Each side scored a disputed goal as Chichester City and Horsham YMCA shared the points in a spirited 1-1 draw at Gorings Mead on Saturday.

YMCA are still firmly in contention to retain their County League title but poor finishing in this encounter saw them lose further ground on League leaders Ringmer. YMCA now slip to ten points behind the East Sussex side but have three matches in hand. Ringmer’s next fixture is a visit Chichester this Saturday. 

A couple of squandered chances by Dave Gellatly in the opening minutes set the standard for the afternoon before YMCA scored a controversial opener on 21 minutes.

A corner on the City right seemed to have gone behind for a goal kick but was headed back into play and as the visitors defence relaxed Russell Eldridge hammered the ball into the net from 10 yards.

YMCA should have gone on to consolidated their advantage before the interval but Gellatly once again steered his shot wide, Joel O’Hara thundered a chance high over the bar and James Grant poked his shot past the post when clear through the centre.

City in comparison hardly got out of their own half and apart from one shot from Alex Ward that was well wide hardly troubled the home defence. A one goal deficit at the break scarcely reflected the balance of play and City could have turned around two or three goals in arrear.

Instead within a minute of the restart they were level. Substitute Neil Murfin had replaced the injured Callum Cutler just before the break and burst down the right to angle a low cross into the YMCA goal area for James Smith to stab into the net. YMCA argued long and hard that Murfin was offside but the officials weren’t persuaded and without video evidence we shall never know.

Time now for YMCA to step up a gear and they poured forward down the slope in ever increasing numbers but were unable to create any clear cut chances. Smart saved at the feet of O’Hara but the City defence remained resolute and soaked up all the pressure that YMCA could exert. The introduction of leading goalscorer Kris Trevor with twenty minutes left might have done the trick but the former East Grinstead man steered his best chance into the side netting and the opportunity was lost.

Once again City’s chances were few and far between although Scott Tipper got on the end of a Russ Hardwell free kick and then Hardwell himself saw a strong run into the home penalty area blocked off just as he was poised to finish.

Even eleven minutes of stoppage time on top of eight minutes at the end of the first half failed to produce a decider and City were the happier of the two sides at the final whistle.

Report written by Trevor Wallis

Chichester Team: Smart, Miah, Hickman, Smith J., Chamberlain, Smith M., Ward, Hardwell, Tipper, Cutler, Vongas.
Subs: Murfin N., Angell & Guarnaccio (all used).
Scorers: J. Smith

Attendance: 88