The goals are back as Horsham YMCA thrash Newhaven

Horsham YMCA put their goalless draw in midweek behind them and restored goal scoring normality at Gorings Mead on Saturday, as they brushed aside newly promoted Newhaven 5-1, Tom Norris writes.
YM are unbeaten in six gamesYM are unbeaten in six games
YM are unbeaten in six games

A superb solo effort from Dave Brown and a brace apiece from Brad Curtis and Nick Sullivan shaped the scoring, although the victory was somewhat marred by the forced substitution of Curtis before half time with a thigh strain, a late Newhaven consolation and an even later missed Sullivan penalty.

Nonetheless, the victory lifts YM to fourth in the Division 1 table on goal difference, much of which is owed to their unbeaten home record. Peter Buckland’s side have won four and drawn one of their opening five league games at Gorings Mead, scoring 22 goals and conceding just two in the process.

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And the YM manager was certainly pleased with his side’s return to winning ways on Saturday. He said: “It was a much better performance today. We’ve just undone a half decent team, and in patches they looked like they could easily finish well into the top half of the league.

“I’ve been thinking for a long time about building this team and trying to get the right pegs in the right holes. The players carried out their instructions today. For the first half hour of the first half I just felt that we started to click and I felt comfortable. We are getting towards being a proper football team now.”

YM made the perfect start when a sweeping crossfield pass from Liam Hunter was latched onto by Brown and the tricky winger cut inside, before beating two men and rifling into the far corner after just nine minutes.

Hunter should have then scored himself as some great work and a cross from Curtis down the left was intelligently dummied by Adam Hutchings, but the midfielder could only tamely fire at Newhaven goalkeeper Jake Buss.

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Brown then saw a curled free kick from the edge of the area well kept out by the Dockers’ stopper, before two goals in four minutes all but secured the three points for the hosts before the game was even half an hour old.

YM’s second was an excellent team move, as Dan Evans fed Ashley Dugdale down the left flank and the skipper’s cross found Hutchings at the far post, who nodded the ball down for Curtis to drive home from 12 yards.

Curtis added his second of the afternoon moments later, after a threaded Hunter through ball freed the midfielder through the centre and he coolly rolled the ball past Buss in the Newhaven goal.

Curtis then felt a tweak in his thigh and was substituted five minutes before the break, before Matt Crane headed wide of the Dockers’ upright late on.

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YM were a little less fluent after the restart and it was a while before the second half sparked into life. It eventually did so when a Hutchings header released Brown and he unselfishly squared for Nick Sullivan to tap home from close range with half an hour left.

YM stopper Sam Smith was eventually called into action, and despite not having been asked to make a single save in the first half, and he stayed focussed to first deny Tyler Goatcher and the Lee Robinson from close range with his legs.

Greg Manton then headed just the wrong side of the far post as the Dockers registered their best period of the game.

However, YM were soon adding to the score line at the other end, when they broke away following a Newhaven corner and Sullivan rifled home his second after cutting in from the left.

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Newhaven did eventually notch a consolation through Dave Altendorff with five minutes left on the clock, before Sullivan spurned the chance to net a hat-trick as he saw an injury time penalty saved low to his left by Dockers ‘keeper Buss.

Buckland added: “I would love to have just swapped one of those goals today for Tuesday night and it would be another two points on the board, but after nine games we’re on 16 points and in good shape.”

“We’ve got a rest now. We’re carrying a lot of little niggling injuries amongst the squad, so we’ve got right through to next Saturday to put that right. In October last year we went ten games unbeaten and I reminded the players of that today. Let’s hope it happens again.”

YM (4-2-3-1): S. Smith, D. Sullivan, Burgess (Day 83), Crane, Evans (Gannon 68), Hutchings, Dugdale (c), Hunter, Curtis (Wood 38), Brown, N. Sullivan.

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