Horsham YMCA suffered a reality check as they came crashing down to earth with a 3-2 home defeat by Kingstonian.

Skipper Tom White had talked about a possible push for a play-off place prior to the match following a run of only one defeat in nine games.

But boss John Suter scoffed at that suggestion after watching his side collapse in the second half at a frozen Gorings Mead.

Scott Kirkwood had got YM back on level terms just before the break but the home side gave away two soft goals after the interval and Matt Russell's late strike was only a consolation.

Suter said: "It was a poor performance. We started badly but got back into the game only to give it away with two sloppy goals.

"We played some good football in the last nine games but it was a bad night at the office and now we have to put it behind us and try to get back on another good run.

"The play-offs are not a realistic target for us and our first aim has always been to get enough points on the board to ensure we are safe."

The original clash between these two sides had to be abandoned after 25 minutes due to torrential rain but there was not a cloud in the sky last night causing the temperature to plummet.

YMCA took a while to warm up in the freezing conditions as the visitors dominated the opening stages without making the hosts pay.

Danny Summers had the best opportunity for the visitors only to fire into the side netting from eight yards and YMCA almost took the lead against the run of play in the 26th minute only for Richard Greenfield to make a complete hash of a volley after finding himself unmarked from Kirkwood's cross.

Kingstonian eventually broke the deadlock on the half hour when the YMCA defence failed to deal with a hopeful high ball and Wes Goggin scored at the second attempt after his initial effort was parried by Dean Ruddy.

Summers came close to doubling the advantage when he headed over shortly afterwards but YMCA were on level terms five minutes before the break. Kingstonian only half cleared a corner and Dan Sackman's shot rebounded off a post to Kirkwood who blasted home his tenth goal of the season.

That should have given YMCA the platform to go on and win the game in the second half but instead they self destructed.

Ruddy had already got down well to turn Summers' 20-yard drive around a post when Pat Massaro gifted the visitors a second goal. The striker had dropped back to help out his defence but they will have wished he had not as he only managed to give the ball away to Robert Traynor on the edge of the area and the former Crawley striker punished him by firing inside the far post.

The game was effectively over 12 minutes later when substitute Simon Huckle broke free down the left and his cross was bundled home by Gary Drewett.

Russell pulled one back for the home side in the 90th minute but it proved too little too late.

Horsham YMCA: Ruddy; Carden, Levett, Hooper, Woodburn, White, Russell, Sackman (sub Shoefield 85), Greenfield, Massaro (sub Davies 68), Kirkwood. Subs not used: Fitzgerald, Shuga'a, Westoby.

Kingstonian: Garrard; Coke (sub Lee 86) Cockerill, Finnie, Sorbity, Sills, Drewett, Lampton (sub Huckle 66), Summers (sub Windegaard 73), Traynor, Goggin. Subs not used: Boosey, Riddle.

Referee: Sam Lewis.

Man-of-the-match: Scott Kirkwood.