Horsham YMCA v Ashford Town. Ryman Division One South. 5th of January 2008.

Horsham YMCA 1 Ashford Town 2
from Your Milton Keynes Correspondent

After strangely contrasting performances in their previous two games – an excellent display against a very strong Dover side on Boxing Day, and then a rather tepid performance in a poor game at Sittingbourne – Ashford travelled to Horsham YMCA for their first game of 2008. Maybe the contrast between the Dover and Sittingbourne performance wasn’t so odd – with Dover also following up their Boxing Day victory with a very under-par showing at home, three days later, to Whitstable, after which they were a little fortunate to emerge with a draw, I’m inclined to think that the mental and physical effort expended in a local derby, on what is becoming a notoriously energy-sapping Homelands pitch, left both sets of players drained for the next game.

Still, there would be no excuses this afternoon, against second-bottom Horsham YMCA, after a full week’s break. This might, however, have been a potentially trappy fixture, since, in spite of finding themselves in the relegation zone this morning, our hosts had been collecting points fairly regularly – eleven from their previous eight games, including a crucial 2-1 victory at home to Eastbourne Town in a relegation six-pointer last Saturday.

Horsham YMCA should not be confused with Horsham FC – the Ryman Premier Division outfit that has recently achieved TV fame during an FA Cup run that saw them progress as far as a Second Round Replay away at Third Division Swansea City. Coincidentally, today was FA Cup Third Round day, and Horsham would have been at home to Havant & Waterlooville if they’d managed to squeeze past Swansea – instead, they had a league game, away from home, this afternoon.

The two Horsham grounds are actually adjacent to each other, with the yellow & green main stand of Horsham FC clearly visible through the trees from Goring’s Mead, the scene of today’s entertainment. The ground takes its name from the small residential cul-de-sac at the end of which it is located. Although Horsham YMCA is the older of the two clubs, (it was founded in 1898, and made Goring’s Mead its home in 1929), it is definitely the more limited in scope. Everything is tightly hemmed in within a perimeter fence consisting of green wire mesh affixed to two steel rails. Space is particularly tight behind each goal, with special narrow goals allowing just about enough room for spectators to stand two-deep. (Ashford had a “Kop” of eight people behind the Ashford goal this afternoon). As with most other grounds of the newly-promoted clubs in Ryman Division One South – Chipstead and Walton Casuals spring to mind – Gorings Mead has not much more than the minimum requirements for achieving Ryman League status, with the smallish Victor Gladwish Stand providing the only formal accommodation for spectators. (It’s the stand which is smallish, not Victor Gladwish – he’s quite a tall bloke).

[ As always, I describe the ground in these terms purely in the interests of setting the scene for today’s game, and the remarks are not intended to be disparaging to a Club which has obviously put a lot of resources and effort into bringing its facilities up to Ryman League standards. This is the second season at this level for this very friendly club, and I’d like to think that it will avoid a relegation, at the end of the season, which would see these efforts largely go to waste. ]

The team news today confirmed that, in a world of foreign coaches rotating and tinkering with their squad, Steve Lovell, the Welsh Wizard, values the commodity of continuity, and he announced an unchanged side for the third consecutive game. Unfortunately, these best-laid plans were thwarted when goalkeeper Jamie Riley injured his knee during the warm-up, meaning that Sam Moore stepped in to keep goal in front of an increasingly familiar line-up: Nicky Humphrey, Sean Ray (Skipper), Lee Hockey and Daniel Brathwaite at the back; Mitchell Sherwood, Ryan Briggs, Nick Barnes and Jimmy Bottle in midfield; Paul Jones and Mark Lovell up front. This was nominally a 4-4-2 set-up, but the shape was decidedly 4-2-4 when we had the ball. Tony Browne, Danny Lye, Walid Matata, Rob Denness and Jamie Riley made up a very talented bench, whilst Lee Spiller joined them in the kick-about before the match and at half time; (but it’s hard to see where Spills will fit in when he gets fit, with Barnes and Briggs once again looking to be a strong partnership in central midfield today).

