HORSHAM 3 BURY TOWN 2

HORSHAM:
1.Alan Mansfield 2.Tom Graves 3.Nigel Brake 4.Eddie French (Taylor) 5.Andy Howard 6.Lee Carney 7.Jacob Mingle 8.John Westcott 9.Simon Austin 10.Carl Rook 11.Gary Charman Subs: 12.Kevin Hemsley 14.Yinka Salaam 15.Dean Wright 16.Lewis Taylor 17.Rob Frankland
Scorers: Rook (54,88), Taylor (80)

BURY TOWN:
1.Dean Greygoose 2.Tom Jeal 3.Ashley Sloots 4.Danny Cornwell 5.Darren Coe 6.Tom Bullard 7.Lee Smith 8.Gavin Johnson 9.Sam Reed 10.Ian Cambridge (Walker) 11.Lee Reed (Bammant) Subs: 12.Shaun Bammant 14.Stuart Walker 15.Michael Steward 16.Steve Bugg 17.Sam Nunn
Scorers: Sam Reed (29), Johnson (49)

reporter: Mark Wells
Photographs: John Lines

Horsham left it late to secure victory over visiting Bury Town after clawing back a 2-0 deficit to break their opponents' hearts with an 88th minute winner. Last weekend's thrilling win against Chelmsford City, and the midweek success at East Thurrock, had set the Hornets up nicely for this second qualifying round meeting with Bury - the first ever between the two sides - but the Suffolk club were also in good form having destroyed Ware 5-1 on Tuesday night. The visitors also had within their ranks a player who had happy memories of Horsham, having put paid to their FA Cup run in 2004. Ian Cambridge joined Bury during the summer from Histon for whom he played a scoring role in the Stutes' 5-0 win against the Hornets in one of their heaviest defeats under John Maggs and, in midfielder Gavin Johnson, the Blues had a player who had hit the heights of the Premier League with Ipswich Town in the early 1990s

Horsham began the match attacking the car park end of the ground and wasted little time in taking the game to their opponents with Gary Charman and John Westcott seeing plenty of the early ball. The FA Cup has always brought out the best in Charman and he was in the thick of the action, floating a cross on to the top of Greygoose's goal while a corner from Westcott saw Darren Coe head Charman's precise shot behind. As the rain began to fall, the flying winger also brought the first meaningful save of the game when he cut inside Tom Jeal and Lee Smith to send in a left-footed effort that Greygoose did well to hold in the slippery conditions. Bury were struggling to get a foothold in the game and, although creating little in the way of clear chances, the hosts looked comfortably in control for the opening half hour. However, as so often happens in this famous old competition, it was the underdogs who shocked the crowd by taking the lead. Charman was penalised for a foul on Sam Reed and, after a break in play that saw the Horsham man receive treatment for a knock to the ankle, the home defence were caught napping when Reed stole in ahead of Nigel Brake and Alan Mansfield to head home to the delight of a small band of supporters who were literally singing in the rain. Undeterred by this setback, Horsham continued to dominate proceedings and a timely challenge by Ashley Sloots prevented Simon Austin from getting on the end of Charman's flick from Carney's low free-kick. Carney was uncharacteristically wild with a shot from the edge of the Bury penalty area before both he and Rook received cautions from Miss Chapman who showed that she wasn't afraid to stamp her authority on to the match. Reed threatened the Horsham goal in a rare attack from the Suffolk side but Andy Howard stood firm to dispossess the goalscorer but the home side received a huge let off, minutes before the break, when the same player took advantage of a slip by Eddie French to race in to the penalty area and hit the ball low across the face of goal where Cambridge was only inches away from converting at the far post. A corner from the left provided the Hornets with one final chance to level the scores before the break but Jacob Mingle was just too high with a chipped effort  for what would have been a deserved goal for the hard-working midfielder but, for all their possession and neat passing, Horsham's lack of a cutting edge saw them turn around with a single goal deficit.

