HORSHAM 1 Harlow Town 4
A2B Stadium, Woodside Road, Worthing
Attendance: 287
Saturday 30th August 2008
Ryman League Premier Division
Referee: M D Rowley

HORSHAM

HARLOW TOWN

1.Paul Seuke
2.Jack Page
3.Russell Eldridge
4.Andy Howard (Graham,72)
5.Sam Page
6.Lee Carney
7.Lee Carey
8.Gary Charman
9.Liam Baitup (Mingle,53)
10.Mark Knee
11.Alex Haddow
Subs:
12.Michael Dale
14.Jacob Mingle
15.Shane Graham
16.Ian Payne
17.Rob Frankland

Goalscorers:
Charman (14)

1.James Hassel
2.Mark Taylor
3.Beckett Hollenbach
4.Danny Chapman (Kirby,39)
5.Paul Kear
6.Clydie Roberts (Akers,62)
7.Leon Lalite
8.Jordon Fowler
9.Jamie Richards (Green,75)
10.James Bunn
11.Shaun Gliddon
Subs:
12.Danny Green
14.Clark Akers
15.Daniel Francis
16.Michael Gliddon
17.Ryan Kirby

Goalscorers:
Richards (4)
Taylor (pen,57)
Bunn (66,67)

Reporter: Mark Wells
Photographs: John Lines
Goal highlights: Click  here

Jacob Mingle had an afternoon to forget on his first appearance of the season as Horsham's 100% winning run came crashing to an end against a lively Harlow Town side. The creative midfielder, fit again after missing the opening four matches with an ankle injury, conceded a penalty within minutes of his second half introduction before missing a great chance to reduce the visitors' lead with a quarter of an hour remaining. In fairness to Mingle, that late chance was a product of his own hard work and determination, a virtue not shared by many of his team-mates on an afternoon in which too many players underperformed just days after their superb display at Carshalton Athletic.

With Evan Archibald and Lee Farrell failing to recover from their respective injuries, John Maggs unsurprisingly kept with the same eleven who started Monday's Bank Holiday match at Colston Avenue with Lee Carney declared fit after damaging his ankle in the 5-1 win. The visitors, with one victory in their first four games, were looking to repeat last season's success at Queen Street and included new signing Jamie Richards in attack alongside last season's top scorer, skipper James Bunn.

After a minute's applause in memory of Horsham legend Steve Cosham and former club treasurer Dave Greenfield, who both sadly passed away recently, the Hornets began the match looking as if they wanted to mark their passing in style and instantly laid siege to their opponents' goal. Liam Baitup blazed over the top in just the second minute, when clear on goal, and Hawks' 'keeper James Hassel saved well from Alex Haddow's rising left foot drive. But it was the Essex men who drew first blood in just the fourth minute when a Horsham throw was quickly cleared upfield to Bunn who took both covering defenders with him before finding Richards with a reverse pass and the former Chelmsford City striker shot low in to the bottom corner.

If Maggs was looking for a response from his side after falling behind for the first time this season, he nearly got it on eight minutes when Russell Eldridge's inswinging free-kick was missed by Gary Charman and came back off the woodwork before being cleared. However, the equalising goal was just a matter of minutes in coming and it was Charman (right) who got it, finding himself in the right place to slot home a loose ball in the Harlow penalty area for his third goal of the week. 

Jordon Fowler hit an effort over the crossbar for the visitors before the home side threatened again when another delivery from Eldridge was met this time by Charman but his downward header saw Mark Knee off target with a wild volley and Carney was unable to get a decent contact on the ball from a similar move before finding himself dumped unceremoniously on the floor by Leon Lalite who was rightly cautioned.

