Roffey complete double over play-off chasing Horsham YM

Karim Elmellas and Jake LeGrange have returned although several players are still out injured.

In Monday’s game YM started well and had three shots in the first ten minutes, two straight at Monty Watson-Price and one which he had to go down to his left to hold.

The Boars had set up with a shape that denied YM space in visitors’ half and gradually this became a base for more Roffey attacks.

YM had a header over over the bar and two more shots wide and at the other end the Boars had a series of shots blocked on the six-yard line.

Josh Neathey hit a first time cross-field ball to Bailey Moyo, who took on his man and fired a shot inches past the left hand post as the visitors started to commit more men forward.

Then a minute before half time, Khalid Babikir launched into a two-footed tackle on Max Mesquita and was given a red card. The YM player appeared to regret his rush of blood and stayed with the injured Boar to check he was okay before leaving the pitch.

With the extra man Roffey knew they did not need to rush their attempts to get in front. With three points meaning more to YM they would have to commit more players forward and the spaces would surely open up.

Roffey had to maintain their concentration and discipline against one of the most potent attacking forces in the league but Watson Price was mainly left to deal with crosses and fielding long balls.

On 63 minutes, Luke Harrison drove into the YM half before releasing Moyo down the right. The Roffey teenager cut inside and shot. Sam Freeman made a good block but was helpless when Mesquita followed up to drill home the rebound.

That lead lasted only three minutes – Charlie Martin latched on to a loose ball in the Roffey box and found the bottom corner to equalise. In the aftermath of the goal a member of the YM management team was shown a red card for comments made.

Roffey stuck to their plan and patiently began to find their attacking players as YM had to go for a winner. It wasn’t long before Neathey, Mesquita and Moyo were stretching the home side on the break and after one of these attacks was ended, a misplaced pass from the YM defence was snapped up by Moyo, who advanced to the edge of the box and buried his shot into the bottom corner.

Tricki Wilson headed a corner over the bar and at the other end, Stan Berry set up Jamie Buchanan but with only the keeper to beat, the ball bobbled up onto his shin and went over.

The Boars saw out the remaining minutes with YM’s Dan Webster’s long shot over the bar the final action. So in a mixed season Roffey had done the double over their closest rivals.

Roffey: Watson-Price, LeGrange, Pappoe, Pauw, Elmellas, Bilbruck, Harrison, Buchanan, Neathey (Berry), Mesquita, Moyo (Maher).