A man of the match display from Frank Morgan ensured Patcham United were Sussex W Jewell Trophy winners as they defeated Horsham 2-0 at Culver Road on Sunday.

First-half goals from Samuel Wauchope and captain Isaac Omoyinmi put them in control before goalkeeper Morgan stole the show.

The keeper made multiple good saves, notably an injury-time penalty save from Horsham forward Cole Irving. The latter all but sealing the win.

The first quarter of the hour saw Patcham assert their dominance, with an Omoyinmi shot saved by Horsham goalkeeper Joe Buckle, then hitting the crossbar in the 11th minute.

Horsham saw their first effort in the 13th minute thanks to Cole Irving, latching onto a long ball but met with a routine stop from Morgan.

Five minutes later, Horsham’s failure to defend a corner saw midfielder Wauchope fire a shot that the keeper saved, but the assistant referee awarded the goal as it had deemed to cross the line.

Striker Omoyinmi, who had been a threat the entire first half, grabbed a much-deserved goal with his first-time strike powered through Buckle.

2-0 down, Horsham needed to find a way to get back into the game or face a rout. Immediately, Horsham was awake as soon as the second half began.

Harry Semark was at the forefront of Horsham’s attacks. He blazed a first-time effort before creating their best chance in the 37th minute. A lovely display of dribbling on the flank finding substitute Cyrus Sharpe, whose shot saw Morgan respond with a magnificent save.

At this stage, the final became end to end, with both teams creating chances. Omoyinmi found teammate Vincent Stevens who fired it across the goal but sailed narrowly wide.

The last five minutes of the game saw Morgan again prevail in the key moments. Firstly, he saved Semark’s effort after he surged through Patcham’s defence before saving a penalty in the final minute.

Irving looked to convert the spot-kick, which would have given Horsham a lifeline. Yet, Morgan dove terrifically high to his left to palm wide, sealing the cup for Patcham and a Man of the Match performance.

Patcham managers Nick Graham and Andy Bellucci were proud of their side’s character despite not playing their best in the second half.

“We did play the best today, we know that. They (Horsham) were the much better team in the second half, you have to acknowledge that,” Bellucci said.

“But the resilience that these lads have got is phenomenal and that’s what got us through today.”

While Horsham’s Jamie Irving could not be prouder of his team and their performance, though he did admit to a different tactical approach being the reason for their slow first half.

“The nerves got the better of the boys today in the first half, started off a bit sloppy. We tried to adjust our formation to counter-react the opposition,” he said.

“Second half, we reverted pretty much back to how we like to play football and went for a formation that more suited our boys. I felt we came out the better team, just couldn’t convert our chances. Goalkeeper for Patcham, absolutely superb and just overall what a fantastic final."

(A selection of photographs can be found on Facebook - courtesy of Simon Roe Photography)
(Video highlights are available above and on YouTube - courtesy of Your Instant Replay)

Stats: (Patcham United-Horsham): Goals (2-0); Shots (14-14); Shots on target (5-4); Offsides (5-2); Fouls (5-5); Yellow Cards (0-0); Red Cards (0-0)

Patcham United: Morgan, Graham, Omoyinmi, Bellucci, Blosse, Stevens, Guilford, Wauchope, Whelpdale.
Subs: Mewett, Barnes.

Horsham: Buckle, McClenahan, Sullivan, Dickinson, Miles, Vinnicombe, Irving, Harding, Semark. 
Subs: Willard, Cairns, Girling, Sharpe, Moloney.

Match Report by Girvane Bila