Hornets unbeaten run extended after draw with Carshalton

In a frantically passed game from the off both keepers were kept busy with chances flying in from either end. The Hornets found themselves penned back in their own half for the opening ten minutes with chances falling to Carshalton’s Kingsley Aikhionbare and Mickel Miller but both screwed shots wide of the target.

Ross Morley lifted a delightful ball over the top of the Carshalton back four moments later and a nervy header from Adriano Moraes back to his keeper slipped in hornets striker Jamie Ampleford who was denied by the leg of an on rushing Jack Eden in the Carshalton goal.

Carshalton’s Tommy Bradford then headed a good chance wide before Gareth Williams, in front of ex-Horsham keeper and workmate Paul Seuke, kept the Hornets level at the break, tipping over a long range another effort from Bradford.

Last weekends man of the match Williams was kept busy again in the second half, making saves from Bradford and acrobatically palming away another long range effort from Carshalton right back Sean O’Toole.

The Hornets created chances of their own with Junior Kaffo and Tom Gilbert both heading set pieces wide of the target. Horsham created a final chance late on when substitute Max Miller found himself one on one with Eden but his tame effort was saved by the gloves of the Carshalton keeper. The point leaves Horsham still sitting in the bottom three but means the Hornets are unbeaten in their last four games and have recorded their second consecutive clean sheet.

Player manager Gary Charman missed the game due to illness leaving coaches Ian Varley and Mark Hawthorne in charge of the side.

Varley said: “I thought it was a good performance. In the first half they started very quick and were very lively up-front.

“I think that’s the game we have been in the most control of all this season against probably the best team we have played.

“I am happy with the point I they would probably say the same I think it was a fair result both teams had chances.”

Horsham head to 13th place Herne Bay at the weekend and Varley says confidence is high in the team. He said: “We are confident, that’s four unbeaten now. Defensively that’s two clean sheets in a row so we will go into the game at Herne Bay with lots of confidence.

“Maybe we need to work on a few things going forward but saying that I think we created a lot of chances it is probably over a 90 minutes that’s the best we have played.

“Unbeaten runs in this league breathes a bit of confidence, especially to come back from three defeats to be unbeaten in four. Gary will be happy.”

Varley believes that Charman should be back on Saturday to face Herne Bay and may even return to training again on Thursday for the Hornets.

HORNETS: Gareth Williams, Lewis Hamilton, Billy-Joe King, Junior Kaffo, Tom Gilbert, Kieron Tarbie, Ross Morley, Tony Nwachukwu, Jamie Ampleford, Jamie Cade, Harry Smith (Miller,77)