After the thrilling football that stunned Guernsey this was a scrappy and slow game where the home side were able to bring us down to their level as they rebuild following managerial and player upheaval. The pitch was a challenge for our style of football and as the first ten minutes came to an end we conceded a throw defending on the right. We never got a proper foot on the ball from the throw and eventually Horsham YM slid a ball through that was finished well and on 11mins it was 1-0. Having been in possession in their box looking for an opening, the home side were away on a break and into our box. Sang Baek saved the shot but could not hold onto the ball but was then able to block the follow up and send it over the bar to see a goal kick awarded on 16mins. From there a minute later Yusuf McGregor was in on the keeper from the left but put too much on his lob so it sailed over the bar as well as the keeper. A scorer on Wednesday night, Kristian Belousas had an opening on 26mins and fired a shot across the goal and narrowly past the right post.

The lads were now at the pace of the game and dealing better with Horsham's more physical style of play when a minute past the half hour Luke Richardson played the ball out from defence to Kwesi Ntim. He took it into the box to work a shot and found Belousas to tuck the ball home to make it 1-1. McGregor had a shot from the left that went across the box five minutes later as we looked to take a lead into the break. Five minutes to go and Ntim was twisting and turning to work space on the right but put the ball back to Alex Kpakpe in the centre. He played it to the left where it was sent deep into the box for Belousas to have a good chance but he got under the ball to send it over the bar. In the final minute and having won a free kick just left of the D, Belousas struck the free kick and the keeper made a mess of it to see the ball in the net for 2-1. There was still time for Belousas to send another chance over the bar before half time.

Looking to build on our strong end to the first half, Baek found McGregor with his kick. He beat his man and had a shot that rebounded to Gabriel Odunaike to score goal No. 3 in just the first minute of the half. On 51 mins Guyni Nganga was pushing forward down the left wing and Ntim helped the ball onto McGregor but was not set for the shot so it lacked power. A few minutes later Ntim had the ball to the left of their box and after trying to work an opening the ball came back to him for a volley he dragged well wide of the left post. Just short of the hour Ntim put a good cross in that Kpakpe headed back and just wide of the left post. Ntim beat his man a few minutes later to have another shot that the keeper needed to save. While we were looking the likely scorers of the next goal, we still needed to be alert at the back and on 68mins the captain Richardson needed to block a Horsham shot and then clear the box. A pass from McGregor should have brought another goal but Odunaike could not turn it home and as we held onto the ball the defence got back to block us off.

On 72mins Belousas was looking to get his hattrick having taken the ball well on the left but shot into the side-netting. Having won a free kick by the left corner flag, Belousas sent in a good ball that required a save at the expense of corner. A first change came on 77mins as Rewan Alyasi replaced McGregor. Just to show that the game was not yet won, Adejola Lahan needed to clear the ball for a corner as the home side were well placed. The corner was headed over and we made a second change as Richardson was replaced by William English with six minutes remaining. From what should have been our foul, Horsham's long throw fell kindly for a shot that Lahan stuck a foot out to stop. Horsham had the loose ball but an overhead kick went over the bar. Ntim had another shot from the left of the box in the final minute but it was not a clean strike and easy for the keeper. It was Ntim again beating his man on the left and putting a shot over the bar in the second added minute. Belousas nearly got his third in the fourth added minute but he hit the bar. Two changes to tick the clock down saw Belousas and Odunaike replaced by two players from our U23 side that won at Horsham on Thursday night, Chibuike Haruna and Brian Vanegas Cadavid. A final shot of the game came in the sixth added minute as Alyasi hit the ball just wide of the right post.

Well as I wrote after Wednesday there were 32 more games to play and today, after a shaky start, the lads came through with a win at Horsham YM that could have been easier. Having kicked off in eighth place we have climbed to the heady heights of third place in the table. Being honest though, Pagham in fourth have two games in hand on us as they are involved in the FA Cup and a number of other clubs have a game in hand and could catch us so let us enjoy it. We are the second highest scorers and bar at Haywards Heath Town have scored in every game, league and cup. We move onto the FA Vase on Saturday with a trip to Knaphill and then have Midhurst & Easebourne a week on Wednesday.