Horsham YMCA extend unbeaten run with Peacehaven victory

Horsham YMCA were delighted to extend their unbeaten run to five games with an excellent win against visiting Peacehaven & Telescombe. Pictures by Stanley Bernard

At Gorings Mead on Saturday, Horsham YMCA were delighted to extend their unbeaten run to five games, with an excellent win against visiting Peacehaven & Telescombe, joint record holders after carrying off the league title eight times.

The first half was even, with Peacehaven enjoying early possession, but YM played themselves in, giving as good as they received, with neither side having opened their account by the interval.

As anticipated, the visitors started the second half in fighting mood, earning two corners. YM responded with a corner of their own, and were the first side to get the ball in the net with a chip over keeper Lawrence Sanded, but the goal was disallowed.

Another Peacehaven corner followed, along with a throw in from the flag, which induced a superb close reaction save from Aaron Jeal.

Mark Pritchard-Cave fires YM into the lead

YM sub Sam Henderson then broke through, resulting in an unrequited YM corner. Then, with Peacehaven looking threatening, Max Hollobone got into the box, but his drive was blocked.

YM, though, got on the score sheet just after the hour mark when Dave Brown supplied Mark Pritchard-Cave to slot home from the outside of his left foot.

With YM really pressing, Tom Tolfrey hit the post, but from an offside position, but YM did not have to wait long for their second goal – 16-year-old rising Roffey cricket star Henderson embarked on a solo run and Sanded was only able to half stop the strike, with the forward making no mistake from the rebound.

From then on, although Peacehaven’s Jack Pettett hit the bar in the dying moments, YM called the shots, with Brown, Tolfrey and Adrian Todd all coming close.

Substitute Sam Henderson slots home to make it 2-0

With YM manager Dean Carden playing in the game, his assistant Ryan King told the County Times: "That was an excellent second half for us, culminating in a good win.

"We've got more depth in the squad now, with a better balance of youth and experience."

The win leaves YM 13th – and still in both the Parafix Sussex Senior and the Peter Bentley Cups.

Amid a flurry of forthcoming fixtures, YM go to Mile Oak in the Bentley Cup on Wednesday, followed by a trip to AFC Uckfield Town in the league this Saturday, and a rearranged league encounter against bottom of the table AFC Varndeanians (Tuesday, November 9), before returning home against Lingfield on Saturday week.

Meanwhile, runaway leaders Littlehampton Town are six and eight points clear of Saltdean United and Pagham respectively.