Of those who play for the other side, it was noticeable that YMCA only named three substitutes; the fact that there were just the three bums on the seats suggested that they might be a bit short of men today.

Before the game kicked off, on a mercifully relatively mild afternoon (but try telling that to a “freezing” Mrs Milton Keynes Correspondent), there was a brief ceremony, as YM’s Manager John Suter was presented with the November Team Performance Award for Division One South – this was for his team’s 4-3 victory over Folkestone Invicta in the Isthmian League Cup.

In spite of our yellow-clad heroes indulging in a fashionable “huddle” before kick-off, Ashford failed to create anything of note in the first ten minutes of play. There were a few attempted through-balls and final-third passes from our boys during this time, but all were woefully inaccurate, and merely resulted in a loss of possession. Our hosts, on the other hand, who played in a new strip for this season, of white shirts, black shorts and red sockies – and not pink and brown, as one wag would have it – started at a decent tempo, and fashioned a half-chance as early as the third minute. Right-back Dean Carden’s cross from the right was headed clear, but the ball fell to James Grant, whose weak volley from outside the area went well wide of goal.

Ashford’s first sight of goal didn’t come until the 13th minute, when a deep cross from the right by Mitch Sherwood looked to be floating out of play for a goal-kick, but Jimmy Bottle managed to keep the ball in, from beyond the far post; he headed it back for Nick Barnes, in the centre, but Nick’s weak header went tamely to Chris Winterton, in the Horsham YMCA goal.

YM took the lead in the 18th minute, and there was a hint of controversy about the goal. As the ball was crossed from the right wing, there was (at the very least) a collision between Nicky Humphrey and a YMCA forward, which allowed the ball to continue all the way to left-winger James Grant. Most people at the ground, (and certainly those wearing green & white colours), interpreted this as a shoulder charge off the ball, and awaited the referee’s whistle, but young Danny Austin, the Man in Black, waved play on, and the impressive Grant duly drilled a low shot into the far corner of the net. This wasn’t a great start for Sam Moore, in the Ashford goal, who had received an unexpected call-up to the first team. The goal apart, however, Sam’s handling and general performance this afternoon was pretty good, but his kicking was often dodgy – and, as stated in past match reports, he’s yet to convince me that he has as much ability as a shot-stopper as, say, Jake Whincup, (as a random example).

The set-back of conceding an early goal had the effect of raising Ashford’s game, after a fairly sloppy start. In the 21st minute, Paul Jones won a corner, near the corner flag, on the right – which was greeted with ironic cheers (you know the sort I mean) from the Ashford contingent behind the goal, who clearly thought that the home side had been getting the rub of Mr Austin’s decisions. The kick was taken, left-footed and in-swinging, by Daniel Brathwaite, but goalkeeper Winterton got up well to finger-tip the ball behind for another corner, this time on the other side. With Brathwaite taking Ashford’s corners on the right, Nick Barnes was entrusted with corners on the left, swinging the ball in from this side with his right foot. On this occasion, Lee Hockey got up well with a header, but his effort went wide, taking a deflection off another Ashford player on its way through. By the 24th minute, Ashford were beginning to get into their stride, and a good move ended with the ball being put out for a corner, on the left. Again Nick Barnes swung the ball in, and Lee Hockey rose to meet the ball, but it just would not “sit” for an Ashford player, and was cleared. [ Was it just a coincidence that, when we drafted two players in from Sittingbourne, one should look like Robin Hood, and the other should be called Sherwood ? ]

In the 26th minute, YMCA’s best player, James Grant, got to the by-line, with the aid of a good one-two, and managed to pull a dangerous ball back, but Daniel Brathwaite was there to clear his lines, from inside his own six-yard box. At the other end, two minutes later, Jimmy Bottle was adjudged to have been fouled by Richard Greenfield, but Nick Barnes’s curling free-kick went beyond the far post, and out for a goal-kick.

