Horsham 6-2 Guernsey: Emphatic first win for boss Charman

A thumping 6-2 victory over Guernsey at Gorings Mead gave Gary Charman his long awaited first win as Horsham boss, and in some style.
Hat-trick hero. Man of the match Billy Dunn was excellent all gameHat-trick hero. Man of the match Billy Dunn was excellent all game
Hat-trick hero. Man of the match Billy Dunn was excellent all game

A stunning hat-trick from Billy Dunn and goals from Jamie Cade, Tony Nwachukwu and Akwasi Fobi-Edusei late on handed the Hornets an emphatic three points to finally end their run of nine matches without a win.

Player/manager Charman had overseen three games of that torrid winless run since taking over from Simon Colbran, but will have been delighted with what was a fantastic team performance in beating a Guernsey side who began the day fifth in the Ryman South table.

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Charman made two changes from the abandoned mid-week game with Crawley Down. In came Nwachukwu and Dunn on either wing, Steve Sargent dropping to the bench while Ross Morley missed out with injury.

The game’s first sighting at goal came from the Channel Islanders after nine minutes, Marc McGrath crossed for Dave Rihoy who, unmarked in the box went for the spectacular and completely missed the ball. Still it was kept alive and McGrath was played in on the right but his rising shot just cleared the crossbar.

Horsham - who came into the game sitting 21st in the Ryman South table - had started well but created precious little until they went ahead on 30 minutes.

Nwachukwu found a yard of space down the right and delivered a sumptuous ball into the box, where Cade showed great determination to get ahead of his marker to nod home at the back post.

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Hornets right-back Lewis Hamilton so nearly then put the ball past his own goalkeeper but Michael Hunter did brilliantly to get a toe to his backpass and it was hacked to safety.

Guernsey equalised with 38 minutes gone when a corner played short found its way to Rihoy and his shot from the edge of the box took a heavy deflection to wrong foot Hunter and find the net. As Guernsey celebrated Charman was yellow carded for his furious reaction to the referee for awarding the corner which he felt should have been a goal kick.

Horsham’s response to the setback though was emphatic with two quick-fire goals before half-time.

Left-back Billy Joe King’s fine pass down the left channel found Dunn, who charged into the box, cut onto his right and hammered a ferocious shot in off the far post.

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And two minutes later the hosts netted a third, Dunn turning provider this time with a fine pass to play Nwachukwu in on the right, and the winger kept his cool to roll his shot under keeper Chris Tardiff to give Horsham a 3-1 lead at half-time.

Sensing blood, the Hornets went the knock-out blow at the start of the second half, pouring forward. Guernsey though looked dangerous on the break but some excellent, full blooded sliding tackles from centre backs Glen Woodburn and Charman thwarted some good attacks.

When Dunn picked up the ball around 45 yards from goal there seemed little threat. But helped by a slip from Alex Le Provost, he drove forward and into the box, where he twisted beyond two defenders and nonchalantly stroked the ball in for a 4-1 lead.

Akwasi Fobi-Edusei then came on for the hard-working Cade and nearly added a fifth from Nwachukwu’s cutback.

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With 11 minutes remaining Guernsey pulled one back when defender Jamie Dodd fired in when unmarked from a corner, and five minutes from time Hornets skipper Hunter produced a strong one-handed save from Rihoy to prevent a nervy final five minutes.

Instead Dunn then put the icing on the cake a minute from time when he again raced into the box down the left, cut back and curled into the far corner to complete a memorable treble and cap a superb individual display.

And there was still time for striker Fobi-Edusei to slam home a sixth in injury time as Horsham celebrated their biggest victory of the season and claimed a very welcome three points in front of their jubilant home supporters.

Horsham (4-4-2): Hunter; Hamilton, B King, Charman, Woodburn; Nwachukwu (Frankland 85), Dunn, Harris (Sargent 80), Napper; Kaffo, Cade (Fobi-Edusei 64).

Unused subs: J King, Graves.

Guernsey (4-3-3): Tardif; De La Mare, Martin (Hutton 62), Le Provost (Hale 80), Dodd; Dyer, Loaring, Mahon; McGrath (Pereira 77), Allen, Rihoy.

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