even the score when Hemsley was upended by Kirby but French was inches away from providing the perfect riposte when he rose to meet Myall's resultant free-kick only to find the wrong side of the net.

Ten minutes from time, Harlow grabbed the vital goal that might yet save the Essex side from relegation back to Division One. A throw in on the right caught the home side napping and Akers was able to pull the ball back from the touchline where Mansfield made a hash of collecting the bobbling ball leaving Gliddon to poke the ball home from close range to spark unique celebrations from the travelling faithful who activated an old World War II air raid siren to the bemusement of the home fans.

Horsham tried in vain to salvage something from the game but Farrell was unable to react quickly enough when Myall's long throw was flicked on to him inside the 6 yard box but Henry threatened again when he beat the offside trap once more only to be thwarted by a combination of French and Geard. Mansfield had to be alert to palm away a stinging shot from Bunn and he was forced in to another stop, getting down low to Lalite's 25 yard drive, but Horsham were made to pay for their ineffectiveness in the final third as they slipped to their fourth defeat in 5 home games  knowing that they must now win each of their remaining 3 games to stand any chance of being involved in the end of season play-offs.

NEXT MATCH: v Ramsgate (a) Saturday 12th April ko 3.00pm