Ringmer 1 HORSHAM 2
The Caburn Ground, Ringmer
Attendance: 99
Tuesday 21st October 2008
Sussex Senior Cup 2nd Round
Referee: Philip Nicholas

RINGMER

HORSHAM

1 Joe Adams
2 Kieran Patel
3 Aaron Last
4 Alex Mikolay
5 Aaron Hassan
6 Ryan Macmillan
7 Jayson Sowter
8 David Altendorff (Brown)
9 Sam Sowter
10 Aaron Macmillan (Lee)
11 Joe Dryer (Finney)
Subs:
12 Craig Brown
13 Jordan Lee
14 Jo McTiffin
15 Elliott Finney
16 Josh Hawkes

Goalscorers:
Macmillan (9)

1 Paul Seuke
2 Ian Payne (Carey,65)
3 Mark Knee 
4 Tom Graves
5 Russell Eldridge
6 Michael Dale (Haddow 45)
7 Jacob Mingle
8 Tony Nwachukwu
9 Joey Collewijn (Sigere 45)
10 Lee Farrell
11 Gary Charman
Subs:
12 Jean-Michel Sigere
13 Alex Haddow
14 Lee Carey
15 Andy Howard
16 Evan Archibald
17 Rob Frankland

Goalscorers:
Farrell (68,82)

Reporter: Ben Tennant

A place in the third round of the Sussex Senior Cup, and no serious injuries, was all that manager John Maggs could have hoped for from his side's tricky looking visit to Ringmer and that's exactly what he got, thanks to a brace of goals from in-form striker Lee Farrell. With an FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round tie just 5 days away, it was a much changed Hornets side who trailed their County League opponents for just under an hour, after Aaron Macmillan's 9th minute goal had given the Blues the lead, before Farrell took over, converting Tony Nwachukwu's cross to level on 68 minutes and then making the most of a late goalkeeping error to seal a fourth successive win for the Hornets with his fourth goal in three games.

Maggs made 6 changes to the side that started Sunday's match against Sittingbourne with the teenage trio of Nwachukwu, Michael Dale and Joey Collewijn making their first starts for the club alongside the returning Tom Graves, who had rejoined the club on a month's loan from Lewes the day before, and Gary Charman who was to play his first 90 minutes since early September. But anyone questioning the manager's commitment to this competition needed only take a look at the bench to see the line up of 'big guns' in reserve; Jean-Michel Sigere, Alex Haddow and Evan Archibald all on standby, should the need arise.

On a tight pitch at the Caburn, it was the hosts who had the first shot of the game after 6 minutes when Joe Dryer sent his effort high over the crossbar but the opening goal wasn't long in coming when a weak back pass from Jacob Mingle let in Aaron Macmillan and, with the exposed Paul Seuke deciding against a challenge that might have seen his costly dismissal for taking the Ringmer man down inside the penalty area, Macmillan calmly sidestepped  the goalkeeper to put the ball into an empty net.

Much of the first half saw a poor performance from Horsham where they never really troubled the 'keeper and were restricted to shots out side the box. Dale sent a couple of efforts off target, the best of which came when a cross from Payne was headed out by the Ringmer defence that Dale smashed wide but Horsham couldn’t really keep the ball long enough to mount a decent attack on goal. Nwachukwu should have levelled things up when Charman slid him in on goal but, caught in two minds, and one on one with Joe Adams in the home goal he pushed the ball past the far post with his left foot when he really should have scored.

Mingle, Aaron Macmillan and Collewijn all failed to truly trouble the respective goalkeepers in the remainder of an opening half in which the Hornets struggled to find their rhythmn and could have had few complaints at turning around 1-0 in arrears at the interval.

H/T Ringmer 1 – 0 Horsham

The second half was a much different story with the introduction of Sigere and Haddow, for Collewijn and the injured Dale, giving Horsham a much needed boost. However, the visitors' task would have been all the more difficult had Macmillan not spurned an opportunity to double his side's lead, just 10 minutes after the restart, when Graves was adjudged to have fouled the Ringmer goalscorer but, to the relief of the few hardy souls who had made the journey up from West Sussex, Macmillan placed his shot wide from the penalty spot and Seuke’s goal was never really troubled again for the remainder of the tie.

Horsham’s first chance of the half fell to Nwachukwu when he beat the 'keeper to the ball and flicked it past him but, with his earlier miss with his left foot undoubtedly playing on his mind, he tried to side foot the ball into the empty net with his right but could only find the side netting. Horsham were now fully in control of the game, despite being a goal down, and their constant pressure would soon reward them with a goal. Nwachukwu, determined to prove himself after his earlier miss, once again took on the full-back and crossed for Farrell to volley under Adams from 6 yards, an effort that perhaps really should have been saved.

Horsham were now mounting constant attacks and Lee Carey, a replacement for Ian Payne, saw his free-kick headed over the bar by Charman. Another Carey cross found Sigere who held up the ball in the box, lost his marker and took a shot on goal which the keeper parried and Charman’s header from the rebound hit the crossbar.

Horsham's winning goal came when a poor goal-kick was latched onto by Farrell who broke clear of the defence and, although the 'keeper came to smother the ball, Farrell checked back and placed the ball in the far corner in the closing minutes of the game.

In the end the win was quite comfortable in a match that Horsham could have won by a much more convincing margin. Gary Charman coming through a full 90 minutes unscathed will be a huge boost for the side with the big FA Cup tie looming and the introduction of Tom Graves will also sure up the defence.

NEXT MATCH: v Stevenage Borough (a) Saturday 25th October ko 3pm