Horsham win to stay fourth

Horsham returned to League action with an away trip to Sheppey seeking to make amends for a close defeat earlier in the season. Having struggled to impose the handling game onto Sheppey's large forwards in the previous encounter, Horsham's young team were clear as to the recipe for success this time - generate quick ball and impose the slick handling game that put Uckfield to the sword so efficiently two weeks previously. Despite a few key changes to the team, Horsham were confident in achieving a 4th league victory in a row and made their intent clear as early as the second minute. With Sheppey kicking off into a fairly brisk wind and securing possession from the kick off, Horsham were forced onto the back foot immediately. Following the first few seconds of frantic Sheppey activity, Horsham's defensive alignment was tested and found to be up to the challenge with an immediate turn over which was spun first to the left and then to the right through several phases and multiple pairs of hands for Jamie Gibbs to score an unconverted try. Less than 2 minutes played and the score was 5 -0

Horsham settled into the game rapidly from then on. Using the clear advantage in the handling game, the intent so clearly demonstrated in the first few minutes was repeated on numerous occasions in the first quarter of the game. Combined with Horsham's strong scrum and secure line out, Sheppey were seldom out of their half and Horsham pressured across all areas of the pitch. In particular the scrum, led by the dominant front row and in particular Mike Penfold stepping up from the Lions to loosehead, settled rapidly into a groove driving Sheppey back on their ball and providing a good platform for attacking plays. The Sheppey scrum half did well to frustrate at the base of the scrum but could well have been penalised more often given that he was constantly offside against a driving Horsham pack. It was this dominance that led directly to Horsham's second try. Having secured penalties at scrum, young Rob Hoskins at 9 was impeded illegally 5 meters out having taken a quick tap penalty. The Sheppey loose head who had been struggling at scrum time took a 10 minute rest as a result and with numerical advantage Horsham opted to take the scrum again. Despite driving the Sheppey pack back, the push over did not materialise but instead the ball was recycled to the backs and with a pre-planned move called, Matt Brown playing at 10 decided to sell a dummy to the Sheppey centres and cantered in under the posts for a try he converted. 26 minutes played and the score stood at 12-0.

On the side-lines, the Horsham coaching staff felt that it was important to score more points whilst using the wind and having the clear advantage in terms of territory and possession. Nevertheless, despite the dominance, the half time whistle blew with the score standing at 12-0 and still much to be done.

Horsham suffered the worst possible start to the second half giving away a penalty in easy range within a minute of the restart for the impressive boot of the Sheppey 15. He naturally converted and Sheppey had identified the way back into the game. 12 - 3.

Horsham could ill afford to concede penalties as this was the undoing in the previous home fixture. Nevertheless, Horsham did get on the wrong side of the referee once or twice resulting in a strange yellow card for Jo Clarke who had apparently made no effort at retreating during a Sheppey attack. With Sheppey sensing that points were there for the taking the large forwards carried well and with the strings pulled by the Sheppey 10, Horsham were driven back into their 22m. Horsham's defence stood firm and following a stolen ball, Rob Hoskins at 9 made a fine break from deep in his 22m and sprinted upfield. Drawing the final defender and passing to Dan Bourne in support, Dan outpaced the cover from the Horsham 10m line to score in the corner. Matt Brown only just failed to convert the try in front of the vocal home support. 49 minutes played - 17-3

With parity in numbers restored, Horsham continued to look comfortable in the game and demonstrated a maturity in pressure situations that belies the youth of the team. Defensive alignment was sound and line speed aggressive which nullified Sheppey's attacking options to lateral movements and eventual kicking away of possession. On 72 minutes, the handling skills that had been apparent all game combined to create yet another excellent try involving forwards and backs in unison. Fine breaks and passes before and out of contact from Liam Yeates, Matt Brown, Jamie Gibbs, Johnny Porter, Dan Bourne and James Whiting finally saw Rob GH Hooker take the try scoring pass to score Horsham's bonus point try. The vocal crowd were finally silenced and on 72 minutes, Horsham were comfortably ahead at 22 - 3 The final few minutes saw Horsham continue to control the game with the only notable incident being the sin binning of the Sheppey 15 who a fine kick apart had a frustrating afternoon with the ball in hand which often came with a green shirt attached.

All in all a good performance which demonstrated good control throughout interspersed with fine passages of play - particularly in the handling skills. The squad continues to develop and with the likes of man of the match Mike Penfold starting instead of leading try scorer Neal Holden, and several unavailable players due to return next week, selection continues to be competitive that will continue to drive the team's development, the next instalment of which continues away at Bromley next weekend.