Ryman League Division One North
Tuesday 26th December 2006
	Canvey Island	1 - 2	AFC Hornchurch
Edgar 33'		H/T 1-1 Att: 702	Cross 8' 61' (pen)

Match Highlights

Canvey Island

AFC Hornchurch

	8	GOAL - Cross
Edgar - GOAL	33
Stuart - BOOKED	60
	61	GOAL - Cross (pen)
	61	BOOKED - Cross
Bourne - BOOKED	64
Gordon - OFF Corbell - ON	-
	66	OFF - Lee ON - Sadler
	77	BOOKED - Bostock
	79	OFF - Lee ON - Styles
Kreyling - OFF Reade - ON	80
Reade - BOOKED	85
	88	OFF - Janney ON - Fletcher
	90+3	BOOKED - Styles

Match Report by Tony Middleton

The tide was out, thick mudbanks lined the meandering trickle of river as we crossed the bridge. It was dull, misty and gloomy and drizzly. The £1.50 rip off car park charge did not help raise the spirits, and many of the 300 Urchins supporters were unhappy about having to hike half way round the ground to gain access via the unwanted persons, or to give it its correct name, the visiting supporters entrance. Come kick off time and there was an official attendance of 702 inside the ground. The teams changed ends, and – so much for segregation – so did both sets of supporters. Isaac looked splendid in his luminous yellow jacket, whilst Uncle was sporting a pair of bright white moon boots, and best of all was Jenny’s chain link handbag. Ryan Lee was given his first start in an otherwise unchanged visiting line up, in place of the injured Jamie Southon.

Urchins started well, Bostock’s free kick being headed on by McFarlane to Tomlinson, and back to Janney whose shot was blocked by Stuart. Purdie broke up a move on the left and upfielded the ball to Cross, who slotted through to Parker, and out rushed Wiseman to make an excellent save. Parker on the turn then found Tomlinson and his low cross shot was well held by an already overworked Wiseman. But a goal was long overdue, and it came when a free kick was headed on, and Janney, Ryan Lee and Kris Lee all grabbed a piece of the action, before GARRY CROSS finished it off with a well placed shot, to send the vast majority of the crowd into raptures. A loan Canvey drummer beat a monotone dirge on his bass drum and a handful of Canvey supporters chanted obscenities, so who cared, we were ahead and on the other side of the ground a Canvey trumpeter sounded what appeared to be the last post.

Could Canvey react? Despite playing before a crowd for a change, they overcame their stage fright and looked threatening. A long ball out to Jay, who blazed his shot high over the bar, the ball disappearing in the direction of the incoming tide, held back by a resilient sea wall. A Bostock free kick – yes, there were quite a few – saw McFarland rise supremely to head goalwards, where 300 voices in unison cried ‘handball’ – a certain penalty, a certain red card, but the referee missed it and Canvey were given a reprieve. And back came Canvey, Roberts cutting in from the left and Purdie launching a magnificent tackle, but back came the ball and Rugg fired over the bar, yet another ball heading towards the sea wall, whose normal duty of keeping the tide out was now superseded by keeping the balls on the island. Another cross from the left, and Rugg again, close but not close enough. And then Davidson pumped a free kick deep into the goalmouth where Brightly gathered under pressure, with Purdie needing treatment following a somewhat enthusiastic challenge. Dale Brightly then pumped a long kick deep into the Canvey end, and Parker ran on, being blatantly held back, but managed to get in a shot none the less, which Wiseman saved. A Tomlinson chip almost found an unmarked Parker, Stuart intercepting, and then Kris Lee picked out Janney, marked closely by no less than three defenders, and Mark slipped through, and cracked in a low shot which Wiseman did well to save. At the seaward end of the ground, in the gathering gloom – at least the floodlights were up to the job, and in this league that is very much a bonus – a short free kick, awarded incorrectly for a foul which should have been the other way, was played to Edgar, whose excellent piledriver was tipped around the post by a diving Brightly, despite the ball taking a deflection en route. And then came the equaliser – Ryan Lee, just outside the Canvey penalty area, was caught in possession by RYAN EDGAR who showed remarkable speed as he powered upfield, the visiting defence back-pedalled, and Ryan hammered home from well outside the area, for a goal which, had it been scored at the Urchins end, would have become a legend.

