Horley

[manurgrate]

I am surprised to be opening the batting with this thread but here goes.

 

Firstly well done to our players for having the drive and coimmitment to battle back from a 3-1 deficit to force a draw after going down to 10 men. We were well below our best for much of yesterday, rode our luck a bit and then came storming back into the match in the final 10-15 minutes with goals from Jack Beadle and Mitchel Gough. In the final stages we looked like the only team that were going to run out winners, in contrast to the preceding 75 minutes, when , to be honest, we were quite poor.

 

In the first half, we just didn't get going and their leading goalscorer ( and the league'e top scorer) took advantage of some slack defending to put Horley 2 up by the break.

 

We were gifted a dubious penalty after half time, Mitchel stepped up to convert and it seemed that it was game on only for us to concede a poor goal from a free kick. All seemed lost especially after Rob Curtis was sent off for two yellow cards. And then came to the amazing come back in the final few minutes. Well done lads.

 

This was a game that we really needed to get three points from with all the away matches coming up. Having said that our team is normally at it's best when the chips are down.

 

 

[Swifty]

Sorry, Horley. That was daylight robbery.

 

An awful display against a team who completely belied their league position. Horley chased forth, chased back, looked like they wanted the points more and deserved all three. Their hat trick MOTM, Ashely Nadesan, really should be playing at least one league higher with his finishing and pace. We just looked aimless for most of the match, and yet we nearly stole it with a barnstorming finish. Quite why it took until the last ten minutes to get going beats me. Looks like we're becoming a 'get out of jail' team, what with this and Westfield.

 

A mixed day for league debutant keeper Jake, who apparently studded Els's knee accidentally when they collided before Horley's second goal resulting in Els needing to be subbed, but Jake made an excellent diving save to his right to prevent Horley taking a three goal lead and, in effect, he helped us gain the point. Very difficult to choose an Ashford man of the match after that performance, but Mitch tried hard and took his goals with aplomb.

 

No idea how the rest of the season will pan out but, if we can chisel out a point from that sort of game, anything's still possible.

[Mack Chinnon]

Away from the first half 'action' (as I was operating the Gate), I experienced the attitudes of life in the CCL as far as some supporters are concerned.

 

I had several visiting fans moaning about our admission charges, one offering me £6 for two Adults! He paid up reluctantly and brushed past Darryl when offered a strip of Raffle Tickets.

 

I can only presume they saw Bedfont Sports' twitter comments (with their typical spelling and grammatical errors) earlier in the season.

 

On Saturday, I was alerted to two people 'hanging around' outside the turnstile 30 minutes into the game.

 

The suspicion was that they were waiting to get in for nothing at half-time. It turned out that they were waiting for a fellow Horley fan to arrive, and 5 minutes later paid their £24 without complaint.

 

Back on message, Horley must feel that they were 'mugged'. Like others I cannot understand their position in the table, with Ashley Nadesan really a handful.

 

Six away games now, and next at home on 28th March. We really need to 'dig in' and pick up points away from home against some exceptional sides, and others fighting for their places to stay in this Division.

[Swifty]

Forget about the football, Keith - I didn't realise this until reading the Twitter feed tonight...

 

CONGRATULATIONS, GRANDAD!   

 

Hope the happy couple and young lady are all fine.

[Mack Chinnon]

Eddie - thanks.

 

All is well - all around. Just three more months until my first Grandson is due to arrive - it's a bit like waiting for a bus.

 

Joe (my 3rd lad) has started 'clubbing' in Kingston, but I hope is doesn't start getting ideas!

 

I'll have to get them Memberships for Ashford, and knowing Luke & Liam's preferred sides, also for Newcastle and the Saints respectively.

 

What is it about striped shirts?

 

I tried to get something for the baby at Sports Direct in Feltham but was thwarted by a large sign at the foot of the escalator saying 'Dogs must be carried'. 

 

Where the hell was I supposed to get a dog from?

 

#geordiehumour

[lazarus]

This was how Horley saw it:  I think the yellows actually came to three each side.

 

JOINT-MANAGER Anthony Jupp insists he is taking it as a compliment that Ashford Town resulted to "kicking" his forward during Saturday's game.

 

Horley Town were 3-1 up on Saturday thanks to an Ashley Nadesan hat-trick and while boss Jupp had been impressed with how Ashford played in the reverse fixture, he claims they changed their style to deal with the Clarets' talented forward.

 

"I'm going to take it as a compliment," he explained.  "Earlier in the season I'd been really impressed with how Ashford had played, they were one of the best footballing sides we had played, but on Saturday they couldn't cope with our forwards and just ended up kicking them.

 

"The referee handed out quite a few yellows and then they had someone sent off late on.  "It was a shame."

 

Horley ended up drawing the game 3-3 and the manager insisted it was the least his side deserved.  "I've probably said this too many times this season but we deserved the point and really I think we deserved all three," he said.

 

"It was disappointing to come away with just a point considering how we played, but it's been the story of our season that we haven't defended set-pieces well enough and that cost us again."