HORSHAM 1 Eastbourne Borough 3
Woodside Road, Worthing
Tuesday 22nd July 2008
Pre-season friendly

1.Paul Seuke
2.Andy Howard
3.Russell Eldridge
4.Eddie French
5.Sam Page
6.Lee Carey
7.Jack Page
8.Jamie Lovegrove
9.Mark Knee
10.Gary Charman
11.Liam Baitup
Subs:
12.Lee Farrell
14.Sam Jeremiah
15.Yinka Salaam
16.Mark Hawthorne
17.Rob Frankland

   GOALSCORERS

   * * *
   HORSHAM
    Farrell (69)

    EASTBOURNE BOROUGH
         Armstrong (19)
        Sigere (87)
       Tait (89)

  Attendance
 TBA

           Referee: Lloyd Rendell
  Assistants: P.Wilkes
                   W.Webb

1.Chris Winterton
2.Darren Baker
3.Neil Jenkins
4.Simon Wormwull
5.Andy Ballard
6.Marc Pullan
7.Pat Harding
8.Paul Armstrong
9.Andy Atkin
10.Nathan Crabb 
11.Jay Lovett
Subs:
12.Darren Budd
14.Allan Tait
15.Dominic Douglas
16.Ben Austin
17.Jean Michel Sigere
Mo Harkin
Matt Crabb
Evan Archibald

reporter: Mark Wells

Horsham's 'home' debut at Worthing's Woodside Road ended in defeat after some clinical finishing saw Conference League newcomers Eastbourne Borough to victory. The scoreline flattered the visitors somewhat after John Maggs' side had enjoyed some good passages of play and, but for the woodwork and some fine saves by Borough 'keeper Chris Winterton, the Hornets' might well have made it 3 wins out of 3 from their pre-season programme. Yet, in an often entertaining affair, Garry Wilson's side will point to an impressive display by Horsham custodian Paul Seuke who made at least 4 excellent saves to keep the Reds at bay.

Maggs had admitted that, despite the 2-0 win at Herne Bay at the weekend, he was disappointed by his side's performance and he sought to rectify that by returning players to their favoured positions; Mark Knee moved back up front and Jack Page in to the middle, although Maggs' plans were undoubtedly influenced somewhat by the absence of the injured Jacob Mingle and the late withdrawal, through illness, of Lee Carney. Liam Baitup was given his first game for his new club alongside Knee in the attack while Gary Charman, back from holiday, took up his familiar position on the left flank. In defence, skipper Eddie French returned to partner Sam Page with Andy Howard and Russell Eldridge assuming the full-back slots. Maggs was able to include recent arrival Jamie Lovegrove, brother of Dean who featured briefly for the Hornets last season, on the right side of midfield. The visitors, who had picked up their first pre-season win at Bognor Regis on Saturday after a 4-4 draw with neighbours Eastbourne Town last week, were without Horsham 'old boy' Matt Smart but new signing Jean-Michael Sigere was listed among the substitutes whose combined wage bill alone was estimated to exceed that of Maggs' entire first team.

Just 5 minutes had elapsed when the game had it's first effort on goal when Lovegrove found Knee peeling away from his marker but his left foot shot went wide and the stretching Baitup might have done better than to spoon Charman's knock down over the bar in Horsham's next attack. They were indebted to Seuke, though, for keeping the score goalless when Andy Ballard rose to meet Simon Wormwull's 10th minute free-kick only for the big 'keeper to produce a 'Gordon Banks' save to tip the ball over the crossbar for a corner. French then sliced Andy Atkin's cross in to the side netting and Seuke was quickly out of his area to deny Atkin with a perfect block tackle as Borough began to settle.

Within moments, Paul Armstrong put the visitors ahead when he sent a right foot shot curling away from Seuke as several players contested a loose ball on the edge of the Horsham penalty area. For a while, the Hornets were forced to chase the ball until a quick counter from Lovegrove saw him release Baitup with a fine pass only for Carey's chip to present Winterton with a comfortable catch. A loose back pass from Andy Howard allowed Jay Lovett to head goalwards from the resulting corner but, thankfully for Howard, he couldn't get his angles right and the ball flew harmlessly wide of the target.

Baitup had a strong penalty appeal turned down on 27 minutes when he appeared to be bundled to the floor by Marc Pullan, to the indignation of the Horsham followers who were still berating referee Lloyd Rendell and his assistants as Carey fired the loose ball wide from distance. Neil Jenkins was similarly off target when a neat exchange of passes with Pat Harding on the left flank saw the full-back try his luck from 20 yards and a lack of composure saw Jack Page fail to test Winterton after some determined play by Charman and Carey gave the unmarked youngster the space to shoot for goal.

