Promotion places in sight for Horsham RFC after a third Bromley win

It means that if they win their rearranged game in hand at home to Folkestone next week they can enter the Christmas break in one of the promotion positions.

It’s the first time Horsham have played the same side three times before Christmas, and winning all of them is a sign of the recent progress they have made in a fixture the Green and Whites have lost as often as they’ve won.

In this latest meeting Horsham always had the upper hand but were unable to turn their domination into points.

Horsham made their usual fast start, with a strong wind at their backs, putting huge pressure on Bromley but proceeded to miss their first five penalty attempts at goal in the opening ten minutes.

Ryan O’Gorman came close to an opening try but was tackled into touch after good work from Aled Price and then Will Johnson.

On 15 minutes Horsham finally troubled the scoreboard when skipper Paul Talbot grounded the ball from a powerful rolling maul, converted by Will Bell.

From the restart Bell was first to react to the loose ball but possession was not cleanly won, requiring a Johnson fly-hack and then Bell to use his poise for a long clearance upfield creating the position to slot a penalty.

Jonny Whiting made a strong break having caught the kick off, but the game lost a little shape with a sin-bin to either side as Horsham lead 10-0 at half-time.

After the break the Green and Whites were pumped up to extend their lead as Whiting made another surge from kick off and spun the ball wide to Johnson, who was stopped just short. From there Horsham had a period camped on the try line with a series of five-yard scrums, but they were prevented from scoring by fair means and foul before the referee lost patience and awarded a penalty try which Bell converted.

Bromley started to use the strong wind to their advantage to keep Horsham penned deep in their half and sporadic attempts to break out came to nought. With 15 minutes remaining Bromley scored a try of their own which was converted to renew slim hopes of a victory.

Price then calmed any Horsham fraying nerves with a penalty on 75 minutes and after another break by Whiting, hooker and former captain Matt Stone was first in support showing a surprising turn of pace in the final minute of the match but was hauled down short of the line.

Horsham: Talbot (Penfold 54), Stone, Barber; Johnny Whiting, Grover; Smith (Fisher 40), N Bell, Ordidge; W Bell (Rush 65), Price; James Whiting, Taylor, Gibbs, O’Gorman; Johnson