A damp evening in West Sussex saw the Ambers taking on Horsham FC, FA Cup victors over Woking at the weekend, this being Cheshunt’s third away match in eight days .  The hard working press was back & it was not apparent Cheshunt were the team with the Sunday match in their legs.  Winning the ball back early and in Horsham half was creating opportunity, Beckles Richards back from suspension, former Hornet Zack Newton & the marauding Amadou Kassarate all had shots over or wide, Newton beat the offside trap only for the Hornets keeper to smother and the ball be cleared off the line.  The high defensive line played by Horsham saw Joe Re also break the offside trap, with a long way to go,  a square ball was cut out by the keepers outstretched leg when maybe a shot was available? Would Cheshunt take advantage of the possession their hard work was earning them? 

At the back if it was in the air Marsh was catching it, ahead of him Crowther was heading it, out wide Ekongo & Maclean had the strength and pace to shut down threats, at the heart of the defence Sunday’s hero Taylor Mackenzie read the Horsham game, kept everything in front of him laid out as if on his work desk, and consistently fed his midfield with the ammunition to build another attack. 

0-0 at half time and questions being asked if Cheshunt could keep up the aggressive press, the answer was an emphatic yes!  Taylor Miles epitomised everything good about the Ambers energy, buzzing around the right side of midfield like an angry wasp, winning everything and linking beautifully with skipper Joe Re, and the efficient Zubayr Boadi, did he lose the ball or make a loose pass all night? A mesmerising piece of one touch football saw the three of them carve open the home defence forcing another save from Sam Howes in the home goal.  

The breakthrough came when former Hornet Zack Newton beat his man again and crossed low for Reece Beckles Richard’s to muscle his way across his marker & bury the ball into the net at the near post. 

Astute substitutions gave Cheshunt fresh legs to maintain pressure on Horsham with Nordi Bobomuradov stretching them wide and  Mo Camara going central winning headers and harassing the keeper & centre halves into first time clearances rather than constructive passes.  

Bobomurodov in particular was finding a lot of space to receive and tie up the full backs, Joe Re pulling the strings and captain for the night repeatedly set him free. on the eightieth minute  Bobomuradov moved to the inside, took advantage of some wayward defending when a clearance header from Crowther was spooned up into the air,  he advanced into the box, one touch past the defender a second to get an angle on the advancing keeper  the third touch to slam an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net. 

Sam Howes made an excellent double save from Ambers striker Mo Camara to keep the score respectable. Substitutions from Horsham did bring them some joy down their left side, but anything dangerous was dealt with by Ekongo and Mackenzie, Horsham did win a succession of corners in the latter stages of the match not allowing Ambers fans to relax, but if Marsh didn’t catch them, then Kassarate, Mackenzie and Crowther headed clear to see the Ambers take another three well deserved points on the road.