Declan scores four

In the first known meeting between the two clubs, Horsham returned to winning ways against Dulwich based Old Alleynians, and if they win their game in hand against Crowborough on January 2nd will climb to third in the league.

Horsham head coach Nick Stocker said, “Declan Nwachukwu will take the headlines for his four tries but my man of the match goes to Will Bell, for setting up one of Declan’s tries, upon his return to the back three, and for his all round attacking play and defensive work.”

Old Alleynians kicked off with a strong wind at their backs but it was Horsham who were on top from the outset. With good possession from first phase scrum ball, Matt McCabe making his debut at fly half, engineered a miss move in the centres to send Will Bell slicing through the opposition defence at pace only to be hauled down just short of the try line. When the ball was recycled Josh Mills showed quick thinking to dive over the prostrate bodies to score from two yards.

When Horsham were penalised for not rolling away at the breakdown, Fred Parker calmly slotted the kick for Old Alleynians and after 6 minutes the Green and Whites were leading 5-3. Arun Thompson left the field with a slight injury as a precaution to be replaced by Jordan Smith and Horsham dealt well with the early disruption.

Mills made a great 35 yard break when the ball popped out of the side of an Old Alleynians scrum, but the defending centre managed to intercept the attempted pass to Mike Watts in support who would have surely scored.

Mills later released Bell on the burst but his pass could not find the supporting Watts, then on 27 minutes after Old Alleynians had kicked upfield deep into Horsham’s half Bell and Mills combined to find Declan Nwachukwu who ran 70 yards to score a superb solo counter attack try evading the clutches of several defenders which was converted by Bell.

Stocker continued, “We have always known that Declan has raw finishing power but I was particularly pleased that five of our six tries came from our back three.”

Horsham were let off the hook when Parker missed a penalty attempt from in front of the posts, and then when Old Alleynians spilled the ball in the centres, the Green and Whites were quick to exploit the opportunity by spinning the ball wide and it was Bell who put the pace on the attack by making the incisive break through the Old Alleynians defence and with one man to beat he passed to the supporting Nwachukwu to score his second try under the posts. With time running out to take the conversion once it was realised that Bell had been winded in the tackle, McCabe stepped up to take the points.

Parker narrowed the deficit to 19-6 when Horsham were penalised for handling on the ground then the Green and Whites scored their fourth and bonus point try on the stroke of half time when after a period of hammering away at the Old Alleynians try line, Mills found Watts on his outside to jink past a couple of defenders to score. The try was converted by Bell and Horsham entered the break leading 26-6.

Horsham brought on their bench players for the second half but it was Old Alleynians who looked reinvigorated. They almost scored try on turnover ball when they outflanked the defence, after a Horsham handling error in the centres, requiring Johnson and Nwachukwu to tackle the attacking player into the corner flag before he could ground the ball, but scrum half Tom Unwin made no mistake moments later from a sniping run from the side of a ruck.

Aled Price made a great tackle when Old Alleynians looked likely to score but from the next phase with the Horsham defence stretched, the ball was passed wide for prop Hiren Sharma to cross the line for an easy score.

Old Alleynians had narrowed the deficit to 26-18 after 60 minutes and the home supporters were starting to become worried, but their fears were eased when from turnover ball at the breakdown Smith found Nwachukwu who with a mismatch in front of him and just a prop to beat, completed his hat-trick by running in to score from inside his own half.

Bell had a long range penalty attempt to seal the win which flew just wide. Michael Tredgett was yellow carded after an aggressive tackle and Horsham were obliged to play out the game with fourteen men.

Old Alleynians put some good phases together to open up Horsham in midfield for Ali Henderson to score unchallenged, and after the conversion by Parker the lead had narrowed to 31-25 with four minutes remaining.

Horsham then sealed the win when McCabe fired out a long pass to Nwachukwu to put some gloss on proceedings to cross for his fourth try.

Stocker lamented, “Having scored four tries by the break, I was disappointed that our performance levels dropped off in the second half and we took our foot off the gas. It was however important to get back to winning ways.

I thought Will Bell was outstanding throughout, and that Josh Mills and Ollie Harcus also had good games.”

Horsham’s next fixture is way to Crowborough on 2 January.

Horsham: Bell; Watts, Ordidge (A Price), Johnson, Nwachukwu; McCabe, Mills; Barber, Grantham-Hill, Brady; Harcus, Whiting; S Price, Thompson (Smith), Tredgett (Gaynor)