Sutton & Epsom were beaten 36–29 by Horsham Saturday 22nd November in a hard-fought and entertaining afternoon at Rugby Lane. The fixture brought together two clubs whose paths diverged at the end of the 2022–23 season, when Horsham were promoted and spent two seasons visiting such places as Bracknell and Bournemouth, while Sutton went into Regional 2 South East for rebuilding. This was their first league meeting, and Horsham’s mid-table position did not reflect their quality. Two draws and a narrow defeat to Sidcup suggested they might easily have been in the top three. The match lived up to expectations, with the sides sharing ten tries but the visitors finishing on top.
Despite forecasts of bleak conditions, rain proved only intermittent and the wind more nuisance than defining feature. Early exchanges showed how hard yards would be to earn, with both sides tackling fiercely in a high-tempo contest. The first score came after twelve minutes when Horsham failed to gather a ball on halfway. Tom Lennard broke towards the flank and linked with Archie Fitzgerald, who released captain Freddy Bunting to score from 30 metres. The conversion was narrowly missed but Sutton led 5–0.
By the end of the first quarter Horsham had turned the match. Scrum-half Aaron Linfield’s footwork took play into the Sutton half, and after several phases prop Luke Standing showed impressive pace to level the scores. Minutes later a Laurence Wise clearance was charged down and centre Tom Whittaker forced his way over. Joe Blake converted both for a 14–5 lead.
Sutton’s positive phases were repeatedly undermined by turnovers, lineout steals and determined Horsham defence. A rare scrum penalty for the hosts inside the 22 provided momentum and hooker Sam Lennie powered over from close range. The conversion drifted wide, leaving Sutton 10–14 behind.
A deep restart forced Sutton back and Horsham soon attacked again. A probing kick earned them a 5-metre lineout and a fumbled catch gave the visitors a scrum in prime position. Persistent defence was finally broken when prop Jack Osgood crashed over, with Blake converting for 21–10. Sutton pressed in the final minutes of the half but were repeatedly repelled. Referee Marc Fusil brought the half to a close with Horsham still 21–10 ahead.
Early in the second half Sutton’s task became harder. After five minutes Kyren Ghumra received a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on, reducing the home side to fourteen men. Horsham capitalised immediately, kicking to the corner and completing a bonus-point try through replacement prop Josh Earle. It gave all three Horsham front-row players a try, though Blake missed his only kick of the day as the lead extended to 26–10.
Sutton rallied despite their disadvantage. A scrum penalty and catch-and-drive produced Lennie’s second try, though the kick was missed. At 15–26, hopes of a comeback rose — only for those hopes to be dashed when Lennard’s clearance was charged down by Blake, who gathered to score and convert for 33–15.
Restored to full strength, Sutton chased points and quickly secured their own bonus point. A charge-down established field position and Lennie completed his hat-trick with a direct finish from ten metres, celebrating in Jason Robinson fashion. Bunting added the conversion for 22–33 with fifteen minutes left. Horsham responded with a calmly taken penalty for 36–22, leaving Sutton needing three scores for victory.
Sutton struck again in the closing stages with a powerful catch-and-drive that released the backs, allowing Ghumra to score in the corner. Bunting converted impressively and the margin narrowed to 29–36 as the match entered added time. A second bonus point was within reach and an equaliser not impossible, but Horsham closed out the remaining minutes to hand Sutton their first home defeat of the season.
Horsham were worthy winners, their disciplined defence denying Sutton’s backline and proving particularly resilient inside their own 22. Scrum-half Linfield was outstanding, dictating tempo with sharp distribution, jinking runs and intelligent kicking. Lock Jacob Denhart disrupted Sutton’s lineout, and Blake orchestrated play with a varied running and kicking game. Athletic and well organised, Horsham look set for a high finish.
For Sutton, Lennie’s hat-trick places him alongside Ghumra and Hegarty as players who have scored league trebles this season yet still finished on the losing side. The scrum was again a major strength, often pushing Horsham backwards. The loss of scrum-half Wise to a dislocated shoulder in the first half was a significant setback. Sutton showed character after the yellow card, but the sense persisted that they were chasing the match, and they may later reflect on missed opportunities inside the Horsham 22.
Next Saturday, 29 November, Sutton & Epsom face Canterbury II, “The Pilgrims”, whose recent run of three wins was halted by a 33–0 defeat to Sidcup. Both teams will be keen to return to winning ways at Merton Lane.
Sutton & Epsom: O’Brien, Fitzgerald, Bibby, Bunting (c), Ghumra, Lennard, Wise, Johnson, Lennie, Mount, McTaggart, Duey, Rea, Tame, Hegarty. Replacements: Boaden, Finney, Munford.
Horsham: Warwick, Sanders, Whittaker, Johnson, Nwachukwu, Blake, Linfield, Standing, Kilfeather, Osgood, Denhart, Howard, Thompson, Paku, Smith. Replacements: Earle, Murphy, Grogan.
Photo credit – Robin Kennedy