HORSHAM 1 Stevenage Borough 4
A2B Stadium, Woodside Road, Worthing
Attendance: 641
Wednesday 29th October 2008
FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round Replay
Referee: Marvin Thompson

HORSHAM

STEVENAGE BOROUGH

1 Paul Seuke
2 Tom Graves (Page,67)
3 Mark Knee 
4 Anthony Acheampong
5 Russell Eldridge
6 Lee Carney (Nwachukwu,84)
7 Jacob Mingle
8 Gary Charman (Carey,77)
9 Lee Farrell
10 Jean-Michel Sigere
11 Alex Haddow
Subs:
12 Lee Carey
13 Evan Archibald 
14 Andy Howard
15 Ian Payne
16 Tony Nwachukwu
17 Rob Frankland
18 Jack Page

Goalscorers:
Carney (33)
 

16 Chris Day
3 Scott Laird (Vincenti,45)
4 Eddie Anaclet
6 Mark Albrighton
7 Anthony Thomas (Willock,61)
8 Gary Mills
13 Daryl McMahon
20 Steve Morison
23 Andy Drury (Oliver,90)
24 Michael Bostwick
25 Ronnie Henry
Subs:
1 Ashley Bayes
2 Lawrie Wilson
5 Luke Oliver
15 John Martin
19 Calum Willock
26 Liam McDevitt
30 Peter Vincenti

Goalscorers:
McMahon (73)
Willock (75,90+3)
Morison (90)

Reporter: Mark Wells
Photographs: John Lines
Match highlights: here

Horsham's hopes of a dream tie at Leicester City were ended as Stevenage Borough's superior fitness saw them score four times in a devastating final twenty minutes after Lee Carney had shocked the Blue Square Premier side by giving the hosts a 33rd minute lead. The majority of Woodside Road's biggest crowd of the season were left stunned after two goals in two minutes, the second a controversial one from the Hornets' point of view, swung this Fourth Qualifying Round tie in the visitors' favour before the full-timers gave the scoreline a flattering look with two more goals in injury time.

John Maggs' side had caused something of an upset by holding the Conference 'giants' to a 2-2 draw at Broadhall Way on Saturday but no-one was under any illusions as to the difficulty of the task awaiting the Hornets in this replay with the incentive of a money-spinning trip to the Walkers Stadium merely adding to the visitors' determination to succeed at the second time of asking. Having rested a number of key players for Saturday's tie, Boro' boss Graham Westley made 3 changes to his starting XI with Anthony Thomas, Gary Mills and Ronnie Henry selected ahead of Luke Oliver, John Martin and Mitchell Cole while Horsham remained unchanged. An injury to Stevenage's Lawrie Wilson during the pre-match warm up saw the defender's late withdrawal with Saturday's goalscoring hero, Scott Laird, taking his place.

The match kicked-off with supporters still filing through the turnstiles, several of whom had mistakenly travelled to Horsham only to be directed down the A24 after frantic 'phone calls to the club, but although the attendance was some way below the anticipated four figure crowd the atmosphere was soon building up and the home fans were in fine voice by the time Andy Drury cracked a shot high over Paul Seuke's crossbar. A misunderstanding between Tom Graves and Tony Acheampong should have presented Stevenage with the game's opening goal on 6 minutes but Thomas' shot was weak and gave the Horsham 'keeper a comfortable first save.

Boro's goal came under attack with a couple of free-kicks, both efforts falling to Jean-Michel Sigere who saw his first header deflected just past the post and the second sail over the crossbar when unmarked, but it was enough to encourage the home fans who cranked up the volume another notch. Daryl McMahon then had a couple of chances to give the visitors the advantage but both lacked conviction before Lee Farrell had the game's first real effort on goal, forcing Chris Day in to a save after being put through by Sigere.

