Hornets sail past Dockers in nine-goal Sussex Senior Cup thriller

Horsham sailed through to the third round of the Sussex Senior Cup, victors of a nine-goal thriller against Newhaven.
Horsham FC. Darren Boswell. Pic Steve Robards SR1720418 SUS-170829-104056001Horsham FC. Darren Boswell. Pic Steve Robards SR1720418 SUS-170829-104056001
Horsham FC. Darren Boswell. Pic Steve Robards SR1720418 SUS-170829-104056001

Southern Combination League outfit The Dockers were left all at sea as the Hornets crashed in six of the goals at Culver Road on Tuesday night.

A Darren Boswell brace either side of an Ian Robinson strike had put the Hornets 2-1 up at half-time.

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And further goals from substitute Jack Hartley and Toby House had given the home side a comfortable 4-1 lead on the hour.

In a tantalising last ten minutes for the neutral, further goals were traded as a result of some questionable defending at either end of the pitch.

Newhaven, who are tenth position in the Premier Division after 12 games, twice pulled goals back through Lee Robinson and Ryan Knight after substitute Michael Waller got on the scoresheet with a brace.

The result marked back-to-back wins for Horsham after a difficult spell and manager Dominic Di Paola was pleased to get through to the next round in what he felt could always be a possible banana skin.

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That impression came after a number of meetings in recent years, no less so than Horsham overcoming them 5-2 in the same round of the competition at Trafalgar Road last season.

Di Paola said: “It was okay. We started quite well and scored a good goal, but then made a mistake and let them back in. They then had their tails up, they are the sort of team that do that. We have played them so many times and they have a real threat.

“They had 15 minutes as the better team, but then we got back on top and dominated until the end. The last 15 minutes were a bit sloppy. We gave away a couple of cheap goals and scored a couple of sloppy ones.

“We did play some good football and we are through to the next round and that’s what you want from a cup game in the end.”

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On the negative side, both Liam MacDevitt and Darren Boswell were forced off with injuries, the former extremely early on when he was replaced by Hartley.

But Di Paola is hoping they are nothing serious: “We only had 13 fit players and not a full bench,” he said.

“Then we had to use our subs really early. Michael Waller came on and scored twice. Scott Harris did well playing having only got back from Las Vegas the night before, so there were lots of little things going on.”

Horsham: Taylor, Duncan, Farmer, Shelley, Metcalf, Boswell, Kirkwood, Harris, MacDevitt, Bown, House. Subs: Waller, Hyde, Newhouse, Hartley.

Attendance: 107.

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