In the 29th minute, the home side very nearly went 2-0 in front. Greenfield had the ball on the right wing, and, in spite of being faced by Daniel Brathwaite, put in a good cross; giant centre-forward Ali Russell came charging in, and put a bullet-like header just wide of goal. Sam Moore wouldn’t have seen it if it had been on target, let alone stop it ! Soon after, the end-to-end nature of the game continued, with Jimmy Bottle winning another corner, on the left. All the big boys went up for this, but Nick Barnes’s cross failed to find a man in a yellow shirt, and the ball was cleared.

It was at about the half-hour mark that Mitch Sherwood and Jimmy Bottle swapped sides, and they stayed on the left and right, respectively, until both were substituted, separately, in the second half. Jimmy actually had a great chance to score, in the 40th minute, and the opportunity was set up by the hard-working Paul Jones. Jonah showed tremendous quality in whatever he did today – holding the ball up, bringing others into the game, turning and beating his marker, with only his finishing having room for improvement – and on this occasion his measured through-ball gave Jimmy, coming in from the right, a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper. Jimmy was close to the by-line, so the angle was a tight one, but Chris Winterton in any case came out to save well with his feet. Seconds later, Jones put a similar ball through for Mark Lovell to run on to, but this time there was a little too much pace on the ball, and it went through to the ‘keeper.

Ashford’s final chance of the half came with 45 minutes up, on my watch. This was a Ryan Briggs shot from outside the penalty area, but this was always going over the bar. So the boys went in for tea and fairy cakes at half time with the score at 1-0 to our hosts, with some improvement required.

It’s fair to say that this improvement was duly delivered in the second half, and a much better performance from Ashford after the interval gave them what was probably a deserved victory, but the match really could have swung either way, and The Yellows were very nearly punished for a dozy start to the half. Within seconds of the restart, Ali Russell found himself with the ball at his feet, just outside the Ashford penalty area, and given plenty of time in which to decide what to do with it. Russell played an excellent diagonal ball inside the right-back, for James Grant, but Grant stabbed the ball just wide of the post.

Having survived this scare, Ashford started to assert themselves as an attacking force. In the 47th minute, Mark Lovell ran onto a ball over the top of the Horsham YMCA defence – there was no flag. Mark had time to consider his options, and cut the ball back to Paul Jones, whose shot was deflected over the bar by the leg of a defender. From the resulting in-swinging corner, from the right, Sean Ray got up well to meet the ball with his head, almost under the YMCA cross-bar, but could do no more than head the ball over. Two minutes later, another ball over the home defence was latched onto by Paul Jones, who showed great strength and skill to then turn inside his man (Martyn Flack), but his firm, right-footed shot was well saved by Winterton. Shortly after, Winterton, playing in his eighth game for YM, was in action again, as he saved a Sean Ray header at his near post, after a cross had come in from the left.

Ashford’s persistence paid off, after just seven second-half minutes. Jimmy Bottle did some good work on the right, cutting inside and into the YMCA area, before pulling the ball back to Ryan Briggs. Ryan transferred the ball onto his left foot, and then saw his shot deflected behind, for a corner, on the right. Skipper Sean Ray again got up well, to meet Daniel Brathwaite’s cross, and this time he found the back of the net, to score his first goal in Ashford colours.

From here on, both sides pressed forward in search of the three points, and, as previously noted, the match could have gone either way. There was certainly not as much between the sides as the respective wage-bills might suggest, and, on this showing, YMCA looked nothing like relegation candidates. In fact, they were considerably more impressive than some other sides I’ve seen this season from higher up in the league table – the likes of Leatherhead, Chatham and Sittingbourne immediately spring to mind. YM actually went close to regaining the lead almost immediately, in the 54th minute, and would have done, but for a good save by Sam Moore. A cross from the Horsham right found Ali Russell, in the centre, and he showed great strength to receive the ball, control it and hit it towards goal, from six yards out, but his effort was blocked by Sam Moore’s feet.