Clydie Roberts' pace and trickery were giving Eldridge plenty to think about down the Harlow right flank and he gave his marker the slip to send an effort wide of Paul Seuke's goal while, at the other end, Danny Chapman was pole-axed when Beckett Hollenbach's clearance hit him full in the face from close range, leaving the big central defender dazed and groggy and able to last just a few more minutes before being led from the field with an ice pack on the back of his neck and replaced by Ryan Kirby. In the meantime, Baitup glanced a header wide from Haddow's inviting cross and a rare mistake from Hornets' captain Sam Page allowed Roberts to set up Mark Taylor whose swerving shot was comfortably saved by Seuke.

Horsham spurned two further opportunities to take a lead in to the interval when, first, Knee ran through onto Sam Page's headed clearance only to send his instant lob over the top and then, in injury time, a fantastic free-kick delivery from Lee Carey needed only the merest of touches from Charman to put the ball past Hassel but Horsham's goalscorer failed to connect and the two sides turned round on level terms.

H/T Horsham 1 Harlow Town 1

It took an excellent clearance from Carney to prevent Lalite from restoring the visitors' lead in the first minute of the second half and it was becoming evident that Horsham were going to have their work cut out if they were to extend their winning run to a fifth game. Little was happening up front for the hosts whose lack of height was playing in to the hands of the imposing centre backs, prompting Maggs to switch things around by introducing Mingle for Baitup after 52 minutes, and pushing Charman up alongside Knee. Last year's player of the year was beaten by Taylor within seconds of his introduction with the full-back bringing a fine save from Seuke, tipping his clever chip over the crossbar, but worse was to come for the substitute when a determined run by Richards set up Roberts to cross to the far post and, when Shaun Gliddon's volley was well saved by Seuke, Mingle's rash lunge on Lalite inside the area gave Taylor the opportunity to beat Seuke from 12 yards and the visitors were ahead once more.

Horsham might have fallen further behind in Harlow's next attack where both Lalite and Richards miskicked after some unconvincing defending from the home side and their frustrating afternoon continued when Carney was booked for clipping the heels of the Hawks' Clark Akers. The result was put beyond any doubt when Harlow hit their opponents with a double whammy of two goals in two minutes and, once again, it was more poor defending that was to prove Horsham's downfall. Bunn was given the freedom of the penalty area to run in unopposed to convert Gliddon's free-kick on 66 minutes and, when Seuke spilled a long range effort from Lalite, Bunn was the only player to follow up, converting at the second attempt after the goalkeeper had somehow kept out the striker's point blank shot. It was a surreal moment as the travelling fans celebrated with a wartime air raid siren while World War II bombers flew overhead on their way to and from the Shoreham Air Show. One can only imagine the thoughts going through the minds of one or two of the more elderly residents in the neighbouring streets !

With nothing left to play for now but pride, Maggs opted to go for three at the back and withdrew Andy Howard for Shane Graham with a quarter of an hour remaining while Richards was replaced by Danny Green for the visitors. Akers dragged a shot wide, and Lee Carey tested Hassel with a dipping twenty yarder, but Mingle might have halved the deficit when he battled well to collect Knee's forward pass and brush off the attentions of both Kirby and Paul Kear but could only push the ball wide of the right hand post from eight yards.

Graham was injecting some much needed pace in to the home side's attacking play and he was unfortunate not to win a penalty when Hollenbach's reckless challenge sent him crashing to the ground (left) only for Mr Rowley to inexplicably wave away the claims and, bizarrely, it was Bunn who was booked for speaking out after the incident. Knee's shot on the turn failed to trouble Hassel but Green went closer at the other end when, with the away fans taunting their opponents with a chant of 'can we play you every week', he skilfully controlled Hassel's long goal-kick and cut inside to curl a a left footed shot just wide of Seuke's goal.

Horsham's heaviest home defeat since Margate's 4-0 triumph in December 2006 leaves just Ashford Town (Mx) as the only Ryman Premier Division side with a perfect record after five games and sees the Hornets replaced in second spot by Dover Athletic, 3-2 winners at Boreham Wood. Horsham take on Dover on Tuesday night.

NEXT MATCH: v Dover Athletic (a) Tuesday 2nd September ko 7.45pm