Depleted - but Horsham still get better of Herne Bay

With veteran former long term Horsham first-team goalkeeper Nick Evans making his seasonal debut after Ben Beard and a teammate were sidelined because of Covid lockdown at Hurstpierpoint School, Horsham were also without Noah Chinn.

But they still bossed the game in the first half and kept the visitors at bay in the second.

Horsham took the lead in the opening minutes when an errant back pass was latched onto for straightforward short range input by Rob Turnbull.

Richard Blakesley then kept the Kentish visitors under pressure with a firm strike, pushed away before a long solo run from Zac Chinn was averted.

Amid waves of Horsham attacks a short corner was kept out and then a cross was almost deflected home and skipper Sam MacDonald was narrowly off target

In a rare foray into Horsham’s half, Herne Bay earned a short corner, but with Horsham exercising excellent ball control, their second goal came, with MacDonald scoring just before the break

Restarting, Herne Bay looked far better with Evans having to be at his best to keep out a short corner.

Three Horsham shorts followed, with their third goal being whacked in by MacDonald from a rebound, following which the game was successfully closed down, player coach Andy Blood keeping the visitors under the cosh with a long solo run before the final whistle.

Post match, keeper Evans told the County Times: “This was a potential banana skin for us, so it was great to secure a clean sheet win.”

He quipped: “I was playing in this team before all of the others were born !”

This Saturday Horsham hit the coast to take on Worthing, who lost 6-4 to Canterbury Pilgrims on Saturday.

Following 5 straight defeats, South Saxons are marooned at the bottom of the table.