Horsham 'deserved to win' enthralling six-goal draw with Bishop's Stortford

Rob OToole was Horshams hero in Saturdays entertaining draw with Bishops Stortford. Picture by Steve Robards

Rob O’Toole gave the host a 27th minute lead before the evergreen Jamie Cureton netted on the stroke of half-time.

Two second-half Cureton penalties put the Blues in front in the second half but a remarkable fight back from Horsham salvaged a point.

Substitute Chris Smith’s wonderful finish reduced the deficit before the Hornets completed their comeback in stoppage time.

Alex Kelly was fouled in the area and O’Toole fired home the spot-kick to share the spoils.

The draw sees Horsham drop to fourth. They are a point ahead of place-below Hornchurch, but the Urchins have two games in hand.

Di Paola said: “I think we deserved to win. We had 69 per cent possession and 22 shots with eight on target.

“We made a couple of mistakes at the back and got punished, but we dominated.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been involved in a game where we’ve been so dominant and not come away with a win.

“Fair play to the boys for turning it round, but we were the better team in my opinion.”

Jack Brivio’s shot was spilled by the Blues’ keeper and O’Toole reacted quickest to squeeze the rebound home to make it 1-0.

he visitors levelled not long before the break. Cureton latched onto a long ball into the box and delightfully dinked the ball over keeper George Bentley.

Gary Charman gave away a penalty on 53 minutes which was duly dispatched by Cureton. Cureton then completed his hat-trick with a second spot-kick 14 minutes later.

But with eight minutes to go Smith unleashed a 25-yard rocket that thundered into the net to hand Horsham a lifeline.

And the Hornets completed their astonishing turnaround when O’Toole converted a penalty in second half stoppage time.

Di Paola added: “We talked about it as a group at the end of the game and it was as well as we’ve played in weeks.

“I think anyone who came and watched will have been really impressed with how we played.”

Horsham: Bentley, Metcalf, Sparks, Kelly, Shelley, Charman (Merchant 75), Brivio, Dawson (Smith 75), O’Toole, Cundle, Harding. Unused: Mills, Rumsey, Roberts.