It was Horsham who were now dictating the match and Day showed a safe pair of hands after a towering leap from Gary Charman had seen him get on the end of Carney's terrific cross. Laird was booked for a mistimed lunge on Tom Graves that riled the home dugout before a similarly wild kick by Carney saw the ball clear the houses behind Day's goal after another promising Horsham move. But it was a more composed finish from Carney that was to give the hosts the lead when Mark Knee led a counter-attack and Carney (right) drilled the ball home from the edge of the box after Sigere had dummied Alex Haddow's low cross.

Stevenage should have levelled, 5 minutes later, when Laird attacked down the left and sent a dangerous ball in to the box but Thomas could only put the ball wide and the visitors' number 7 was off target again when he was at the end of Boro's best move of the game only to find the side netting. Seuke's goal escaped again before the break when Drury put the ball over the top from 6 yards before the Hornets left the field to a standing ovation, with just 45 minutes to survive before taking their place in the First Round.

H/T Horsham 1 Stevenage Borough 0

A half-time substitution from the visitors saw Laird replaced by Peter Vincenti and, for a while, you wondered if Laird had actually left the pitch as the Conference side began to find their gear with the Hornets struggling to put any decent passing movements together. Just 3 minutes had elapsed when leading scorer Steve Morison collected a long clearance and drifted a shot just wide of the far post and the England 'C' international went closer still on 53 minutes when he saw his header cannon back off the crossbar.

Michael Bostwick was next to threaten, shooting wide from distance, and it looked as if Stevenage's profligacy would contribute to a famous night for the Hornets. The outstanding Knee was proving an impenetrable force at left-back, breaking down attacks with impressive regularity, but his team-mates were visibly relinquishing their grip on the game and the introduction of Willock for Thomas after an hour was to prove decisive.

The visitors should have equalised when a weak free-kick, given against Graves, was stood up at the far post by Drury but Mark Albrighton headed wide with the travelling fans preparing to celebrate the goal. Maggs countered the threat of the pacy Willock by sending on Jack Page for Graves but, within 7 minutes, Horsham were behind. Morison held off the attentions of Carney to pick out McMahon on the edge of the penalty area and a neat sidestep gave him the space to shoot past Seuke for the inevitable equaliser.

It was clear that Horsham's tiring players were going to have to dig deep if they were going to get any reward for their endeavours but they were dealt a controversial blow straight from the kick-off. Play was allowed to continue, despite Mingle appearing to have been fouled inside the centre-circle, and McMahon clipped over a cross that Seuke could only touch on to the 'bar to give Willock the simple task of nodding the ball in to the empty net.

Maggs replaced the struggling Charman with Lee Carey but Stevenage remained in the ascendancy and Acheampong had to be at his best to stop a swift attack by Eddie Anaclet before Horsham briefly threatened an equaliser when Bostwick was cautioned for a foul on Haddow and Carney returned the free-kick in to the area where Mingle headed over when well placed. 

Page has made a reputation for last-ditch clearances this season and he was in the right place again to clear Willock's shot off the line and only the linesman's flag saved Horsham when Morison barged Knee off the ball to bear down on goal, the Horsham man requiring treatment following the incident although it is more likely to have been for exhaustion rather than anything more serious !

Carney's injured groin was restricting his mobility and he was replaced by Tony Nwachukwu in one final throw of the dice but the youngster blotted his copybook somewhat, petulantly kicking the ball at a cameraman after being denied what looked to be a clear corner-kick. Haddow's cross found Acheampong inside the box but the defender was unable to get the desired strength or direction on his header and, with the final whistle looming, Stevenage scored a cruel third goal when Carey's misplaced pass sent Willock on his way, outpacing Page to square the ball back for the unmarked Morison to sidefoot home to put the result beyond doubt.

Sigere had one further chance to pull a goal back but he scuffed a late volley and Willock rubbed salt in to the wounds with the final kick of the game when he converted Morison's inviting pass to give the scoreline a rather on-sided look.

NEXT MATCH: v Cray Wanderers (h) Saturday 1st November ko 3pm