Horsham FC boss won’t play blame game after late postponement at Lewes FC

The Isthmian Premier fixture was postponed about an hour before kick-off due to a waterlogged pitch, with many fans and players already at the Dripping Pan.

But Di Paola refused to lay the blame at the Rooks’ door, admitting the decision to call off the game was the right one.

He said: “The problem with that pitch is it’s like concrete. There’s nowhere for the water to go, so it just sits on the top. It’s not ideal.

“The referee tried to give it the best chance to start the game, but I got there at 5.30ish and it was obvious to me that we weren’t going to be able to get the game on because the water had just stayed on the top.

“It’s really odd considering the amount they’ve spent on it that it doesn’t drain very well. The pitch was perfectly playable, but the surface water killed the game.

“It did rain in the end until about 10 o’clock, so it would have just sat on the top and it was never going to go anywhere.

“It was probably the right decision to call it off. It’s just a shame everyone had to travel. I don’t think there’s anyone to blame. I don’t think Lewes are at fault.

“People make snarky comments like, ‘they’ve spent a fortune on it [the pitch]’, but I just think people like making sly digs on social media. They would have put down that pitch with the intention and aim of getting more games played and having a better surface, and I’m all for that.

“It’s frustrating for the boys that have travelled from further afield. I’m only down the road, but some of the boys were literally just getting there when we turned them around.

“It’s another headache. It’s another game later down the line, but there’s nothing we can do about it.

“I don’t think the world’s against us. I don’t think someone up there is putting extra water down - although maybe I need to get to church a bit more regularly!”

Saturday saw the Hornets boost their play-off hopes with a 2-1 home win over Sussex rivals Hastings United.

Victory kept Horsham in fourth, but moved them level on 61 points with place-above Enfield Town with a game in hand.

James Hammond’s penalty opened the scoring on 12 minutes before Dan Ajakaiye robbed Hastings stopper Charlie Grainger to make it 2-0 14 minutes later.

Sam Cruttwell reduced the arrears on the hour mark but the Hornets went on to claim the three points.

Di Paola said: “They moaned about the penalty - and rightly so as it was very, very close - but their goal came from a corner that shouldn’t have been given because it came off their player. Their goal came from a clearance out the box, it went back in and they scored from that.

“But in the first half we were excellent. I don’t think they troubled us. There was a really good header by Davide Rodari, but apart from that I don’t think they caused us too many problems.

“I think in the second half, if Sham [Fenelon] or Dan scored that chance two or three minutes before they scored, I think we’d have been comfortable.

“Losing Brivs [Jack Brivio], we had to reshuffle the shape, which wasn’t ideal, but I thought it was a really, really good win.”