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Reporter: Jim Bravery
Photographer: John Lines
Horsham’s first match of the New Year resulted in their first league
draw of the season, sharing the points with a Wealdstone side who were
vastly improved from their earlier visit to the Atspeed Stadium in
which Horsham cantered to a 4-0 victory. Since that day, at the
beginning of October, Wealdstone have only lost two league games out of ten pushing them up the topsy turvy Ryman table. However,
Horsham will probably reflect on this result as two points lost rather
than one gained as, once again, all the pretty passing and
approach work failed to offer much in terms of goalscoring chances.
The
Hornets
were forced in to a number of changes for this visit to Northwood's
Chestnut Avenue, their opponents' temporary base while their perpetual
efforts to secure their own ground continues. Kevin Hemsley and Tom
Graves failed to shake off knocks received against Margate the previous weekend while a
hamstring injury picked up in training meant Nigel Brake was also an
absentee. With Lewis Taylor back from his midwinter holiday, Yinka
Salaam's brief cameo in midfield was ended as he reverted to
full-back, Stuart Myall came in for Brake and Eddie French donned the
captain's armband as he lined up alongside Andy Howard in the centre
of defence.
It was Paul Seuke who was the saviour of the team, though,
with a string of fine saves that fully justified his continued
inclusion ahead of Alan Mansfield in goal. The former Dulwich Hamlet
stopper was called in to action from the Stones'
first attack, a cracking shot through a crowd of players by leading
scorer Peter Dean
that had Seuke pushing the shot away to safety from the foot of
the post. The breakthrough wasn't long in coming, though. As Lee
Chappell ran at Salaam, his pace took him into the penalty area
where the full-back’s clumsy challenge sent the winger sprawling,
referee Young not hesitating in pointing to the spot for a penalty.
After lecturing the defender it was left to Lee
O’Leary
to blast the Stones in front, sending Seuke the wrong way with his
accurate kick after just five minutes.
Horsham tried to put the shock of conceding so early in the game
behind them by stringing several nice passing moves together but dour
defence or over weighted passes seemed to be their downfall and the
Wealdstone goal remained unthreatened. Jean Michel Sigere, who
apparently injured himself in training on Thursday evening, looked
slightly laboured in his play but he gave a glimpse of his undoubted
ability when a quality pass out wide to Taylor was only fractionally too heavy, giving home 'keeper Keita
Karamoko the chance to intercept.
Salaam, overlapping down the right, swung in a good cross but Karamoko
was equal to it and his long punt up field deceived
French, letting Ben Alexander in a 'one on one' with Seuke. The
goalkeeper made an excellent stop but reacted angrily after the
striker had left his foot in on the challenge, resulting in some
unsavoury retaliation each time the two came close during the match.
Home skipper Chris O’Leary tried a long range shot that flew over the
bar, after another French slip had presented the chance, and Alexander
found Seuke too good from another snapshot as the home team piled on
the pressure looking to extend their lead.
It was, however, the visitors' turn to dominate proceedings for the
next quarter as a stream of attacks put the home defence under siege.
Jacob Mingle and Lee Carney were instrumental in some fine inter
passing, the final ball though only found a defender and the chance
went begging, but they immediately built another attack and Mingle’s
cross should have resulted in a goal but French, arriving from
the back, agonised as he sent a free header brush the wrong side of
the post.
Mingle was causing problems for the home side, his probing run into
the area after interchanging passes with Sigere saw Karamoko launching
himself to his right to palm away the midfielder's goalbound shot and,
although the ball came back across the area, Taylor could only hit it
wide of the goal. Simon Austin got in a cross after an excellent
through ball from Sigere had opened up the defence but was foiled by
the home custodian. The Stones 'keeper was involved in more action
with half an hour of the match approaching when Myall, who
received the usual banter from the opposing fans, showed a neat turn
of foot to firstly intercept the ball from the dangerous O’Leary then
play a perfect back heeled pass into the path of Gary Charman and the
seasoned winger made a beeline for the area. But, after cleverly
evading two desperate tackles, his shot on goal was brilliantly turned
round the post by the Stones' 'keeper for a corner. The kick arrived
at the back post where the unlikely figure of Myall was lurking and,
as he pulled the trigger, excellent covering by Carl Martin saw it
squirm out for another corner. Although the ball was cleared it fell
to Salaam who, bringing the ball forward, played a short pass to
Carney who, in turn, found Charman on the right. The winger's cross
into the penalty area found Austin with a free header but, like French
before him, he steered wide of the open goal and another good chance
had gone begging.
For all Horsham's creativity going
forwards, they remained vulnerable at the back and when another
clearance put Alexander in behind the defence, Seuke dived bravely at
the striker's feet to make a commendable save.
Mingle collected what appeared a harsh booking, referee Young seeing
the Horsham man's challenge differently to the majority of the crowd,
but O’Leary’s direct kick was easily saved by Seuke. With forty
minutes on the clock, a cross from Salaam found Myall nicely
positioned just outside the box but, lining up his effort on goal, the
ball again went the wrong side of the upright.
