HORSHAM 3 AFC HORNCHURCH 1

HORSHAM:
1.Paul Seuke 2.Tom Graves 3.Nigel Brake 4.Andy Howard 5.Kevin Hemsley 6.Lee Carney 7.Jacob Mingle 8.Lewis Taylor 9.Lee Farrell 10.Chamal Fenelon 11.Gary Charman Subs: 12.Eddie French 14.Stuart Myall 15.Simon Austin 16.Matt Geard 17.Alan Mansfield
Scorers: Taylor (3), Farrell (39), Fenelon (75)

AFC HORNCHURCH:
1.Dale Brightley 2.Donny Barnard 3.Danny Glozier 4.John Purdie 5.Jim McFarlane 6.Shane Oakley 7.Des Boateng 8.Dean Green 9.Kris Lee 10.Simon Parker 11.John Mackie Subs: 12.Jamie Richards 14.Ross Wall 15.Mark Janney 16.Frankie Curley 17.Andy Tomlinson
Scorers: Green (45)

Reporter: Mark Wells
Photographs: John Lines

Chamal Fenelon displayed the sort of form that prompted John Maggs to re-sign the big forward from Blue Square Conference South side Havant & Waterlooville with a starring role in this excellent victory against visiting AFC Hornchurch. The striker, signed on loan until the end of the season after  five appearances for the Hornets earlier in the campaign, put in a performance of strength, power, and no little skill that suggested he just might be the player to help boost Horsham's promotion play-off ambitions. The man affectionately known as 'the Beast' by Horsham's Lardy Army was instrumental in Lewis Taylor's opening goal on three minutes and extinguished any hopes of a Hornchurch comeback by adding Horsham's decisive 3rd a quarter of an hour from the end. Equally pleasing for Maggs would have been the performance of Lee Farrell who capped a fine display with his first league goal since August and whose confidence looks to have returned after some disappointing performances in recent weeks.

AFC Hornchurch were making their first appearance at Queen Street since March 1996 when the sides battled for points in the 3rd Division of the Isthmian League, one of only 4 sides to be competing with the Hornets at the same level twelve years on, and they arrived in good form. Sixth in the league and beaten just twice in their previous nine outings, the Urchins were hoping to end a winless run of five visits to Horsham that had yielded just one point.

Maggs made two changes to the side that bowed out of the Sussex Senior Cup on Tuesday with Tom Graves returning to the defence in place of Stuart Myall and Farrell replaced Simon Austin who joined Myall on the bench. The visitors handed a debut to former Leyton Orient captain John Mackie, an experienced centre-half who took the place of the suspended Elliot Styles.

Hornchurch's last visit had seen them make a lightning start, scoring after just 16 seconds, but it was the home side who made the early running this time with Farrell testing Dale Brightley at his near post from Jacob Mingle's astute pass. The deadlock was broken on three minutes when Nigel Brake clipped a ball down the line towards Fenelon who bamboozled Jim McFarlane with some neat footwork and crossed for Taylor to head powerfully home from twelve yards for his 11th goal of the season. A good cross from the left almost led to an instant equaliser for the Urchins when Shane Oakley's pass was laid off to Simon Parker in the box but Andy Howard blocked his shot and the ball was cleared.

In unseasonable sunshine, and on what appeared to be a decent playing surface, Horsham enjoyed some good early possession and stroked the ball around confidently but Fenelon was guilty of a bad miss when Lee Carney's forward pass saw him flick the ball past McFarlane only to drag his shot embarrassingly wide of the goal. He remained a willing target man, however, and after latching on to another pass from Carney his cross to the far post was inches too high for the unmarked Gary Charman. The same two players were involved in the build-up again when Charman was brought down on the edge of the visitors' penalty area and Jacob Mingle curled the free-kick straight in to Brightley's waiting arms. Farrell escaped the attentions of the Urchins' defence to tee up Carney but when his shot rebounded off of Danny Glozier, Mingle was quickly on to the loose ball, forcing a superb one-handed save from the diving  goalkeeper.

