Promotion finally secured

The Green and Whites last played at this level in 1998-99 as they seek to regain their status as one of the premier clubs in Sussex.

With bottom of the table Horsham Football Club losing 5-0 at Folkestone Invicta and looking likely to be relegated into the Sussex County League, on the same day top of the table Horsham Rugby Club were able to restore the town’s pride with a 10-0 win against the seasiders.

Following Dartfordians loss to Heathfield & Waldron, Horsham now require two wins from their final four games to secure the league title, with the Bexley based side having the more difficult run in with games to come against Bromley and Folkestone.

For the second week running Horsham prevented one of the best sides in the league from scoring a point in a disciplined performance, and have now conceded just one try in their last four games.

With eleven positional changes to the starting line-up due to a mixture of selection preferences, injury and illness Horsham were obliged to show the strength and versatility of their first team squad.

Horsham started strongly. Arun Thompson made a powerful break through the middle which was taken on by Jonny Whiting, making a welcome from injury after three months out, but when scrum-half Josh Mills was held back off the ball by Folkestone captain Martin Murray, a penalty was awarded after 6 minutes however Will Bell was unable to convert the kick at goal.

Horsham had the majority of possession and territory and although Jamie Gibbs made good ground in a break down the right wing the Green and Whites could not turn the pressure into points.

Folkestone gradually came back into the game and had a couple of penalties awarded when Horsham were penalised for holding on and wheeling the scrum but both kicks from James Mead were short or off target.

Horsham were showing the greater fluency with their handling in the atrocious wet and windy conditions, and in one passage of play as the first half approached midway the hosts were building up a head of steam when Whiting passed to an opposing player no doubt confused with both sides looking indistinguishable in muddied shades of green.

Folkestone were infringing the more regularly of the two teams as they struggled to absorb the pressure being applied by Horsham but on 27 minutes Bell was off target with another attempt on goal.

The game reached half time with the score at 0-0, and Horsham having nothing to show for their dominance.

It looked to the home support as if Horsham might rue the failure to take the chances in the first half because Folkestone started the second period looking more purposeful. Bell had a clearance kick charged down which nearly lead to a score from the visitors but they were pulled back for a knock on. Minutes later Folkestone went blind from a scrum and almost scored but the ball was knocked forward in a last ditch tackle.

Horsham brought on fresh legs from the bench, including captain Paul Talbot, to snuff out any revival from the visitors, and when on 55 minutes the Folkestone scrum was penalised for wheeling, Bell was successful with his penalty strike at goal.

Horsham’s scrum was now in the ascendancy and when they won the ball against the head, Whiting picked up and broke through the Folkestone defence, off loaded to Sean Tuhakaraina in support but the scoring opportunity was lost when his long cut out pass went to ground behind Declan Nwachukwu on the left wing.

Folkestone then had a passage of possession and when fly half Adam Tolman chipped over the top it was straight into the arms of Gibbs who burst through the defence, but when the ball was spun right it was spilled in the tackle.

The balance of play was now firmly with Horsham. Tuhakaraina made a powerful break through several tackles without really finding any open space but the succession of penalties being conceded finally took their toll on Folkestone as the referee reached for his cards and outside centre Ollie Walton was sin-binned for not releasing a tackled player.

Bell had another penalty attempt at goal which rebounded back off the crossbar but as Horsham continued to press the mood was soured when Tuhakaraina suffered a bad injury and was later revealed to have broken his fibula.

Johnny Ordidge then made a break and went through several attempted tackles to win a penalty, and Adam Fullerton for Folkestone was yellow carded taking them down to thirteen players. Bell then kicked for the corner to create an attacking position and on 74 minutes man of the match Whiting picked up from a dominant five metre scrum to score which was converted by Bell to seal the win.

Folkestone attacked valiantly in the final minutes for a consolation score but to no avail.

Horsham coach Nick Stocker was happy with the result but not overly happy with the performance: “We had the better physicality and played more of the rugby but our performance impeded a bigger score line. We dropped the ball a lot and didn’t look after it in contact which kept them in the game.

We played in their half for most of the time but didn’t string enough phases together, got isolated, kicked down their throats and gave away the ball too easily.

When we put our phases together we looked the more threatening side but I’m disappointed that we left four tries out there.
I thought Liam Brady did a good job in wearing his man down which allowed Paul Talbot to win the scrum penalties when he came on.
We have been playing with a degree of tension over the last few weeks and I am hoping that this will be released with promotion now secured and we can now put in some performances which will put sides to the sword.

Credit to both teams for trying to play rugby but I thought we were worthy winners eventually and ultimately we were more powerful up front.”

Horsham’s next game is away to Gillingham Anchorians on 7th March.

Horsham: James Whiting, Gibbs, Ordidge, Tuhakaraina, Nwachukwu; Bell, Mills (Rush 60); Brady (Talbot 48), Fisher, Barber; Green (Goward 53), Jonny Whiting; Price, Thompson, Tredgett (capt)