In the 56th minute, a Horsham corner on the right broke to James Grant, whose ambitious low shot from outside the area went wide. The left winger continued to be at the centre of the home side’s best work, and his cross, on the hour mark, led to an equally ambitious long-range volley from Andy Ottley, which also went wide. In between these two chances, Tom White had replaced Seb Kazemi, in the first substitution of the game, in the 58th minute.

The action continued at both ends of the pitch, and, in the 61st minute, Ryan Briggs, in the centre circle, sent Paul Jones off in pursuit of a through-ball in the inside-right channel. Jonah’s pace and strength got him to the ball first, but his attempted cross from the by-line was blocked. The resulting corner came to nowt. In the 65th minute, after another YMCA attack had broken down, Ashford had a chance to spring out of defence, and Nick Barnes released Jimmy Bottle down the right wing. Attacking at pace, Jimmy cut inside, to provide himself with a shooting chance, but he sliced his left-foot shot high and wide. Two minutes later, Paul Jones showed good control, and a good turn, when sending Jimmy off down the right again. Jimmy again cut inside, as is natural for a left-footer, and this time pulled the ball back to Jones, who steadied himself for a shot at goal from just outside the area – but there was to be no repeat of Boxing Day, as his firmly-hit strike went over the bar.

There was no time for Ashford to dwell on the missed opportunity, as, almost immediately, the YMCA was on the attack. A long ball found big Ali Russell – (it was quite an interesting physical contest between him and Sean Ray, I can tell you) – near the left corner of the Ashford penalty area. Russell’s knock-back found James Grant, who hit a great shot only just high and wide of the angle of the goal.

In the 69th minute, Steve Lovell made the first of three substitutions, putting Danny Lye on in place of Nick Barnes. I was actually quite surprised that Nick had started today, as he looked to have a very sore calf last Saturday, but he again looked good in central midfield – the strong man alongside play-maker Ryan Briggs. The Village People’s response was to replace Richard Greenfield with Tom Lyons, two minutes later. Then, in the 72nd minute, Walid Matata was sent on in place of Mitchell Sherwood, for Ashford, taking up a position wide on the left, with Jimmy Bottle remaining on the right.

The next Ashford chance came in the 73rd minute. A Nicky Humphrey throw-in found Mark Lovell, and the ex-Dover man played a one-two with Paul Jones, to give himself a shooting chance from an acute angle – but he completely miss-hit his shot, and the ball actually went out for a throw-in on the far side. Two minutes later, the YMCA defence, which was possibly tiring, gave the ball away to Walid Matata, presenting Ashford with a great opportunity. With plenty of options, and time in which to consider them all, Walid laid the ball off to Paul Jones, who in turn laid it off to Danny Lye, who was arriving fast, in the centre, but Danny could only sky the ball over the bar.

In the 76th minute, a long kick-out from Sam Moore made it all the way to the edge of the Horsham area, where it was picked up by Paul Jones. Jonah squared the ball to Walid Matata, whose quick feet nicked the ball inside a defender, and he was duly fouled, right on the line. This caused Mr Austin to produce the first yellow card of the afternoon. Ryan Briggs took responsibility for the free-kick, and went for power, hitting the ball hard, to the right of the wall, but also to the right of the post.

The visitors were gradually getting on top of YM, and, in the 79th minute, a good ball down the left flank from Daniel Brathwaite sent Paul Jones off on a run. Jonah was again very impressive with his pace, and got to the ball ahead of the Horsham defence. He then turned his man, getting the ball onto his favoured right foot, but he sliced his shot well wide. In the 83rd minute, the home side again gave the ball away in a dangerous position, and this time they were punished for it. The ball was immediately fed forward to Paul Jones, who beat one player, inside the penalty area, so giving himself just the goalkeeper to beat. Jonah elected to play a short, square pass to Mark Lovell, who knocked the ball in from about three yards. This was Mark’s fourth goal for Ashford – with two of them being late winners, away from home – and he could claim to be the Club’s top scorer this season, having already scored five for Dover.