A long free-kick from Brightley almost caught out the Horsham backline who allowed the ball to bounce dangerously in the area before Paul Seuke fisted it clear and Brake had to head behind from Oakley's return cross as the visitors threatened an equalising goal. Howard produced another crucial block, this time on Kris Lee from a pass by Des Boateng, and Parker twice volleyed wildly over the crossbar when well placed. Seuke had to turn Boateng's dangerous low cross behind for a corner and Dean Green went close when his drive was also deflected behind, this time off a defender's trailing leg, but Horsham responded well and, moments after Farrell had sent an effort wide of the post, Brightley was performing further heroics when he denied Taylor from point-blank range. Charman might have done better than shoot over the top after Mingle had cleverly dummied Graves' cross and a 38th minute free-kick enabled Brightley to further deny the hosts when he did well to block Fenelon's powerfully hit shot. From the corner, Horsham doubled their advantage when Taylor's cross was nodded towards the far post by Graves where Farrell finished off from close range.

Hornchurch were handed a lifeline....literally....on the stroke of half-time when referee Danny Austin adjudged Carney of blocking a cross with his hands and Glozier's floated free-kick was met by Green at the far post where he headed firmly past Seuke for a fine goal.

H/T: Horsham 2 AFC Hornchurch 1

With just the one substitution taking place during the interval, the experienced Mark Janney coming on for Oakley, the Urchins began the second period attacking the Cowshed End and Boateng immediately sent in an inviting cross that Seuke had to clutch ahead of Lee. After Mingle had miscued at one end, Janney quickly broke away down the slope and squared the ball to Parker whose shot was cleared from underneath his own crossbar by Brake and Kevin Hemsley was grateful for Parker's poor execution when his weak back pass left the Urchins forward with just Seuke to beat but he could only lob the ball gently in to the 'keeper's arms.

Horsham were beginning to lose their grip on the midfield and some sloppy passing throughout the side handed the initiative to the visitors who, for all their possession, were unable to provide a realistic threat to their opponents' goal. Maggs sent on Myall for Hemsley on 69 minutes, Graves moving in to the centre and the former Folkestone full-back slotting in on the right. Six minutes later, Horsham claimed the crucial third goal with a move that began on their own goal-line. Green's attempt to get a cross in was thwarted by Taylor who dispossessed the Urchins number eight, playing a quick pass in to Brake who found Fenelon, just inside Horsham's half. A control and lay-off from 'the Beast' saw Brake's long ball helped on to Farrell via Mingle's head and the former Lewes man held off the challenge of John Purdie before rolling the ball invitingly in to the path of Fenelon who beat Brightley with a low shot inside the 'keeper's right hand post. The goal was fitting reward for a player who might have been excused for allowing his mind to drift towards Anfield where his Havant & Waterlooville team-mates were giving the former European Champions an FA Cup fright.

Farrell's joy was short-lived as, in the home side's next attack, the striker was caught offside. With his back to the referee, the GB Deaf international continued to play on and flashed a volley wide of goal only to receive a caution for his efforts. Despite the protestations of his team-mates, the official was unmoved further angering the home supporters who had not forgotten the harsh red card dished out by Austin to Alan Mansfield that ruled him out of the matches against Swansea City earlier in the season. Further controversy came in the surprising figure of diminutive pensioner Joan Young, a stalwart of the club who made her way along the touchline to remonstrate with the Hornchurch bench before being removed by stewards, causing a momentary delay to proceedings.

The Urchins continued to push on and saw Mackie's shot deflected behind and a curling effort from Janney just passed beyond the far post but Horsham finished the match the stronger, re-establishing their grip on the game and Taylor dragged his shot wide of Brightley's goal while a neat attack involving Carney and Fenelon saw Farrell's snapshot saved at his near post by the Urchins' stopper. More good play from Fenelon saw Mingle flash a shot wide and a late free-kick from Glozier cleared the bar but Horsham emerged the victors to move within a point of their Essex opponents and just four behind Harrow Borough who hold the final promotion play-off spot.

NEXT MATCH: v Ramsgate (h) Tuesday 29th January ko 7.45pm