ALI Rennie found little to criticise about his team's performance in their home defeat to Badshot Lea last Saturday.

His assertion that his Horley side played well against a good side and did not deserve to lose by such a margin had justification.

"I wasn't a game that reflected a 3-0 defeat," he said. "I thought we played very well over 90 minutes and two defensive mistakes cost us early in the game.

"The energy levels were good. We created a lot of problems."

McClure was allowed to weave his way through after eight minutes to open the scoring and on 35 minutes it was two when Daniel Guscott, the captain, slipped, allowing Brad Smith to go past him and score past Dan Cupit.

Adam Pullen ended up tangled in the net just before half-time, powering his header against the bar and his momentum taking him over the line.

Rennie said: "If Adam's header goes in it's a different story."

Cupit also made a good save from Smith late in the half that kept the hosts in the game and Horley had had their chances.

John Eldred had an early chance to level after a good team build-up but shot wide, as did Luke Ragetti from 18 yards after lively Luke Jones-Whittaker's persistence.

Pullen's shot from 20 yards was initially fluffed from 20 yards by Matt Watson but grabbed before it could go over the line.

Jones-Whittaker had a great chance, put in by Pullen, but refused to use his left foot and lobbed the ball from an awkward angle over the goal with his right.

Eldred headed wide and effervescent Jamie Risebrow's cross could not be turned in by Pullen, who was beaten to it by the keeper.

In the second half, Eldred suffered a split lip in an incident the referee missed in Horley's penalty area.

Midway through the half, Pullen struck the bar again from 18 yards after a well-worked chance from Nathan Jupp's inside pass.

Ben Herdman acrobatically cleared off Horley's line when Cupit had come forward to take a free-kick and the move broke down quickly.

Horley opened the game up more in the last 20 minutes when Jones-Whittaker, who had worked tirelessly on his own up front, was taken off and Jupp and Michael Death sent on.

One break resulted in a foul on Risebrow given by the assistant referee but Guscott struck the free-kick straight at the wall.

Despite Horley's persistence, it was three when Badshot followed up after Guscott cleared a shot off the line.

Horley: Cupit, O'Sullivan (Mills 85), Medhurst, Herdman, Guscott, Eldred, Raggetti, Eldred, Jones-Whitaker (N Jupp 75), Raggetti, Pullen (Death 75). Unused subs: Bryant, Forsdick.