The goal appeared to save Lovell from being substituted, as the Ashford bench had been poised with the No.10 card – but it was Jimmy Bottle who was the player to go off, with Rob Denness his replacement. Jimmy again looked dangerous with his pace in wide positions, but there wasn’t a great deal, in terms of crosses and chances created, in the “end product” column. Nevertheless, he rarely gave the ball away, and looks very much at home at this level, and can only improve from the extended run that he is having in the first team.

From this point, a third Ashford goal seemed more likely than a Horsham equaliser, and the home side were pinned back in their own half by three successive corners, each taken by Daniel Brathwaite, on the right. The first of these was won by Rob Denness, near the by-line, in the 85th minute – Sean Ray got up with the header, but it was deflected behind. The second was hit deep by Brathers, and went all the way through to Mark Lovell, whose shot flashed across the face of goal and beyond the far post. The third went straight to the feet of a defender, and was cleared – but valuable seconds had been used up.

In spite of Ashford’s eventual ascendancy, the result remained in the balance until the end, and YMCA created an excellent opportunity for themselves with just two minutes left of normal time. Shortly after Greg Palmer had replaced Alex Keaney, in YM’s final substitution, a ball over the top of the Ashford defence put James Grant through on goal. He squared the ball to Ali Russell, just inside the six-yard box, and we were grateful for a desperate saving tackle from Nicky Humphrey. There was barely time to breathe a sigh of relief, though, as Ashford soon broke out of defence – but the counter-attack was ended when Walid was tripped by Dean Carden, which earnt the YMCA right-back a yellow card. Daniel Brathwaite curled in the resulting free-kick, but this was punched clear by Chris Winterton.

The seconds ticked by, but, after losing out to a Sittingbourne equaliser in the 94th minute last Saturday – and there are many other recent examples of late equalisers that I could mention – nobody with a green & white heart was taking anything for granted. Horsham pressed forward in the 91st minute, and Sam Moore had to be alert to come off his line to intercept a through-ball – and received a kick on the thigh from a frustrated Ali Russell, for his trouble. This was a little bit naughty of the big striker, but he got away with a few stern words from the referee – as did Nicky Humphrey, for his protests.

As the game entered the 92nd minute, it was Ashford who were on the attack, with Rob Denness slipping the ball down the right touchline, for Paul Jones. Jonah’s run took him into the penalty-area, and a goal would have capped an excellent display from him this afternoon – but he opted for a square ball, which was cut out by YM skipper Glen Woodburn.

When Danny Austin finally blew the whistle to end the game there were one or two arms raised aloft by the Ashford players – on the face of it, a 1-2 victory against Horsham YMCA didn’t justify such a reaction, but it was good to see that this squad of players had enjoyed pulling together and coming from behind this afternoon, and I can see them doing nothing but improve as a unit during the second half of this season.

Paul Jones deservedly won the Man of the Match award this afternoon – but the decision wasn’t as much a shoo-in as some fellow observers had thought. Sean Ray was, as ever, a flawless rock in the centre of the defence, and the other lads in the back four all played well, (with Nicky Humphrey deserving to be mentioned in dispatches). It’s very pleasing to see the level of commitment from our ex-Dover players, in the wake of Clive Walker’s departure.

Our hosts will have been relieved to learn that Molesey also lost at home this afternoon, which keeps YM two points off the bottom. Unfortunately, the YMCA camp (no puns intended) will have been less pleased at the news that Walton Casuals won and Eastbourne Town got a point – so it’s likely to be uphill for our friends in Sussex from now on.

Man of the Match
(to go towards the Milton Keynes Bowl)
Paul Jones