HORSHAM 2 Heybridge Swifts 0
A2B Stadium, Woodside Road, Worthing
Attendance: 260
Saturday 23rd August 2008
Ryman League Premier Division
Referee: Mr A Laver

HORSHAM

HEYBRIDGE SWIFTS

1.Paul Seuke
2.Jack Page
3.Russell Eldridge
4.Andy Howard
5.Sam Page
6.Lee Carney
7.Lee Carey
8.Gary Charman
9.Evan Archibald (Graham,77)
10.Liam Baitup (Knee,62)
11.Alex Haddow
Subs:
12.Mark Knee
14.Shane Graham
15.Matt Whiteford
16.Ian Payne
17.Rob Frankland

Goalscorers:
Archibald (38)
Carney (79)

1.Ollie Morris-Saunders
2.Ryan Hull
3.Danny Kerrigan
4.Robbie King
5.Frank Everett
6.Mitchell Nelson
7.Jamie Wright
8.Billy Hawes
9.Mark Reddaway
10.Ellis Remy (Savage,69)
11.Reece Morgan (Clarke,45)
Subs:
12.Reggie Savage
14.Will King
15.Adam Rushden
16.Nathan Clarke
17.George Lay

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

John Maggs celebrated his 500th game in charge of the Hornets with a third successive victory that leaves them in third place in the Ryman Premier Division table, thanks to a goal in each half by Evan Archibald and Lee Carney. In truth, Maggs' side rarely got out of second gear against their Essex opponents who are still searching for their first goal of the season and gave Paul Seuke a quiet afternoon in the Horsham goal.

After impressive victories against Canvey Island and Staines Town, the visit of Brian Statham's strugglers looked a home banker but history was not on the Hornets' side after failing to record a win in any of the previous four meetings between the two sides and, in striker Reggie Savage, the Swifts had a player who had every reason to want to make his mark having failed to secure a deal at Woodside Road during the Summer. 

Maggs made just the one enforced change to his line-up with Andy Howard deputising for the luckless Eddie French while teenage midfielder Matt Whiteford was included among the substitutes for the first time since his promotion to the senior squad and a groin injury continued to keep Lee Farrell out of the side. For Heybridge, Statham left Savage on the bench but gave a start to 18 year old Colchester United defender Mitchell Nelson, signed on work experience 24 hours earlier, while the leggy Ellis Remy looked sure to give Horsham skipper Sam Page a testing afternoon.

There was an anxious moment for Horsham when Archibald and Frank Everett collided heavily after just three minutes but, after Wednesday's traumatic scenes, there was relief all around the ground when both players were able to continue after treatment. Moments later, Horsham physio Andi Marfleet was back on the pitch to tend to Carney, the victim of a cynical tackle from behind by Billy Hawes for which the errant midfielder was lucky to escape a caution. Heybridge's Jamie Wright was first to have clear sight of goal but his volley, from Danny Kerrigan's deep cross, lacked conviction and failed to trouble Seuke and, at the other end, a neat move involving Alex Haddow, Archibald and Liam Baitup ended with the latter slicing his shot wide of the target.

Jack Page was well positioned to clear Wright's dangerous cross from in front of goal, ahead of the lurking Remy, while Russell Eldridge's free-kick was kept out by Ollie Morris-Sanders and the visiting goalkeeper showed good reactions, and a safe pair of hands, to hold on to Gary Charman's far post header as Horsham had the better of a fairly uninspiring opening twenty-five minutes in which their usual confident passing game made way for plenty of hard work and effort that saw the players make the most of a break in play to take on water on what was a pleasantly warm August afternoon.

On 27 minutes Remy, flamboyantly attired in luminous orange boots, sent a 25 yarder wildly off target that troubled the corner flag more than Seuke but Charman fared little better in Horsham's next attack when he cut inside and dragged a left foot shot disappointingly wide before being somewhat harshly booked after clumsily clattering in to Kerrigan. The deadlock was broken on 38 minutes when Haddow received a return pass from Jack Page and had the time and space to look up and send an inch perfect cross to the far post for Archibald (right) to rise above two defenders and head home. Charman's 40 yard run ended with a tame shot that was easily claimed by Morris-Sanders and Swifts' skipper Robbie King replied in kind, sending a powder puff strike that was food and drink for Seuke, but at least both could claim to have got boot on ball which is more than could be said for Baitup who allowed Jack Page's driven cross to run between his legs with the goal gaping to leave just the single goal separating the sides at the break.

H/T Horsham 1 Heybridge Swifts 0

During the interval, supporters were cheered by the welcome sight of Eddie French, discharged from Worthing Hospital with his right leg heavily strapped, chatting to fans and well-wishers and eager to watch his team-mates secure another win.

Heybridge's attacking options were reduced at the start of the second half when Statham introduced midfielder Nathan Clarke for the ineffective Reece Morgan but it was the hosts who almost extended their lead when Baitup stole in to the penalty area only to see his square pass cleared to safety. Remy was cautioned for a foul on Charman in an uneventful opening to the second half that was punctuated only by a ferocious volley from Lee Carey that went straight at Morris-Sanders.

Jack Page joined the attack to send a low shot wide of the far upright before Maggs withdrew Baitup for Knee with half an hour remaining. A rare threat from the visitors saw the stretching Remy inches away from connecting with Ryan Hull's delightful curling cross to the far post but that was the tall striker's final involvement in the contest as he, and his Day-Glo boots, made way for Savage.

The diminutive forward had little opportunity to impress, though, as his attempts to penetrate the Hornets' back line were competently repelled by Howard and Sam Page and the game looked as if it was destined to peter out in to a narrow, yet highly comfortable, victory for Horsham until Maggs decided to breathe fresh life in to the encounter by withdrawing Archibald and sending on Shane Graham. Within two minutes, Graham was involved in the move that confirmed the home side's superiority when he collected a long goal-kick and crossed to the edge of the box where Haddow picked out Carney's unchecked run for the midfielder to cap a fine display by thrashing the ball home from close range.

The remaining ten minutes belonged, as had much of the preceding eighty, to the Hornets for whom Carey sent a free-kick just over the crossbar following Hull's cautionable foul on Knee and Charman went close from Horsham's best move of the day that saw Knee, Graham, Carney and Haddow all involved. The final word belonged to Haddow who drilled in a rising shot from the edge of the penalty area that cleared the angle of crossbar and post and that was that. Another three points for the Hornets who now travel to Carshalton Athletic on Monday looking to make it four successive league wins at the start of a season for the first time since 1991/2.

NEXT MATCH: v Carshalton Athletic (a) Monday 25th August ko 3.00pm