FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round Replay
Hop Oast, Horsham
Admission : £11.00
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 445
I have very much wanted to visit Horsham's new ground since it opened just in time for pre-season this year, following the club's 11 years in exile sharing other club's grounds (at Worthing, Horsham YMCA and Lancing) since their old Queen Street ground was sold to developers. Being off from work this week, and the opportunity to watch an FA Cup fixture played to a finish, this match sufficiently appealed to me to pay my visit this evening, enabling me in the process to recomplete the Isthmian League Premier Division.
Located a couple of miles south of Horsham, Hop Oast is easily accessible, with car visitors able to park in the large Park & Ride car park of the same name located on the opposite side of the road to the football ground. Newly built grounds are renowned for being functional and bland and devoid of character and appeal. None of that applies to this ground, which is really neat, tidy and easy on the eye throughout, spacious and comfortable, and had a really pleasant and peaceful location. After passing by the clubhouse, the entrance turnstiles are located behind one of the goals. The clubhouse is large, bright and airy inside, and is attractively designed on the outside, with the club crest in the gable and a covered area to the front outside offers a decent vantage point of the action, albeit with netting along the front. In the side wall closest to the entrance there is a tea bar, and team line-ups are posted on this wall. A separate brick toilet is located in the corner. The main stand straddles the half way line containing about ten rows of seating, and is blends in well with the countryside surrounding, with the exterior in dark green, and with the seating in a lighter shade of green and with "HFC" spelt out in yellow. A small metallic stand for standing inside is situated immediately behind the goal opposite the clubhouse, whilst along the remaining length, there are modern metallic stands located close to either corner flag, one for standing, the other all-seated. Tall trees all around the ground behind wooden panel fencing provides a naturally enclosed feel, although a golf course and tall netting provides an unusual backdrop for a football ground. A printed programme was available at the ground, or an electronic version could be downloaded from the website after the match. Consisting of 32 pages, it was a very good read, containing plenty of information and stats about both clubs, and Horsham's history in the FA Cup.
On a cool and mostly clear evening, this was a most enjoyable game to watch, which arguable was something of a game of two halves, with the visitors looking the more threatening in the first half. They came close to opening the scoring with just three minutes on the clock, Jack Mazzone firing a free kick from just outside the penalty area against the post. However, the reprieve would only last six minutes, when Metropolitan Police opened the scoring with a very good goal by Bilal Sayoud, who won possession before going on a mazy dribble toward the edge of the area, and then fired the ball across the keeper and into the net. As the half wore on, Horsham got more and more into the game, and equalised on 42 minutes, Harvey Sparks striking the ball from the outer corner of the penalty area and the ball flew into the top right corner. Whether it was intended as a shot or a cross, only Sparks will know, but it meant the two teams would go into the break all square.
However, just three minutes into the second half, Horsham took the lead. A long ball forward was headed on by Lee Harding, finding Chris Smith, and he thumped the ball across the keeper and into the net. And Smith came so close to giving his team clear day light in the tie two minutes later, when he struck the ball wide from a central position after the ball was drilled in from the right. But two minutes later, they had a lucky escape themselves, when Mazzone laid the ball off for Rhys King in a central position in front of goal, but he blazed the ball over the bar. Both sides were now creating plenty of chances, particularly Horsham, and on 74 minutes, Smith saw a delicates shot from outside the area hit the top of the crossbar, but on 80 minutes, Metropolitan Police equalised, Luke Robinson clipping the ball first time across the keeper and into the net. It now looked like the tie was destined for extra time, but deep into added on time, there was a dramatic winning goal. Kieron Pamment lofted the ball diagonally towards the back post, and Smith managed to bundle the ball in from very close range. There were big protests from the visitors, who claimed a hand may have been involved, but after the referee consulted with the linesman, the goal was duly confirmed. There was still time for Metropolitan Police to come with a whisker of sensationally forcing extra time when a shot following a corner struck the crossbar, but it was not to be for the visitors and so it was Horsham who proceed to the next round, when they will host National League South outfit Dartford.
This was a most enjoyable evening, with an action packed game complemented by pleasant surroundings and a friendly feel to the place, and with a lively and engaged support, one feels that Horsham Football Club could have plenty of good times ahead if they can keep the feel-good momentum going in their new home.
An electronic version of the matchday programme can be viewed by clicking here.
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