AFC Uckfield Town punished for ill-discipline in defeat

At a venue where they had lost all six league meetings since 2011, AFC Uckfield Town were unable to overturn history against Horsham YMCA as they fell to a 3-1 defeat to the West Sussex side, playing sections of the second half with eight men as ill-discipline saw their hopes slip away, reports Will Hugall.
orsham YMCA v AFC Uckfield. Pic Steve Robards SR20011801orsham YMCA v AFC Uckfield. Pic Steve Robards SR20011801
orsham YMCA v AFC Uckfield. Pic Steve Robards SR20011801

An unfamiliar Uckers side – without captain Richie Welch and top scorer Liam Baitup – began relatively well at Gorings Mead, handling the threat of a home attack with the best scoring record outside of the SCFL Premier Division’s top five without too much early trouble.

While promising chances arrived for Ellis Cormack and Matt Maclean, neither managed to trouble the home defence, and YM would take advantage by breaking the deadlock in the 29th minute as Tayler Maddock felled a home forward and Dean Carden dispatched the resulting penalty, firing into the top right corner.

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Peter Buckland’s side, who finished 2nd in 2018-19, exerted their control before the break, but the Uckers were still able to go close as Maclean almost met a Bailo Camara cross on the stroke of half-time.

Horsham YMCA v AFC Uckfield. Pic Steve Robards SR20011801Horsham YMCA v AFC Uckfield. Pic Steve Robards SR20011801
Horsham YMCA v AFC Uckfield. Pic Steve Robards SR20011801

The restart allowed Anthony Storey’s side to redouble their efforts, and with wing play hurting the hosts the introduction of Dee Okojie proved pivotal – his 60th-minute cross finding Cormack to head home and level the game at 1-1.

While the Uckers would’ve expected to push on, the events of the next ten minutes removed all hopes of winning; self-combusting as Maddock was first shown a second yellow, then Matt Daniel put the hosts 2-1 up in the 65th minute, and Sam Cooper was also awarded a second booking to add to Dean Stewart-Hunter’s sin-bin soon after.

YM had full control thereafter and confirmed victory as Daniel bagged his second – and 21st of the season – in the 83rd minute, before Cormack was also placed in the sin-bin in the final few minutes, and the Uckers were left to rue crucial errors.

AFC Uckfield Town: Hawkins, Rodrigues-Barbosa (Okojie, 59’), Cooper, Stewart-Hunter, Maddock, Norman, Jenden, Maclean (C), Laing, Cormack (Ryan Welch, 90’), Camara. Unused: Hull, Ovenden, Loft.

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