HORSHAM SQUAD

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Jack Reeves

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Goalscorers

 Hove Park Colts 8 HORSHAM 4

Sunday 11th December 2011

Sussex County Cup 3rd round

Horsham were dumped out of the County Cup at the hands of Hove Park Colts on Sunday. The wind was strong and the pitch muddy and sticky and Horsham started with the wind against them. Early pressure from the home side took its toll with a penalty given to the hosts in the 3rd minute. Keeper Kieran Wootton managed to get a hand to it but couldn’t make the save and Horsham were trailing.

Horsham bounced back with a break down the right, after some good work by Harry Batchelor who found Tom Summerfield, but the Hove defence dealt with the danger. However, it was 2-0 after 14 minutes with the goal coming from a corner and blown directly in by the wind, then a flurry of goals followed. 3-0 only 3 minutes later after a good strike on the turn low into the far corner from outside the area, 4-0 from a long range volley 5 minutes later, and 5-0 after a further few minutes from a curled in free-kick.

The lads were looking rather stunned but managed to hit back after a good interception from Summerfield, who drove forward to find Liam Clarke who lofted the ball to Nick Bristow and he finished. Clarke followed up with a goal shortly after, coming from a throw in to Bristow who released Clarke and his first time shot rifled home to give the lads some hope going into half time.

H/T Hove Park Colts 5 Horsham 2

However, it was Hove who opened the second half scoring from a free-kick, lofted over ‘keeper Wootton’s head, to return their advantage to four goals. Horsham then came close from a corner with Ali Kerr making a good near post run but his flicked shot was saved by the Hove ‘keeper who got down quickly to save at his feet. Play continued with both sides battling with each other and the conditions and Horsham earned another corner, this time floated to the back post and nodded firmly back across the goal and in by Lewis Reeves to bring the lads back to 6 – 3.

Both teams were trying hard to get some passing moves going through the mud and Horsham were soon back to 6–4 with a great goal from Clarke after Louis Lewis worked the ball through to him and he chested down, returned the ball to Hugo Cowan and Cowan chipped over the defence back to Clarke who turned and shot to score. This was a tense time with both teams knowing that the next goal was going to be crucial with still 15 minutes on the clock.

Horsham had a justified appeal for a penalty turned down after Clarke had been tugged around by his arm then upended but nothing was given and it was Hove who struck on 63 minutes with a long range effort right into the corner low and hard and time was running out for any come back. Hove sealed the win with another long ranger after a break down their left and Horsham paid the price again for conceding early on. The boys did well to keep on pushing at 5-0 down to come back to 6-4 but a 5 goal deficit is a lot to ask.