After two solid away wins and with just two games left in the Southern Combination Premier Division season, Bexhill Utd made the trip up the A23 to Horsham YM on Saturday.

The hosts have had a magnificent season which has seen them already make it into the play-off berths and now they are battling for status in the shoot out for promotion.

YM have developed a productive partnership with League One bound Bromley FC, a club elevated from non-league standings and their Sussex counterparts have a fighting chance of climbing the pyramid themselves.

In the opening five minutes of this match it was the visitors who had the upper hand and but for some last ditch defending and blocking on the line, the Pirates would have had an early lead.

But it seemed to kickstart YM into life and in a blistering period of the game they killed off the match. Finn Holter pulled off a blinding save ten minutes but proved to be a brief respite.

Moments later Horsham had opened the scoring and in an eight minute blitz they ripped the Pirates apart and established a three goal lead.

Bexhill might have been shell-shocked but on 23 minutes Jack Shonk replied with a 25 yard free kick into the top corner, proving to be the goal of the match but one that didn’t start a legendary comeback from the Pirates.

Ten minutes before half time, YM scored again, Bexhill conceding far too easily and the game was done as a meaningful contest before the break.

In the second half Theo Coombs climbed off the bench to inject some much needed energy into the Pirates ranks and gave the hosts a little more to think about but it was the home side who slotted home another two goals to see out an easy win and one that gives them some real momentum going into the final game of the season and beyond.

Bexhill have one more home fixture to come this Saturday as they host Pagham at Hastings Utd’s Pilot Field ground, ko 2pm.

Courtesy of Geoff Morris.