HORSHAM 1 WALTON CASUALS 2

HORSHAM:
1.Alan Mansfield 2.Tom Graves 3.Stuart Myall 4.Andy Howard 5.Eddie French 6.Lee Carney 7.Jacob Mingle 8.Lewis Taylor 9.Simon Austin (Salaam) 10.Lee Farrell 11.Nigel Brake Subs: 12.Kevin Hemsley 14.Ian Payne 15.Yinka Salaam 16.Steve Davies 17.Rob Frankland
Scorers: Mingle (57)

WALTON CASUALS:
1.Craig Bradshaw 2.James Crowe 3.Rico Morris 4.Max Hustwick 5.John Ambridge 6.Craig Lewington 7.Jeff Gowland 8.Gary Mabbutt 9.Mark King 10.Steve Tyson 11.Lamin Ojo Subs: 12.Cristiano Ferreirra 14.Jake Galbraith 15.Luke Dowling
Scorers: French OG (61), King (90)

reporter: Mark Wells

John Maggs has promised to hasten the purchase of new players after watching Division One strugglers Walton Casuals put paid to his side's League Cup hopes for the second successive season as new signing Mark King snatched a 90th minute winner to provoke some strong words from many of the regulars in the main stand.

Just eight days earlier, Maggs' team had impressed a watching worldwide audience with their FA Cup exploits against Swansea City but they failed to establish a stranglehold against their lowly Surrey opponents and produced a woeful performance that saw them guilty of too many misplaced passes and an all round sloppy display that left the manager fuming at the final whistle. Two costly individual errors from Horsham's most experienced player Eddie French, restored to the line-up at the expense of Kevin Hemsley, saw the club captain put past his own goalkeeper to gift Walton an equaliser before being beaten to an innocuous long ball out of defence that allowed King to turn inside the box and plant the match-winning shot in to the far corner of the net.

After Saturday's dismal defeat at lowly Folkestone, Maggs demanded a response from his players as he looked to them to make further progress in a competition that he believed his side could win. But his pre-match plans were disrupted when Gary Charman declared himself unfit and so Stuart Myall was selected at full-back, despite suffering from a slight hamstring problem, with Nigel Brake occupying Charman's vacant left wing spot. Lee Farrell's dead leg had recovered sufficiently to enable him to partner Simon Austin up front while Alan Mansfield returned to the starting line-up for the first time in five games and Andy Howard continued his gradual return to match fitness by slotting in alongside French in the heart of the defence. The visitors, without an away win all season, travelled with a depleted squad of just 15 players with King making his debut in attack after impressing for the reserves.

The Queen Street pitch had been painstakingly tended after the Swansea City tie and looked in excellent condition although it's appearance belied the uneven bounce and slippery surface on a cold December night and it was unsurprising that both sides took a while to adjust to the conditions. Lewis Taylor, deployed in a right wing role, cut in from the right and tried to pick out Lee Carney but his attempted pass was well cut out by Jeff Gowland and Mansfield made a routine save from King after a poor pass from Tom Graves. Horsham might have taken the lead on 12 minutes when Brake teased Lamin Ojo on the left touchline before curling a delightful ball beyond John Ambridge but Jacob Mingle, racing in, could only fire over the top of goal after being forced wide by goalkeeper Craig Bradshaw. Brake's casual efforts to clear a throw-in saw possession conceded to Gary Mabbutt who whipped in a cross but King could only direct his overhead kick straight at Mansfield.

A slip from Max Hustwick almost gave Farrell a sight of goal and, as the ball was worked back in to the penalty area, Austin's header proved little trouble to Bradshaw who gathered the ball comfortably at his post. Walton replied when Gowland sent an acrobatic volley over the top before the game entered a 10 minute spell of mediocrity in which Horsham enjoyed the greater possession without threatening their opponents' goal. Yet they sparked in to life just before the half hour mark when an incisive move saw Mingle release Taylor down the right but, when he pulled the ball back invitingly for Farrell, Bradshaw was equal to the drive diving full length to push the ball clear and Brake, following up, sent his shot over the crossbar. A free-kick from Myall was headed on by Brake but Mingle's volley lacked conviction and bobbled harmlessly wide of goal and a typically buccaneering run from Carney took him deep in to the Walton penalty area only to be thwarted by Bradshaw and the half ended in a goalless stalemate.

H/T Horsham 0 Walton Casuals 0

The second half began in much the same vein, with the final ball all too frequently Horsham's undoing, but they almost snatched the lead 10 minutes after the break when Austin wrestled the defender off the ball and stabbed a shot past the advancing 'keeper only to agonise as it strayed inches past the upright. Not to be outdone, the hosts went ahead less than a minute later when Mingle collected Gowland's loose header and spread the ball out wide to Myall who quickly moved it on to Brake. The pacy winger came infield and prodded the ball forward where Austin's intelligent dummy saw Mingle convert the chance well, tucking the ball neatly inside Bradshaw's right hand post in the 57th minute. Myall ought to have made it 2-0, moments later, when he popped up unmarked in the box only to sky his shot badly with Austin unmarked at the far post.

The Hornets were made to pay for his profligacy when, on 61 minutes, a quick break down the left by King saw him beat two defenders and drill a teasing ball across goal that French, at full stretch, inadvertently directed past Mansfield for a shock equaliser. Back on level terms again, Carney did his best to inspire his side when he swapped passes with Brake inside the visitors' penalty area and tricked his way past a number of challenges before overrunning the ball in to touch with supporters crying out for him to shoot.

It was the Casuals' turn to attack next and King sidefooted a shot over the top from a good break before a weak clearance by Bradshaw was seized upon by Farrell who was quickly closed down and a corner was the unsatisfactory result. With 20 minutes remaining, Maggs sent on Yinka Salaam for the perennially replaced Austin - a move that surprised many of the fans who might have expected to see the introduction of Steve Davis up front - and the substitute had barely been on the pitch when Rico Morris stepped up to join the Casuals attack and sent a stinging left foot drive wide of Mansfield's goal. The visitors' confidence was growing and, in the 73rd minute, only a superb reaction save from Mansfield kept the scores level.

Mingle's steely challenges in the midfield drew warm applause from the crowd, as did a long range effort from Salaam that whistled some distance past the upright, and the sub was involved again when his header presented Carney with a shooting opportunity but Bradshaw was at his spectacular best, punching his fierce volley behind for a corner. Salaam's directness was offering Maggs' side a decent outlet down the right and another surging run saw him pick out Farrell, 10 yards from goal. The striker laid the ball in to the path of Carney but he was unable to get enough power in to the shot and Bradshaw was able to gather the ball unchallenged. With the match seemingly destined for extra-time, Howard began a break out from the back, crossing the halfway line and releasing Brake who beat the full-back for pace and sent in a tantalising cross that somehow eluded Howard and Salaam before getting caught between Carney's feet and subsequently cleared.

Last season, Walton Casuals had sprung a major surprise by winning 5-3 at the Atspeed Stadium after extra-time but they didn't require the additional half an hour in which to repeat the act this time when, with the 90 minutes up, a speculative ball forward looked harmless for the Horsham defence but the busy King somehow got goal side of French before taking a couple of strides and despatching the ball under Mansfield's body and in to the far corner of the net. It was a depressing end for both manager and supporters who had experienced the highs and lows of football in the space of 8 days.

NEXT MATCH: v Maidstone United (h) Saturday 22nd December ko 3.00pm