Three Bridges 3 Horsham YMCA 3: Bridges miss out on win as YMCA grab late equaliser

A draw was probably no good for either side, but it was probably the right result, although Bridges boss Paul Faili was angered by his side failing to defend three set-pieces.

The first shot of note came after 15 minutes when Kieron Thorp had to make a good low save at his near post as Phil Johnson drove goalwards, but it was Bridges who took a 24th minute lead as Darryl Siaw cut in from the left and delivered a glorious shot across goal into the far corner.

But YMCA were level within four minutes as a corner was met by the head of Tom Gilbert and couldn’t be cleared despite a swarm of players on the line.

Ben Baker saw a header flash just wide from Siaw’s superb cross and the first half ended with the excellent Lee Hall shooting just wide with a first time low drive.

The referee came under a lot of pressure from opposing players every time there was a hint of a foul, but he did well to ignore what sometimes became blatant posturing.

And he ignored the YMCA protests that led to Bridges restoring their lead from a 74th minute penalty.

Siaw left two players in his wake near the corner flag before driving into the box and clearly being felled from behind, and Connor French made no mistake from the spot.

Bacon came close to extending the lead and Nathan Crabb had a shot held well by Aaron Jeal, but again YMCA responded when an 83rd minute free kick resulted in a goalmouth melee with Gilbert being the man to touch the ball over the line once more.

A fantastic ball from Nathan Simpson after 86 minutes found Siaw, who again cut inside to hit another stunner into the far corner.

But Bridges just couldn’t hold onto their lead as YMCA hit back for a third time two minutes into added-time, another melee finishing with the ever-busy Johnson jabbing the ball home.

A game where attacked generally ruled and defenders made some bizarre errors.

Entertaining, exhausting and even, but shame about some of the histrionics that put the match officials under pressure.

Bridges: Thorp, Collins, Simpson, Hall, Koo-Boothe, Crellin, Crabb, Lansdale, French, Bacon (Casselman 87), Siaw

Unused subs: Brissett, Berry, Tan, Gallagher

YMCA: Jeal, Carden, Harding, Gilbert, Donaghey, Gedling, Evans, Dugdale (Humphries 67), Schaaf (Cave 75), Johnson, Brown (Donaldon 59)

Unused subs: Jeal, Hooper-Ridsdale

Attendance: 73

Aerotron Man of the Match: Darryl Siaw