Horley Town 1 Chertsey Town 2

The victory over Horley was Town’s first in six attempts since entering the league.

So a psychological barrier was also overcome in picking up the hard won points in atrocious rain swept and muddy conditions at the New Defence bastion.

The sound performance illustrated another indication that Chertsey’s promotion challenge contains a sense of real grit and determination, not seen from a Curfews side for many a year.

The only negative was the familiar inability of delivering the killer blow when their opponent is on the ropes.

This trait was more than balanced, however, with the self belief of victory as Chertsey, having taken a deserved lead only to see it neutralised by half time, went on to regain and retain the initiative after the interval turnaround.

The margin of the winning score may have been narrow; just one goal, but the demolition of their hosts was complete.

Once again, unavailabilities forced manager Spencer Day into team changes with both Steve Goddard and Steve Gibson being away.

The return of the Wycombe Wanderers’ work experience lads was timed well.

Tom O’Reagan started the game and made a significant impression with his right wing forays from midfield.

Sam Belcher came on with 20 minutes remaining as part of an effective triple substitution which did the trick in turning a looming draw into a positive win.

The imposing Dominic Worthington came in for the defence and gave an assured performance, no doubt boosted by his midweek winning goal at Guildford City.

After a neutral start, Chertsey was the first to show promise in front of goal, even if it did take all of 22 minutes to make a show when Kwabena Agyei just failed to connect with a lively cross with his head.

But it only took another minute before the ball did find the back of the Horley net when O’Reagan skipped through the slimy surface to make space and hoist the ball into the top corner from a dozen yards.

He continued to torment from the right flank giving full back Daniz Medhurst a miserable afternoon in the rain. Chertsey looked comfortable despite the conditions but, although controlling the middle of the park, they were unable to turn their advantage into another goal or two.

The narrow lead proved to be too flimsy four minutes before half time when a nothing looking ball was pumped through from the Horley middle.

The unpredictable surface caught goalkeeper Liam Stone in two minds and the slight hesitation was all Adam Pullen needed as he seized the initiative to reach the ball first and clip it over safely into the Chertsey net for a goal than never looked like coming.

A buoyed up Horley started the second half with vigour but they too could not make it count before Chertsey quickly got back into the game with Dean Papali breaking through and clipping the ball over the home, but much travelled goalkeeper, James Wastell, only to see the ball drift wide.

Andy Crossley then joined in with a powerful 25 yard strike that Wastell managed to palm away.

Jon Boswell also came close, this time with a header as Chertsey tried hard to retake the lead.

Time was starting to pinch and still no success was achieved. John Pomroy, Sam Belcher and Marcus Moody all took to field in one exchange, replacing Agyei, Crossley and Papali and the ruse paid dividends within ten minutes with the winning goal, which came ten minutes from the final whistle.

O’Reagan, who was a little quieter in the second half, came up trumps again with his ball play.

Beating his marker, he chipped a delicate high ball into the goalmouth where Pomroy barely touched it with his head but the action was enough to confuse Wastell as the ball flashed across him into the far side of the net.

Horley had a couple of lengthy shots that skidded off the slick surface and could have caused a problem but Stone was back to full confidence again, as were his team mates, to ride out the final minutes of a well contested match.