HORSHAM SQUAD

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Alfie Carter

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Jack Reeves

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Goalscorers

 Hangleton Rangers 2 HORSHAM 3

Sunday 27th November 2011

Sussex Sunday Youth League

The conditions were bright in Hangleton and good for blowing away the cobwebs in today's Sussex Sunday Youth League meeting.

Horsham kicked off playing with the wind and created an early chance for Ali Kerr after only 50 seconds after he had come in at the back post unmarked and it could have easily been 1-0 with his left footed strike but he put it just wide. Liam Clarke followed this up only 40 seconds later but again the opportunity went begging and we all hoped it wasn’t going to be one of those days.

Hangleton settled down and began to create some problems for the Horsham back four with their front men showing some good understanding, combined with pace and strength. However, they found Tom Summerfield in very good form and Horsham were to depend on him to break up several Hangleton attacks.

Fifteen minutes gone and Louis Lewis tried a long ranger with the wind keeping his shot low, whistling just past the outside of the post. Hangleton pressured back, earning themselves a corner which was floated in deep and headed firmly down for them to take the lead after 22 minutes.

They continued to press and, having gone through Horsham’s defence, they appeared clean through until Summerfield sped in, timing his sliding tackle to perfection inside Horsham’s penalty area to snuff out the danger. Horsham were trying to claw themselves back and Hugo Cowan fed a lovely defence splitting ball through to Clarke but his well hit shot was brilliantly saved by the Hangleton stopper. Clarke thought he was going to score shortly after, following a massive wind-assisted clearance by Summerfield which Clarke chased, and the Hangleton ‘keeper dashed off his line, completely missing his kick but the wind carried the ball all the way through for a goal kick.

Half time approached and Hangleton broke down Horsham’s left and crossed the ball in and their striker headed home for them to take a two goal lead into the break, leaving the young Hornets with some work to do in the second half.

H/T Hangleton Rangers 2 Horsham 0

Horsham made just the one change, with Dan Cusdin coming on and Louis Lewis off, and adjusted themselves to the change in direction into the wind for this half. This seemed to help as the Horsham back line fed the ball from Summerfield to Lewis Reeves to Alfie Carter and his ball over the top held nicely in the wind for Finn Bigg to latch onto. He put in his cross, cut back to the oncoming Kerr who unleashed his shot firm, but high, and just outside the top corner. Bigg was again provider shortly after but his cross was just behind Clarke who couldn’t twist back and make his header with any power though he did well to even connect with the ball.

Bigg was causing all sorts of problems for the Hangleton left back who didn’t know which way Bigg was going to take him next. A more selfish approach took Bigg into the box where he cut back onto his left and drove the ball past the ‘keeper and two defenders on the line from close range to give Horsham the life-line they needed after four minutes of this half.

Horsham pressed and won a corner, taken long by Bigg, finding Cusdin who ghosted in at the back post but his crashing header was high and just over. Hangleton bounced back but still found Summerfield on his game as he intercepted and passed to Clarke who knocked it to Bigg in the centre, and he beat his man and scored despite the goalkeeper managing to get a hand to it to bring Horsham back on level terms. Horsham made more changes to keep the opposition guessing with Charlie Belton, George Matthews and Louis Lewes now re-joining the field of play. Lewis’ impact was fairly immediate and with encouragement from his team mates he went on a run through the middle, his momentum taking him all the way for him to finish with a neat chip over the advancing ‘keeper to put Horsham ahead.

There were still twelve minutes on the clock and plenty of time for an equaliser and Hangleton were passing the ball around well. Several interchanges and nice flicked passes created breaks down the wings on both sides but Horsham ‘keeper, Kieran Wootton, gathered crosses safely each time.
Horsham continued to push for another, never content to see out a game by sitting back, and with 2 minutes left George Matthews, Kerr and Clarke combined well but Clarke’s shot rifled just past the post. This was enough and Hangleton were beaten with a great comeback from the lads having gone behind in a game for the first time this season.