At the other end a fantastic shot from distance by Chappell crashed
back off the woodwork, the ball landing perfectly for Alexander but he
sliced his shot to the relief of the Hornets defence. The referee
spotted a nasty foul by Alexander on Mingle that saw the Stones
striker cautioned and, with time rapidly running out, an excellent
cross picked out last week's goal scoring hero Howard, in much the
same position as he found himself in a week ago, but this time his inch
perfect cross found
Austin who rifled the ball in to
the net from six yards to bring the scores level in first half injury
time.
After Mr Young had blown for half time,
both managers surrounded the officials to point out a lot of things
that had happened during the niggly first half that he clearly had
overlooked.
H/T: Wealdstone 1 Horsham 1
Horsham were forced into a
half time substitution when Sigere was unable to return for the second
half so John Maggs looked to the speed and fitness of his
replacement, Lee Farrell, to open up the Stones defence. But it was the
home side who applied the early pressure and an early strike had Seuke
saving at the second attempt. Marcus Gross, in an attempt to get to
the ball first, fell on top of the grounded 'keeper and, if it had been a
wrestling match, would probably have held him down long enough
for the mandatory count of three but the referee stepped in and lectured both
players for their actions although Seuke was clearly in no position to
defend himself.
Unfortunately the niggling ill-discipline from the first half continued into the second with both benches adding their six
penneth for good measure. Both sides were showing contrasting
ambitions, the visitors trying to put their passes
together while the Stones seemed satisfied to hang on for a draw and
rely on the odd quick breakaway out of defence.
Austin almost got Farrell on to the end of a left wing cross but the
substitute only got a toe end on to the ball that trickled through to
Karamoko.
In the 53rd minute, Maggs shuffled the pack and brought on Matt
Geard at left back, swapping Myall to the right, at the expense
of Salaam.
Geard got into the action straight away and was slightly fortunate
when a fifty fifty ball just escaped his rather rash attempt to win
it. One can only think that an early bath would have been there for
the taking if he had made contact. But he was Horsham's saviour, minutes later, making a superb clearance
with a Stones attacker closing him down. Before the corner could be
taken the home side made their first substitution, Steve Hughes coming
on for Alexander, and the kick, when finally taken, was safely claimed by
Seuke.
Taylor was put away down the right by an astute pass
from Carney but, with a number of yellow shirts in support, Taylor
elected to go it alone. Cutting in on to his left foot he got half a
sight of goal but his execution was horrendous and the corner flag
was in more danger than the actual goal.
Mingle had been targeted for most of the match and a foul by
O’Leary earned the Stones' skipper a yellow card.
The resulting free kick found Austin in space but, instead of trying a
shot, he decided to lay the ball out wide when the former option could
have been more productive.
Horsham’s best chance of the half came in the 70th minute when good
passing from Myall, Taylor and Carney saw the latter put in a teasing
cross that found its way to the far post to where Mingle had made up ground but his well struck half volley screamed past the outside of
the post when it seemed certain he would score.
Immediately, Stones manager Gordon Bartlett threw caution to the wind
by making a double substitution, Andre Delisser and skipper O’Leary
making way for Graeme Montgomery and Alex Campana, and the limping figure of Taylor was replaced by Steve Davies for the
final quarter of an hour. Horsham did get the ball in the net soon after
when Mingle’s deflected shot ended up at Charman‘s feet and he made no
mistake in putting the ball into the net but the cheers from a few of
the visiting fans were cut short by the linesman's raised flag.
Campana’s pace was causing the visitors defence a few problems and his
direct run and shot forced Seuke into another splendid save.
Next it was French who seemed to win the ball fairly from Montgomery
but, when the substitute went to ground, Mr Young blew for a direct free
kick right on the edge of the Hornets penalty area and, after lecturing
the Hornets skipper, he promptly booked him as well. The resulting
kick was well charged down and cleared by Howard but came back via a
volley from the boot of Ryan Ashe that crashed into the fence behind
Seuke’s goal.
The 87th minute saw another amazing decision by the official. With
both Davies and Farrell chasing a good through ball, a poor challenge
from behind sent the two forwards sprawling in the area in an incident
that was as clumsy as Salaam's in the first five minutes of the game.
Yet Mr Young, despite being
well placed to see, chose to wave play on to the frustration of the
travelling supporters
Davies had another opportunity at the death but sliced his shot well
wide when well placed. Although there was one final breakaway, French
made certain with a well timed interception and all it required was
the final whistle from Mr Young.
The Stones man of the match award, selected by the match sponsors,
was given to goalkeeper Karamoko but one has to wonder if the sponsors thought
that
Seuke was their 'keeper, as he was regularly called into action,
pulling off countless good saves throughout the match.
NEXT MATCH: v East Thurrock United (h) Saturday
12th January ko 3.00pm |
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