H/T: Horsham 0 Bury Town 1

Horsham's problems increased, just four minutes after the break, when the Blues doubled their lead with a stunning goal from Johnson. A weak defensive header from French was seized upon by Reed who laid the ball off for Johnson to roll back the years and beat Mansfield with a sweet first time shot that he surely would have struggled to have bettered even in his Premiership days at Portman Road. Horsham were stunned and they would have fallen further behind but for the agility of Mansfield who got down well to keep out a drive from Reed and Smith put the rebound narrowly wide of the post. If the hosts were to stand any chance of making it through to the next round, they had to conjure up a quick reply and they did just that, halving the deficit within five minutes of Johnson's spectacular strike. Austin and Charman headed on Brake's cross and Westcott, denied at the far post by Tom Bullard, nodded the loose ball back in to the mix and Rook touched the ball home to give his side a vital lifeline. Bury had shown little desire to add to their two goals and defended even deeper following Rook's goal, inviting their opponents to make all the running. Charman flashed two headers wide of goal, both from Westcott crosses, and Mingle was booked for aiming a kick at Danny Cornwell as the pressure intensified on both sides. Bury boss Richard Wilkins replaced the tiring Cambridge with midfielder Stuart Walker but the youngster could do nothing prevent the yellow and green tide from laying siege to Greygoose's goal. A number of debatable decisions by Miss Chapman only increased the anxiety on the terraces and Charman was booked for dissent after Rook appeared to have been fouled on the edge of the area. Austin fired over the top, after some slack defending had presented him with a shooting opportunity, Rook couldn't direct his header on target and Carney shot wide with Horsham permanently encamped in the Bury half. However, it was a crucial interception by Tom Graves that kept them in the hunt. Mansfield had kept Lee Reed at bay, sliding out to block on the edge of his eighteen yard box moments before, and a quick break down the right touchline saw Sam Reed skip past Mingle and shape to square the ball to Walker only for Graves to get back and clear the danger. A goal then would surely have signalled the end of Horsham's FA Cup ambitions for another year but they rode their luck and a brave substitution by Maggs was to prove decisive as the game entered the closing stages. Reverting to three at the back, Maggs withdrew skipper French and sent on half-fit Lewis Taylor who had been expected to be sidelined for a further fortnight with knee trouble but the move was to reap almost immediate dividends. Rook held the ball up before bringing the substitute into play, in the centre of midfield. Taking a couple of strides forward, Taylor let fly from twenty-five yards, the ball deceived Greygoose, the net bulged and Queen Street erupted. The midfielder had announced his return to action in style and, with ten minutes remaining, this stirring cup tie was set up for a thrilling finale. Horsham lay siege to the Blues' goal, going in search of the winning strike that would save them from a 350 mile midweek trek to Suffolk. Taylor's driven cross eluded everyone in the Bury penalty area, Brake and Taylor shot wide, Carney was inches away from connecting with Brake's high cross and Mingle's shot was deflected over the top as time ticked away. Yet still Horsham gave their supporters some anxious moments as a good break by Bury won them a corner and Cornwell, unmarked, headed Johnson's cross down and wide of the upright to the dismay of the visiting bench. On such issues are cup ties won and lost and Horsham steadied themselves, went back upfield and scored again to leave the visitors crestfallen. Brake picked out Taylor, again, in the centre of midfield. A quick pass to Carney and the ball was threaded through to Rook who supplied a clinical finish, left-footed across the goalkeeper and into the corner of the net before being joined by his team-mates in a Klinsmann style celebration. Bury refused to lie down and, when Sloots played in Smith, Horsham were grateful that Brake was in the right place to clear as the midfielder tried to fashion a shooting chance. There was an angry confrontation between Brake and Cornwell after the centre-back caught Mansfield with a late challenge but the match ended as it began, with Charman threatening the Bury goal with a weaving run and shot. The ball went wide but cheers of relief greeted referee Chapman's whistle as the Hornets clinched their place in the third qualifying round for the first time in three years. Horsham deserved the victory but Bury could take some satisfaction in playing their part in a thrilling cup tie as they set off for their long journey home. 

More match photos can be found here

NEXT MATCH: v Hastings United (h) Tuesday 2nd October ko 7.45pm