Horsham YMCA, Roffey and Broadbridge Heath are all so near yet so far

Horsham YMCA 0 AFC Uckfield Town 1

SCFL premier

Having won just one league game in November and in each of the two preceding months, despite creating plenty of chances, Horsham YMCA suffered another home defeat.

This one knocked them down to 14th in the table, a place above visitors AFC Uckfield Town.

YM Manager Dean Carden said: “We’re not getting any good breaks and can’t buy a win at the moment. We need to score the first goal and get a couple of wins under our belt.”

YM started brightly with a wave of early attacks, and on another day might have scored two or three goals by half-time, but were deprived by a Luke Harrison mis-kick, a Tom Tolfrey cannon-ball hitting the bar and Josh Neathey’s shot being tipped over by Uckfield keeper Tommy Sceal.

With the lion’s share of possession - and with Jonathan Kusaka in full flow - YM created most of the opportunities, Zac Bignall also featuring.

YM, though, were disappointed to go into the break without scoring, especially as keeper Aaron Jeal was red carded when he rushed out to thwart a late one-on-one attack.

Then, to make things worse, early in the second half, Uckfield scored what proved to be the only goal of the match, their unmarked captain, Ellis Wright, converting a cross into the box, evading sub keeper Mark Fox.

YM were relieved when Uckfield blasted one wide in front of an open goalmouth, Fox saving a subsequent double strike.

Later, Jamie Wanstall, Archie Goddard and Dan Evans all came close to getting the ball in the net, and a last-gasp YM corner also stayed out, the final whistle signalling another frustrating defeat.

On Saturday, seeking an elusive victory, YM travel to relegation-threatened Alfold.

MARTIN READ

Crowborough 3 Roffey 2

SCFL premier

Jack Munday welcomed new faces to the squad for the tough trip to Crowbortough.

George Cousins, Kelvin Lucas, Louis Alvino Pierre-Louis had joined from Loxwood, Alfold and Leatherhead. Returning after missing the previous week were Aaron Collins, Rob Goodman and Alex Penfold.

Roffey started well and Cousins, Andrade and Lucas got behind the home defence several times.

In the second minute Cousins put pressed the home centre half and the beat keeper Cameron Hall to the ball. The keeper brought him down just outside the box, the ball ran loose and Andrade could have put it in - but the ref had blown for the free kick and he punished Hall with a red card.

On 14 minutes Andrade put Lucas through down the right and he squared for Cousins to smash home.

A couple of minutes later a scuffed effort from Danny Powell found its way through the hands of Jordan Hall in the visitors’ goal to peg Roffey back.

Worse was to follow when unmarked Harry Forster made it 2-1 to the hosts on 30 minutes. Five minutes later the dangerous Lucas pulled up with a calf injury after firing narrowly wide and had to be replaced by Morgan Prill.

Crowborough defended deeply and looked dangerous when they broke, especially down their right with Lucas Murrain causing danger.

Roffey knew with the man advantage they still had the chance to get a result and five minutes after the restart Prill drove into the area and Jahobi Maher finished clinically to equalise.

The rest of the half saw Roffey having most of the ball without putting the stand-in keeper under real pressure and Crowborough looking dangerous on the break.

Hall injured his hand and was replaced by Jacob Bennett in the Roffey goal and he made a good save down to his left.

Ten minutes from time a near post corner was met by Harvey Killick to put the Crows back in front.

At the other end Cousins was 15 yards out with a shooting chance but tried to set player manager Munday up and the chance was gone.

Roffey had missed the chance to get vital points on the board but if the squad can stay together, Munday will hope the first win is around the corner. Next up is a big six-pointer against Loxwood.

SAM CHAPMAN

Broadbridge Heath 1 Peacehaven 2

SCFL premier

Heath were unbeaten in the league since August 13 and Peacehaven were ten games unbeaten, so something had to give.

Heath manager Chris Simmons made one change to the line-up with Sean Terry coming into the team at centre-half for the unavailable Kyle Sim, while leading scorer Lewis Croal was still missing through injury.

The visitors had the first attempt at goal when Max Hollobone found space down the right to hit a low right foot shot that fizzed across the face of goal and wide of the Liam Matthews left post.

At the other end the Bears created several chances but without troubling the keeper, on nineteen minutes a right wing cross was headed over the bar by Alex Barbary, minutes later Sam Lemon played a ball into the box to Barbary who tried an audacious back-heel but that too went wide of the post for a goal kick.

The visitors took the lead on 33 minutes, a Heath move broke down on the edge of the visitors penalty area and the ball was cleared down the left flank to a Peacehaven player who on the counter attack skipped past one challenge 25 yards from goal, got into the box, had two goals attempts blocked before a Heath player’s attempted clearance went straight to Callum Edwards on the edge of the penalty area, he turned one way then the other before hitting a low left foot shot into the bottom right corner giving Matthews no chance of stopping.

Heath responded well with Matt Penfold trying his luck with a shot from distance that went just wide of the post and on 42 minutes a free kick played deep into the Peacehaven penalty area was headed on by Terry, came off a defender and was cleared off the line with Heath players turning away claiming it had crossed the line but the Assistant Referee perfectly placed to rule it out.

Deep into time added on and Matthews made a superb save to deny the visitors from taking a 2-0 half-time lead as the teams went in for the break.

Heath started the second half brightly enough with Lemon shooting wide of the left post, Frankland playing the ball into Barbary from the right but the Heath striker blasted his shot over the crossbar and then Frankland wriggling his way into the penalty area but pulling his shot wide of the post.

On 73 minutes Heath were made to pay for those missed chances when a Peacehaven attack down the left saw the ball played into Hollobone on the edge of the D and the striker placed a low shot wide of Matthews into the bottom left corner.

Heath reduced the deficit with 7 minutes remaining when the ball was played into Harry Mark who struck a shot from 20 yards that wrong footed the goalkeeper and the Bears were back in it at 2-1. Heath threw everything forward in search of the equaliser but the Peacehaven defence stood firm and held on for victory.

So Heath’s best ever run of unbeaten matches in the top division comes to an end but they go again on Saturday when we travel to Steyning Town, Kick Off at 3pm.

Report supplied by BBH FC