HORSHAM 4 Sittingbourne 2
A2B Stadium, Woodside Road, Worthing
Attendance: 199
Sunday 19th October 2008
Ryman League Premier Division

HORSHAM

SITTINGBOURNE

1.Paul Seuke
2.Ian Payne
3.Mark Knee
4.Andy Howard
5.Russell Eldridge
6.Lee Farrell
7.Lee Carney (Charman,50)
8.Lee Carey
9.Evan Archibald (Nwachukwu,72)
10.Jean-Michel Sigere
11.Alex Haddow
Subs:
12.Gary Charman
14.Joey Collewijn
15.Michael Dale
17.Tony Nwachukwu
17.Rob Frankland
Goalscorers:
Haddow (31)
Sigere (45)
Farrell (76)
Nwachukwu (90+4)

1.Matt Reed
2.Nick Reeves (Payne,39)
3.Joe Dowley
4.Jack Haverson
5.Ian Varley
6.Rio Alderton
7.Colin Richmond
8.Bryan Glover
9.Tom Bradbrook
10.Richard Brady (Kayembe,35)
11.Hicham Akhazzan
Subs:
12.Joe Horlock
14.Elie Kayembe
15.Billy Manners
16.Ben Payne
17.Dave Milton
Goalscorers:
Bradbrook (23)
Brady (24)

Reporter: Mark Wells
Photographs: John Lines

Horsham were made to fight all the way before collecting their winners cheque, and a place in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the FA Trophy, overturning a 2-0 deficit to run out 4-2 victors against Ryman Division One South visitors Sittingbourne.

The Brickies, unbeaten away from home this season, stunned their hosts by scoring twice inside two first half minutes before Alex Haddow halved the deficit and Jean-Michel Sigere volleyed home the equaliser on the stroke of half-time. Horsham lost Lee Carney early in the second half with a recurrence of his foot injury but that paved the way for the return of Gary Charman, himself having missed the last 7 matches through injury, and it was his header on 76 minutes that led to Lee Farrell putting the home side ahead for the first time in the match. The icing on the cake came in injury time when teenage substitute Tony Nwachukwu scored a debut goal, delighting the crowd with an acrobatic celebration.

John Maggs made two enforced changes to the side that had ended its 8 game winless league run during the week with a groin injury sidelining Jack Page, his place at full-back taken by the experienced Ian Payne, and Lee Carney replacing the suspended Jacob Mingle, while Charman was added to the squad for the first time in over 5 weeks. A troublesome groin also put paid to Sittingbourne skipper Pat Gradley's involvement but attacking midfielder Hicham Akhazzan had recovered from a calf strain and was included in the starting line-up.

Matt Reed suffered a nervous moment in the visitors' goal, spilling a long range shot from Haddow that almost dropped over the line, but chances were at a premium during the opening stages with Akhazzan bringing a save from Paul Seuke with the Brickies' first effort on goal after 22 minutes. Remarkably, a further two minutes' play saw the Kent side establish a two goal lead when, first, Tom Bradbrook followed up his midweek winner against Ashford Town by latching on to Richard Brady's pass to beat Seuke from inside the box and Bradbrook returned the compliment in Sittingbourne's next attack when he played the ball in behind Andy Howard for Brady to sidestep Seuke before knocking the ball in to the empty net.

The watching Stevenage manager Graham Westley is unlikely to have seen much to concern him ahead of next week's FA Cup tie but the hosts were given a lifeline on 31 minutes when Haddow's volley entered the net through a crowd of bodies, after Lee Carey's corner was only partially cleared, and the former Bognor man was denied a quickfire double of his own when a defender's boot deflected his shot over the crossbar following some good work from Farrell.

Seuke was fortunate not to concede his second penalty in 5 days when Bradbrook went down under the 'keeper's challenge with the award of a corner scant consolation for the Brickies' striker. Credit should be given to the visitors for continuing to take the game to their Premier Division opponents and Westley would have taken pleasure out of the Hornets' less than convincing defending. But the Brickies were unable to add to their tally before the break and they were made to pay on the stroke of half-time when the growing partnership between Haddow and Mark Knee down the Horsham left proved effective once again with Sigere volleying Knee's cross past Reed to level the scores.

H/T Horsham 2 Sittingbourne 2

Just 5 minutes had lapsed in the second half when the struggling Carney made way for Charman but it was the visitors who made the brighter start with substitute Elie Kayembe and Akhazzan forcing Seuke in to saves and Bradbrook completely missed the ball when looking set to restore the Brickies' lead on the hour.

Having fought their way back in to the game, the Hornets were in danger of losing the initiative and Maggs reacted by sending on pacy teenage striker Tony Nwachukwu in place of the subdued Evan Archibald and, 4 minutes later, the home side took the lead for the first time in the game. A long free-kick from Howard saw the ball delivered from box to box and Charman's aerial prowess found him stealing in front of Reed to head across goal for Farrell to nod home his second goal of the week.

The visitors refused to surrender, though, and Payne was booked for obstructing Kayembe and Nick Reeves' flick, from the resulting free-kick, called for a save from Seuke. The Horsham skipper's opposite number reacted brilliantly to produce a diving save to keep Nwachukwu at bay, after Charman and Sigere had combined well, but the youngster wasn't to be denied when, with the game deep in to injury time, the debutant buried the rebound after Carey's shot was parried before celebrating with his trademark acrobatics.

This was a far from polished performance from Horsham who know they must tighten up in defence if they are to take anything from the visit to Stevenage Borough next weekend but a third win in a row will do much to restore the side's confidence after a tough couple of months.

NEXT MATCH: v Ringmer (a) Tuesday 21st October ko 7.15pm