Canvey were level, but Urchins were just on top, and Glozier played a pass to Parker who was chopped down. Why no card? Janney took the free kick and Wiseman grabbed the ball under the bar. Canvey piled on the pressure in the final few minutes of the half, and Stuart made a good run, before laying off to Rugg, and Brightly raced out to save at this feet. Then followed three successive corners, all taken by Gordon, the first finding Rugg whose shot was turned out by Brightly, the second being headed out by McFarland and the third being hammered away by Glozier.

A search party was sent out at half time, but the lock to the door of the ladies toilets could not the found, and several Urchins officials could not understand where the home directors were – only to discover they had accidentally found their way into the sponsors lounge. Would Urchins continue to give the dangerous home forwards too much room? What did Urchins need to do to get a penalty? We were about to find out, when a much sharper looking Urchins team began the second half, with Bostock opening up the defence with a great pass to Janney, who just failed to reach the ball before Davidson. Janney was having to hang back far deeper than usual to escape his massed army of markers, and whenever the got to the ball it was near panic in the home defence, and it was Janney to Cross whose chip saw Parker racing goalwards, where an alert Wiseman did well to rush out to the edge of his area to save. Ryan Lee to Kris Lee, whose shot was well held, but not by the keeper, the massive hand ball appeal being once again ignored, and although Parker followed up, Wiseman touched the ball onto the post and just kept it out. A Janney free kick landed on the roof of the net, and then, at last, a penalty which was actually awarded. Parker was the provider and Janney raced goalwards, and was scythed down. A red card was a certainty, but instead it was yellow. On the line, the keeper did the hokey kokey, right arm in left arm out, in out in out – but when he put this left leg in, GARRY CROSS put his own right foot out and stroked the ball home, to the delight of the massed red and white army. In the ensuing celebration, the referee joined in and waved a yellow Xmas card at Garry. Simon Parker needed attention when he fell awkwardly and landed on his head, and as Canvey lost theirs, Bourne went into the book for a late challenge on Glozier, who also needed treatment. However when Janney kicked the ball out of play to allow the home trainer on, Canvey turned defence into attack by ‘returning’ the ball deep into the visiting half, which did not go down at all well with the Urchins supporters. A corner for Urchins, Janney swung it over, up goes McFarlane, a massive hand ball appeal yet again, Parker appears to slot the ball over the line, but it is grabbed by Wiseman – was it over? Referee said no it was not. 300 completely neutral Urchins said yes it was.

Cross won the ball and put Ryan Lee away, who played an excellent pass out to Sadler, whose perfect pass inside found Parker who was somewhat controversially pulled back for offside. Amos looked to be coming on, but a late change of plan saw first Styles and then Fletcher join the action, as Canvey strived hard to get level. Brightly fingertipped a dipping shot from Rugg away, and then repeated the process, this time from the ever dangerous Edgar, and then Roberts went through the middle and was tackled by Purdie, but the referee gave a free kick, which Edgar hammered out of the ground and into the direction of the wader roost at Benfleet Creek. Parker soloed his way upfield and hit his shot inches wide, and then a Parker Tomlinson Parker move was thwarted by Davidson. Canvey piled on the pressure as stoppage time went on and on and on. But they could not penetrate the resolute Urchins defence, with Dale Brightly outstanding. Crossing the bridge to the mainland, it was still gloomy, still dull, apart from the bright sunlight over 300 happy Urchins. The tide was in, and so were three more points.

Video clips by Rob Monger
- 8mins. Garry Cross puts us in front
- 33mins. A cracking equaliser from Canvey's Ryan Edgar
- 61mins. Garry Cross makes it 2-1 from the spot
Post match interview with Dave Sadler

  Teams

Canvey Island Ricky Wiseman Craig Davidson (c) Chris Bourne Jon Stuart Dave Kreyling Clydie Roberts Leon Gordon Ryan Edgar Jay Curran Nick Rugg Lee Jay SUBS Steve Corbell Matt Reade George Blewer Andrew West Glen Johnson

- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 * 12 14 15 16 17

AFC Hornchurch Dale Brightly Jordan Bostock Danny Glozier John Purdie (c) Jim McFarlane Andy Tomlinson Garry Cross Mark Janney Kris Lee Simon Parker Ryan Lee SUBS Ainsley Gasper Amos Foyewa Elliot Styles Ronnie Fletcher Dave Sadler

Man of the Match Nominated by ...

Weather Conditions:  6 degrees - some drizzle, dull and gloomy - wind speed 10mph

Match Duration: First half 46mins 28secs. Second half 49mins 51secs

Match Officials: Richard Jaye with Mark Gladding and David Pike
 

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