HORSHAM 1 Colliers Wood United 0
A2B Stadium, Woodside Road, Worthing
Attendance: 258
Sunday 14th September 2008
FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round
(sponsored by Eon)
Referee: D Cook

HORSHAM

COLLIERS WOOD UNITED

1.Paul Seuke
2.Jack Page
3.Russell Eldridge
4.Andy Howard
5.Sam Page
6.Lee Carey
7.Jacob Mingle
8.Shane Graham (Baitup,57, Geddes,78)
9.Evan Archibald
10.Lee Farrell
11.Alex Haddow
Subs:
12.Liam Baitup
14.Billy Franks
15.Ian Payne
16.Gavin Geddes
17.Rob Frankland

Goalscorers:
Archibald (29)

1.Tony Oval
2.Marc Hudson (Abbey 83)
3.Michael Beard (Bunce,48)
4.Alex Hallet
5.Samuel Mead
6.Alex Bacon
7.David Taylor
8.Niall Wynne
9.Mark Longley
10.Phil Hughes
11.Daniel Hughes
Subs:
12.Troy Abbey
14.Charlie Bunce
15.Anthony Nyman

Reporter: Mark Wells
Photographs: John Lines
Watch the goal: here

Horsham will need to sharpen up in front of goal if they are to repeat last season's historic FA Cup run after making heavy weather of defeating Combined Counties League opposition in a disappointing First Qualifying Round tie at Woodside Road. Just 24 hours after Worthing's astonishing 5 goal blast against Margate at the same venue, hopes were high of a repeat performance from the Hornets against a Colliers Wood side who sat some 58 places below Horsham towards the foot of the Combined Counties Premier Division table.

"We started off okay but then just got worse and worse," admitted John Maggs. "People say that we dropped to their (Colliers Wood) level but I don't know. They weren't a great side but I do know that we won't play that badly again. We had our chances to give ourselves some breathing space early on; Lee should have scored and so should Evan but we never produced the kind of performance to encourage the fans. We were awful."

Maggs' cause wasn't helped by the absence through injury of Eddie French, Lee Carney, Gary Charman and Mark Knee that forced the Hornets' boss in to making a couple of late additions to his squad in teenage centre-back Billy Franks and veteran striker Gavin Geddes, the former Horsham marksman making a shock return to the club for whom he last featured almost 4 years ago to the day.

Horsham were dominant in the opening stages and created enough chances to have emulated the 7 goals with which they beat Arundel at the same stage of last season's competition. Russell Eldridge struck the top of the crossbar from a fourth minute free-kick, Archibald's lob beat goalkeeper Tony Oval and the frame of the goal, Farrell's toe-poked effort went the same way and another effort from the pacy frontman went wide, all within the opening 12 minutes. Yet it was the visitors who had arguably the best chance of the early exchanges when Mark Longley should have added to his goals against Banstead and East Grinstead in the previous rounds by latching on to some good work from Phil Hughes only to blaze the ball over the top from eight yards. 

Jack Page had the chance to score his first goal for the club since joining the club in the Summer but he miscued Lee Carey's dangerous free-kick at the near post and the Woods' goal remained intact when Alex Haddow sent an effort over the top after Carey's long ball had found him inside the penalty area. The game's defining moment finally came, just before the half hour mark, when Jack Page's quickly taken free-kick found Farrell on the left edge of the penalty area and he skipped past his marker to send in a low cross to the far post for Archibald (right) to tap in to the net from 6 yards.

Despite being in the ascendancy for most of the first half, it took Horsham until the 36th minute before winning their first corner of the game but it almost provided them with a second goal when Sam Page rose to head Carey's cross against the crossbar and Oval was able to punch Carey's follow-up cross to safety. Farrell appealed in vain for a penalty, when Michael Beard appeared to pull him back inside the area, but the half came to an end with Horsham holding the slender advantage.

H/T Horsham 1 Colliers Wood United 0

The second half was just 3 minutes old when the visitors made their first change that saw Beard withdrawn in favour of Charlie Bunce but, before the Woods could adjust to the switch, they almost found themselves two goals behind. Archibald made a hash of Eldridge's cross and, when the ball was returned in to the box, Oval dropped the ball under pressure from the tall striker only to quickly recover with Farrell primed to convert the loose ball.

With just the  single goal dividing the two sides, the game remained in the balance and Maggs introduced an extra striker to the fray when Liam Baitup replaced the disappointing Shane Graham on 57 minutes but it had little effect as goalscoring chances became a rarity for either side. Colliers Wood were handed a golden opportunity to equalise, 15 minutes from time, when a free-kick caught Eldridge out and, when the defender could only turn the ball in to Longley's path, Paul Seuke came to Horsham's rescue, rushing from his line to hurry the Colliers' man into a miscued lob that gave the 'keeper a comfortable catch.

Maggs' controversial re-signing of Geddes took a further twist when he was sent on in place of Baitup, the former Eastbourne Town man's contribution having lasted just 21 minutes, but the manager's decision appeared to have been vindicated when the substitute beat his man only to hit his shot in to the side netting.

Having seen their side concede late goals in each of their previous two games, the home supporters were decidedly anxious in the closing stages and their hearts were in their mouths when David Taylor broke down the right, crossed in to the middle towards Niall Wynne and Longley came within a whisker of an equalising goal when his shot beat Seuke and missed the far post by the proverbial lick of paint.

Having survived the late scare, Horsham were able to see out the remaining minutes of the game for their first victory in 5 attempts but Maggs will know that his side will have to raise their game if they are to repeat the successes of last year.

NEXT MATCH: v Dartford (a) Saturday 20th September ko 3pm