Horsham YMCA 4-3 Lingfield: YM come from two down to keep pace at top

The hosts were left stunned when goals from Joel O’Hara and David Dean put the visitors in control.

Liam Hunter crucially pulled one back on the stroke of half-time and YM were much improved after the break.

Craig Grantham and then Dave Brown put them ahead, and though Clinton Moore levelled as conditions worsened, Grantham coolly steered in his second to win it for the hosts.

YM boss Peter Buckland’s bad luck with player availabilities continued with defender Kevin Burgess injuring himself in the warm-up and top scorer Nick Sullivan (work commitments) a late drop out.

And the enforced changes showed early on as the hosts appeared disjointed, allowing the Lingers to take advantage.

With 17 minutes gone there looked a clear foul on centre back Adam O’Carroll, though there was no excuse for the YM defence stopping as the ball was squared for O’Hara to put Lingfield ahead.

YM’s first chance was a glaring one, skipper Ash Dugdale stole possession to break clear, rounded the goalkeeper and with a defender back on the line he squared for Brown, who diving in somehow managed to clear the bar from five yards.

Defender Marco Mikward then missed a glorious chance to double Lingfield’s advantage when he stabbed wide when found unmarked in the box.

The second though arrived soon after and again came from poor defending, Dan Frith’s free kick caused panic in the YM defence and Dean profited.

YM had struggled to retain possession and really threaten, but they gave themselves a vital foothold in the match right on the stroke of half-time when Gratham stood a cross up to the back post, where Hunter squeezed the ball into the net.

Grantham, in his first game since early October because of injury, glanced a header just wide as YM came out with far more purpose at the start of the second half.

Lingfield striker Richard Wetton drilled not far wide before the hosts levelled, Brown leading a strong break before slipping the ball to Grantham, who hammered his shot into the bottom corner.

Having been provider, the lively Brown then turned goal-scorer. And it was all his own work too, running in from 35 yards and evading several lightweight challenges before finishing clinically.

The rain was now pouring down making conditions difficult and the pitch heavy, and neither side were helped by some strange decisions by the officials.

Lingfield were not about to lie down and with 15 minutes remaining they made it 3-3, striker Clinton Moore hooking a shot with his back to goal which beat stopper Sam Smith and dropped into the net.

The sight of two increasingly animated managers on the touchline, YM’s Buckland and Lingfield’s Dixie Dean, provided an entertaining sideshow in itself, and the main event delivered one final twist.

With ten minutes remaining man of the match Brown tricked his way into the area, fed Dan Evans who in turn picked out Gratham in the box and the striker showed a cool head to sidestep a challenge and pick out the bottom corner.

In the third minute of injury time Moore looked to be in on goal, but a tight offside flag denied him, and Lingfield’s drawn out protestations saw former YM full-back Dean Carden shown a straight red card.

The victory sees Buckland’s side move just a point behind second-placed Littlehampton in Division One, though having played two games more.

YM (4-4-2): Smith; Hutchings, Evans, O’Carroll, Crane; Sullivan, Brown (Burgess 81), Hunter, Dugdale; Grantham, Curtis (Gannon 76).

Unused: Wood, J Brown, Smith.