'No one can argue the best team won' in Horsham YMCA's derby victory at Broadbridge Heath

Tony Nwachukwu (left) added the third in Horsham YMCA's 3-0 victory at neighbours Broadbridge Heath on Saturday. All pictures by Derek Martin.

Second-placed YM led 2-0 at the break through Dean Bown and Guy Harding, before Tony Nwachukwu added the third with ten minutes of the game to go.

Heath remain sixth but need just another three points to secure their pre-season target of a top-six finish.

On 15 minutes Nwachukwu got behind the Heath defence but Ryan Brackpool mistimed his challenge in the area and the referee rightly awarded the penalty. Bown duly disptached the spot-kick to record his 23rd league goal of the season.

An excellent delivery from a Luke Gedling free-kick five minutes later saw Harding head home, after a great run to lose the Bears’ defenders.

The hosts responded when YM keeper Aaron Jeal saved a close range effort from Devon Fender and George Cousins fired the rebound wide.

Bown thought he had bagged his second before half-time, but his goal was ruled out for offside.

Heath began to get on top in the second-half, with several inviting crosses from both flanks going unfinished or ending with a corner.

Action from Saturday's derby between Broadbridge Heath and Horsham YMCA.

From a Brackpool long throw Jeal allowed the ball to go in and out of his hands and into the net. Heath celebrated but the referee however thought differently, penalising Jamie Taylor for a foul on the YMCA stopper.

As Heath threw men forward in search of a goal they became more vulnerable at the back.

Bears’ keeper Kieron Thorp kept YM at bay with a great reaction save but Nwachukwu made the game safe for the visitors with ten minutes left.

Horsham YMCA boss Peter Buckland said: “No one can argue that the best team won. It was reasonably comfortable for the last half an hour. We scored at the right times.

“We both had a goal chalked off at 2-0. They had one chalked off for a foul on the goalkeeper which would’ve been 2-1.

“But just prior to that we had a goal ruled off for offside which would have been 3-0.

“Heath were off the back of a good run. It was boiling hot and the pitch was bumpy but I was very pleased.

“It was a good afternoon’s work. With Newhaven drawing (away at Peacehaven & Telscombe) it means we control our own destiny.

“It takes away the fact that we need to take the cricket bats out to make the goal difference better.

“We can just focus on a victory (against Crawley Down Gatwick) and hopefully move back up into second.”

Heath: Thorp, Wright, Flack, Peters, Brackpool, Carney, Moore (Watts), Doughty, Fender (Shergold), Taylor, Cousins (Carvalho). Unused: Evento.

Horsham YMCA: Jeal, Carden, Wadhams, Gilbert, Harding, Gedling, Nwachukwu, Barbary, Bown (Eales 82), Ryder (Clarke 82), Evans (Nash 75). Unused: Moylan, Gill.