Horsham FA Cup match report
match report by James Maw
Kingstonian crashed out of the FA Cup in the First Qualifying Round after a 2-1 loss at Horsham.
The heroics of last season's sensational run to the Second Round proper - including wins at Weston Super Mare, Dartford and Macclesfield - were always going to be hard to match, and K's were left frustrated by defeat to our Isthmian Premier League rivals.
K's started - wounded by a heavy defeat at Cray Wanderers - started brightly without creating a clear-cut opening. And then Horsham took a 13th-minute lead when former-K Eddie Dsane rifled home from a title angle after a quick Hornets break.
We may have had a penalty when a Horsham defender looked to have handled a close-range Fabio Saraiva header on the goal line, but the officials were not convinced by our frantic appeals.
Frustratingly, they were far more obliging minutes later, when Horsham's Rob O'Toole went down incredibly easily under pressure from Jake Hutchings in the K's box, and this time a penalty was given.
It was Dsane who punished K's again, this time firing the spot-kick low to Rob Tolfrey's right. Suddenly we had a mountain to climb at The Camping World Community Stadium.
Kadell Daniel was able to work an opening as the first half drew to a close, but was sadly unable to hit the target.
Chances were few and far between for much of the second half, although K's thought they'd scored when another Fabio header this time brought a superb full-length save from Horsham keeper Bradley House.
Horsham seemed to lose their cool as the game wore on, picking up a raft of yellow cards, with left back Harvey Sparkes earning two - the second for a careless lunge on the rampaging Harry Osbourne.
Kingstonian finally pulled one back when Gus Sow held off Lewis Taylor, another former-K, and fired the ball across House and home on 86 minutes. But sadly the Horsham keeper wasn't tested again.
"I think [the referee] had two big penalty decisions that were wrong," manager Hayden Bird said after the game. "It was a frustrating evening because the officials were so bad. I think the team played very well - you've got a group of men in the dressing room that showed an amazing reaction (to the defeat at Cray)."
Horsham: Bradley House, Jerry O’Sullivan, Harvey Sparks, Douglas Tuck, William Miles, Thomas Day, Rob O’Toole, Jack Brivio, Eddie D’Sane, Kieran Monlouis, Lee Harding.
Subs: David Ray (for Eddie D’Sane, 58m), George Bentley, Charlie Harris, Lewis Taylor (for Douglas Tuck, 46m), Reece Hall, Chris Smith, Kieran Lavery (for Rob O’Toole, 88m)
Kingstonian: Rob Tolfrey, Harry Osborne, Fabio Saraiva, Simon Cooper, Jake Hutchings, Tom Kavanagh, Gus Sow, Kenny Beaney, Corie Andrews, Kadell Daniel, Tom Richards.
Subs: Elliott Buchanan (for Tom Richards, 60m), Omarr Lawson, Andre Coker (for Tom Kavanagh, 60m), Jerry Puemo (for Simon Cooper, 64m), Tom Howard, Juevan Spencer, Mason Whitnell.
Red card: Harvey Sparks (55m, two bookable offences)
Goal scorers: Eddie D’Sane (13m, 1-0), Eddie D’Sane (22m pen, 2-0), Gus Sow (87m, 2-1)
Attendance: 509
