Match report sponsored by: "The songs of Madness"

It’s a tough ask to play your first competitive game of the season in the FA Youth Cup but both teams went one step beyond last night in a match that saw Horsham run out as deserved 4-1 winners.

As the teams took the field the first thing that became apparent was that there is no end to the colours football boots are made in. Both teams supported attire that, at times, was an embarrassment - anybody who thinks pink and purple is a good combination is simply as mad as Tarzans nuts.

The match kicked off with Chertsey attacking the away end where the houses have manicured lawns for picnic happy summer days – the fair crowd, however, were massed in the main stand or on that side of the pitch and it was good to see the Horsham first team manager, coach, and Chairman all in evidence. They saw the young Horsham team take the early initiative with some good link up play between the middle of the pitch, led by captain and one man human dynamo Joss Knowles, through to Josh Clack and Max Love up front. Clack created the first chances that fell Horsham’s way as his good hold up play and deliveries from the right hand side led to a headed chance by Marcus Collier and a good saving tackle by Chertsey’s central defender, Jack Leighton.

All the earlier Horsham play, however, was undone by the first chance that Chertsey had as the ball broke kindly to Peter Chadwick inside the area and he fired a shot past Cieran Towse in the Horsham goal to give Chertsey an early 1-0 lead with just 8 minutes showing on the reporter's Timex.

Horsham continued to take the play to their older and, it seemed, physically larger opponents however it was Chertsey who nearly, and maybe did, score next. A close range header from a free kick on 15 minutes was clawed away by the Horsham 'keeper and, despite the odd appeal, the ref waved play on. As with fat Frank in the world Cup, your initial feeling with these “over the goal line” claims are usually right and it did look in. A close escape.

In all fairness that was almost the last chance that Chertsey created in the entire match as the neat passing football and speed of thought by the Horsham youngsters took over. It was a pleasure to watch the way they mixed the game up with the flair of the two up front, the trickery of Collier, the overlapping of Dan Vinten (no wonder he seemed to suffer cramp in every muscle at some stage of the evening), the hard working midfield and strong central defence.

A loyal but anonymous fan was quoted as saying that whilst she “felt that the seats were uncomfortable, that she maybe needed a cosy toes to keep warm, that the PA system was rubbish, that her husband has a habit of dozing off during the second half, there was no doubt that the youngsters played with a tempo, a desire and a skill level that even the first team could learn from”. She wasn’t wrong!

Horsham’s continued pressure forced corner after corner, all of which led to nothing or went down a razor blade alley. On occasions a marauding run got them into the Chertsey penalty area but a pass too many led to a wasted opportunity but they couldn’t be faulted for the type of football being played. On 22 minutes, Love turned and fired in a shot which was cleared and then a few minutes later Collier had another chance but slightly over played it. On 35 minutes a free kick played in by Vinten was headed wide at the far post by Matthew Mayes and you felt that a goal was destined to arrive.

Further chances came and went until, in the 43rd minute, Horsham scored a deserved equaliser through Love. Knowles beat two players out wide, with a nice turn, and fired a dangerous ball across the front of goal where Love poked the ball home with either his left or right foot – I'm sure he would take it or leave it but the outcome was a goal to Horsham.

H/T Horsham 1 Chertsey Town 1

Chertsey made a change at the start of the second half and brought on George Pearce to try and sure up the defence but if anything Horsham went on to dominate the second half even more than they did the first. Chances were created on a regular basis and, while he didn’t score on the night, Clack was centrally involved in many of the good moves created. But it was to be his strike partner Love who was going to go on and claim the goal scoring plaudits but as a pairing they certainly work well come the sun and the rain.

On 50 minutes, he skewed one wide from a Clack delivery, on 52 minutes Horsham forced successive corners and three minutes later Love headed over from a central position inside the box when he should have at least hit the target and forced a save out of Dr Chinnery in the Chertsey goal.

A nice dummy by Mayes was bought by at least five Chertsey players, and I suspect three of them are still paying for it. He then had the composure to deliver a decent ball down the line which led to another Horsham chance.

On 60 minutes Horsham finally took the lead as a ball played through hit Vinten and broke to Love, just on the edge of the area, and he fired home with a first time effort to take his and Horsham’s tally on the night to two. Chertsey tried an audacious shot straight from the restart that sailed over the crossbar carried, as if by poetry, on the wings of a dove.

Two minutes later Horsham went into a 3-1 lead as a corner was headed straight at the ‘keeper by Clack and that man Love headed in the rebound for his hat trick. As the song goes all you need is love, love, love: love is all you need.

Further Horsham pressure arrived with a headed chance by Clack, a shot fired wide by Collier whilst up the other end Chertsey had a shot that was palmed up in the air by Towse in the Horsham goal, straight into the path of the Chertsey forward. With an open goal beckoning him he unfortunately slipped over and fell to the ground in a crumbled heap allowing the retreating Horsham defenders to clear the ball to safety.

At the other end Horsham sealed the game with a fourth as a driving run into the area led to a rash tackle and a clear penalty which was duly dispatched with a degree of aplomb by Collier.86 minutes played and 4-1 to Horsham. Game over.

Credit to Horsham for a great performance considering it was their first competitive game, for Chertsey maybe tomorrow’s just another day. For the majority of the watching crowd an enjoyable game with some fine football played in a competitive but fair manner. The only down side was for the match reporter who as hard as he tried just couldn’t get the return of the Los Palmas 7 into his match report. Oh he just did!