City’s Defence Concedes More Early Goals

Published on: 15 Sep, 2025
Updated on: 15 Sep, 2025

Guildford City (1) 2 Horley Town (2) 5

By Barry Underwood

Another Saturday and another hugely disappointing result. Being put on the back foot by conceding early goals is a feature that is making life difficult.

Once again for much of the game City played good football and created more chances than they have in other games. But at times defensively the side was at sea gifting the visitors space in dangerous areas.

Horley were in no mood to wave away such generosity and the quality of their finishing was exceptional. The visitor’s had already seen Joe Atkin head an effort off the line when they took the lead on six minutes.

Tobi Falodi in attempting to hook the ball clear caught an opponent’s leg and Arlie Desanges converted from the resulting penalty.

Deven Reid-Solanki resists a challenge. Chris Pegman

Guildford did respond well, and Kai Zini’s early shot forced Zac Basey into a diving save. On 11 minutes City drew level. Deven Reid-Solanki lifted a cross into the box from the byline, and this time Kai Zini turned the ball beyond the keeper and into the net.

Having done well to draw level Guildford conceded again two minutes later. Liam Trevatt found himself in acres of space and his low shot crept just inside the post.

But City again reacted well with a nice move leading to a goalscoring opportunity but Kai Zini miskicking his effort wide.

On 28 minutes Ben Drake went down in a challenge to nudge the ball past the advancing Basey but after a long consultation the referee decided that there had been no contact and Drake received a yellow card himself.

It was end to end stuff and Drake recovered his composure enough to make a goal saving tackle in his own box.

Late in the half City had chances to draw level. Reid-Solanki’s powerful effort whistled inches wide, a close-range header from Jake Brown went wide, and then Brown took the ball round Basey, but his touch was heavy and the chance was gone.

James Orton on the attack. Chris Pegman

Horley started the second half impressively. They rattled the crossbar on 47 minutes, and three minutes later Desanges got up to head home a good old-fashioned centre-forward’s goal.

To their credit Guildford battled back once again and on 62 minutes the ball fell to debutant Bryan Edwards in the box who drilled the ball home.

City were back in the game but it turned out only for four minutes. A ball into the left channel was missed by a defender and Liam Trevatt went through and finished superbly lifting the ball over the keeper.

Chasing the game, Guildford were pushing bodies forward and were caught on 79 minutes when a neat back heel gave Desanges the chance to shoot home for Horley’s fifth goal and his own third.

Sonny Cooper came close late on, and after a strong run Azeez Elegushi saw his effort blocked by Basey’s legs. Deep into stoppage Cooper saw another effort saved for a corner, and Jaiden Chang-Brown crashed an effort against the post.

Team: Marvin Wood, Tobi Falodi (Azeez Elegushi 57), James Orton (Sonny Cooper 70),
Jaiden Chang-Brown, Bryan Edewards, Joe Atkin, Deven Reid-Solanki, Ben Drake, Jake
Brown (Manny Acheampong 70), Kai Zini, Frank Boamah (Charlie Bland 70). Unused sub:
Charlie Robertson.

Referee: Fidelis Akanga

Attendance – 77

Listen to Ian Newson Plested’s post-match interview with team manager Carl Taylor.