A timely intervention by Jenkins prevented the menacing Lovegrove from breaking in to the Eastbourne box and it was left to the visitors to have the final chance of the half when French was forced to concede a stoppage time corner and Atkin rose to head Wormwull's delivery wide of Seuke's right hand post.

H/T Horsham 0 Eastbourne Borough 1

Both sides made changes at the start of the second half, with Jenkins making way for Mo Harkin and Horsham's Lee Farrell replacing Baitup, and Maggs was almost forced in to a further substitute within minutes of the restart when Howard required lengthy treatment after a clash of heads before being cleared to continue.

Only desperate defending from Ballard prevented the Hornets from pulling level on 50 minutes when Charman showed fine skill to lay the ball off to Jack Page on the edge of the box and, when the midfielder's shot was deflected past Winterton by Knee, the Eastbourne centre-back bravely threw his body in the way to deny the hosts a deserved equaliser. Further substitutions followed with Borough's Sigere and Allan Tait entering the fray and more were to follow, shortly after Nathan Crabb had tested Seuke's reactions once more, when Lovegrove limped off to be replaced by Yinka Salaam and Wilson sent on Dominic Douglas, Ben Austin and Matt Crabb for Ballard, Pullan and Harding.

Tait was soon in the thick of the action, somehow digging out a shot that was well claimed by Seuke, as was Sigere who failed to make the required contact with an acrobatic half-volley that went straight at the busy 'keeper. Carey showed that the game was still in the balance when he tried to catch out Winterton by sending in a snapshot from 35 yards that cannoned off the top of the crossbar with the goalkeeper well beaten. But four minutes later the match was all square. A terrific driven pass from Carey invited Salaam to take on, and beat, his man and, when the overlapping full-back managed to reach the ball a fraction before Winterton, Farrell had the relatively simple task of turning the ball in to the net. Claims of a foul on the Borough number one were waved away with Salaam, in fact, coming off the worst after clutching his leg in obvious discomfort.

Sam Jeremiah, on for Knee, had an early chance to shoot when Charman met Jack Page's long pass to head down but the former St Francis Rangers marksman, with his back to goal, could only turn and hook his shot wide. Howard had further checks on his head injury while Nathan Crabb made way for Evan Archibald and Horsham might have taken the lead when Jeremiah outmuscled the dallying Darren Baker for the ball, only to see his attempted goal making pass to Farrell intercepted and cleared by the relieved Borough rearguard.

Charman's clever dummy was bought by Austin and Horsham's longest serving player was soon charging in to the Eastbourne half, cutting inside and forcing Winterton in to a save from his low shot that was otherwise destined for the bottom corner of the net. Seuke's right boot kept Tait's effort out at the near post after the substitute had combined well with Matt Crabb from a corner and the goalkeeper's quick reactions forced Archibald to send his shot high and wide when put clear by Tait's cheeky flick over the defence.

Borough were starting to apply some sustained pressure to their opponents' goal and Salaam's vital header took the ball away from Matt Crabb at the back post, after good approach play by Armstrong, and a telling touch from Seuke left Archibald rueing his luck after Armstrong again produced a good cross from the right. Horsham were still in this game, though, and Carey's underhit free-kick deflected off of Jeremiah to give Winterton a momentary scare and a deep cross from Farrell saw Jack Page able only to head the ball back across the 6 yard box from where it was hacked clear.

Sigere showed neat skill to hold the ball up and create space for Tait to steal in to the area and force Seuke in to a save, low at his near post, before Maggs decided to rest the hard working Charman and give Ian Payne the final 5 minutes. Almost immediately, Horsham were through on goal when Winterton pulled off a fine stop from Jeremiah only to see the ball fall for Jack Page but, when his low cross was cleared, Howard's first time effort cleared the goal and Borough had escaped.

With time ticking away, and Horsham's fans preparing to congratulate their side on a job well done, Darren Budd made the most of a lucky break to burst in to the penalty area and fire in a shot that rebounded away off Seuke's shins before being thumped behind by Howard for a corner that was turned in at the near post by the deftest of touches by Sigere. As if that wasn't harsh enough on Maggs' players, Borough regained possession from the restart and Armstrong's ball over the defence was held up by Sigere before being rolled in to the path of the advancing Tait who wrapped things up with a stylish shot that fizzed low past Seuke before nestling inside his right hand post.

NEXT MATCH: v Lewes (a) Thursday 24th July ko 7.45pm