Hornets hailed as 50th game looms
Dominic Di Paola heaped praise on his players after Horsham picked up a hard-earned point away to promotion hopefuls Bishop’s Stortford and secured a Velocity Trophy semi-final spot.
The Hornets overcame challenges on and off the pitch to hold the secondplaced Blues to a goalless draw.
Horsham endured an onerous fourhour journey to Hertfordshire, resulting in a 15 minute delay to kick-off. The incessant rain and boggy pitch contributed to a game of few chancesand the Hornets couldn’t find a breakthrough.
Tuesday night saw Horsham advance in the Velocity Trophy with a 2-0 home win over Haywards Heath.
Tom Kavanagh stroked home a penalty after Lee Harding was felled in the box, just before half-time. Harding grabbed the hosts’ second three minutes into the second half.
The Hornets will play Folkestone, Margate or the winners of Bowers & Pitsea v Cheshunt in the semis.
Di Paola said: “I have to take my hat off to my boys. They went to Bishop’s Stortford on a horrible day when the pitch was horrible. They could’ve phoned it in but they challenged Bishop’s Stortford as if we were going headto-head with them for the title. The attitude was brilliant.
“Tuesday night was never going to be easy. Haywards Heath are in good form and they’re in the play-off places in the league below.
“Ithoughttheboyswereprofessional, we got a clean sheet, and Sam Howes didn’t really have a save to make. Over the course of the two games we used the whole squad and everyone was good.”
Tuesday night’s cup tie was Horsham’s 47th game of a marathon season. And the Hornets are still in the Sussex
Senior Cup too. Di Paola said: “We’ve got 12 games to go, with the two semifinals. We’re talking about a 60-game season off the back of two years of Covid where we’ve barely played so I think the boys have been unbelievable.
“I can count on one hand the number of times the boys have not done enough. Although it’s been a bit of a middling season in league terms, I think the boys have been excellent.”
Saturday brings the end of an era at he club as record appearance holder Gary Charman retires.
See a gallery of his career and a preview at sussexworld.co.uk/sport today and tomorrow