Ryman League Division One North
Saturday 13th January 2007
	AFC Hornchurch	2 - 1	Enfield Town
S Parker 6', Cross 45+2		H/T 2-0 Att:613	Crace 88'

Match Highlights

AFC Hornchurch

Enfield Town

S Parker - GOAL	6
	39	BOOKED - Velandia
Cross - GOAL	45+2
	45	OFF - Velandia ON - Ofori
	51	BOOKED - Hall
	60	OFF - Negus ON - Nyman
Tomlinson - OFF Styles - ON	64
Lee - OFF Sadler - ON	67
S Parker - OFF Foyewa - ON	71	OFF - Hammatt ON - Hunt
Cross - BOOKED	75
	80	BOOKED - Magona
	88	GOAL - Crace
	90+4	BOOKED - Bastian

Match Report by Tony Middleton

The largest league crowd of the season turned out for the visit of Enfield Town, who were in third place in the table. An unchanged line up, and an early warning that today’s referee was not going to stand any nonsense – he was rumoured to have red carded the milk which he said was off. And an almost sensational start for the Urchins when Cross made a spectacular pass from inside his own half to send Parker racing clear, Enfield Town being saved by a flagging linesman, the knowledgeable Eastside loudly questioning the offside decision. Urchins were in total control, and Ens soon went a goal down when Cross picked up a pass in midfield, sent a low ball out to Janney who went streaking away on the right, almost to the goalline, and then Mark put in an inch perfect centre for SIMON PARKER to nod home, to send the 600 plus crowd into raptures. It could easily have been two shortly afterwards, for Glozier sent a long deep pass goalwards to Southon, who was injured in the resulting collision with Bastian and needed lengthy attention.

Ens came into the match as an attacking force when Negus made a good run from the inside left position, and Mark Janney raced back to tackle, conceding a corner. Hall took the kick and Purdie headed out for a corner on the other side of the pitch which Bastian came over to take and the ball was powered against the crossbar, and two follow up shots were blocked by the Urchins defence, led as per usual by captain marvellous John Purdie and the ever dependable Jim McFarlane. Ens came back again, a free kick being played back to Velandia, who was being allowed too much room in midfield, and he played the ball in. Brightly saved and quickly punted the ball upfield where Parker swept forward and beat two defenders before a neat interception by Tickner saved a likely second goal. Janney, having possibly his best game of the season, one of many best games, then slotted a great pass through to Lee who first time left footed shot caught John by surprised and just skimmed the bar. A shot by Southon was touched for a corner and Janney’s kick was headed out by Bastian, and a long free kick from Purdie found McFarlane whose header was fumbled right under the bar by John. Another free kick, also by Purdie, found Tomlinson and his long ball into the middle was fielded at the second attempt by a nervous looking John, who appeared unhappy at the defence, or lack of it, in front of him.

A third free kick – yes, there were a lot of them – this time by Glozier, was headed just over the bar by McFarlane, the visitors defence having no answer to the Urchins aerial power. Tomlinson then intercepted an upfield clearance and played the ball back to Lee who ran clear, only for the ball to bobble as he shot, the ball disappearing into the distance, so much so that there were reports of another incident at the station as an unidentified object terrorised passengers. This was the Urchins best display of the season, for the visitors were certainly a very good side, but they simply had no answer to the home side. Fletcher to Cross, and then a long ball out to Janney, whose centre was headed behind by Campbell and Janney took a short corner from Tomlinson, and crossed to Parker who flicked the ball over John, play then being halted by an offside flag which did not go down well with the crowd, many of whom chanted ‘the referee’s a canvey’.

Town came back with a long pass by Campbell being cleared by Fletcher as Crace threatened, and a highly debateable free kick then had four Enfield Town players all lining up to take it, with Hall eventually hammering the ball into wall. Back to the other end, and a Tomlinson free kick was headed over by McFarlane, and then Velandia became the first player to be booked, for a tackle on Southon, the colour of the card being greeted unfavourably by the Eastside, who perhaps felt it merited the same colour card as had been earlier shown to the milk. Play was held up whilst Southon received treatment, and surely making Jamie then leave the pitch is penalising the wrong team. A magnificent touch on by Cross to Parker saw Simon race clear, but the ball again bobbled and Simon’s flick, whilst beating John, also dropped just over the bar. Lee then streaked away on the left, and crossed, the ball going out to Janney who returned it into the middle, where Parker went close, but not close enough, as Urchins threatened to run riot. The second goal, long overdue, duely followed when the ball was played in from the left, the home defence got into all sorts of muddles, and GARRY CROSS finished off.

Two nil at the interval, the only question being why only two, it could have been five or six. Max sent one lucky Urchin home happy, with £125 from the raffle, whilst the club shop was overwhelmed as everyone wanted to become an Urchin, the scarves in particular being snapped up. The wind increased in power as the teams came out for the second half, with Urchins playing into the worsening conditions, as the rain now began to fall in heavy showers. But it could so easily have been three when Fletcher’s cross was headed out for a corner, and Janney floated the ball across. Simon got there first, and touched back to Lee whose shot somehow swerved over the bar with everyone shouting goal. A Parker run left the visiting defence trailing and he prodded the ball on to Lee who shot inches wide. Ens came back when a long ball was wind assisted and Glozier conceded the corner, which Bastian took and Tickner came in from the back to head wide. A Parker run then saw him send Janney away on the right, Mark touching back to Cross who flicked on to Tomlinson, with Jones doing well to prevent a possible goal. Fletcher up to Lee, and Kris headed powerfully goalwards, where John, now recovered from a somewhat shaky start, saved well, whilst a speculative free kick by Ofori then turned in on goal as the wind increased in power and Brightly saved well.

With Urchins looking assured, Elliot Styles and Dave Sadler came on, Elliot dropping into midfield with Sadler up front. A short pass by Styles to Fletcher and the ball was played up to Parker who ran on and flicked the ball narrowly wide, and it was Styles again in action when Nyman raced clear from a long upfield pass, Elliot nipping across to intercept. On came Amos, and the visitors, both on and off the pitch, must have wondered what they were up against, as Sadler sent Amos clear and the visitors defence looked absolutely perplexed as the speed and ball control. It was Foyewa who almost created another goal, with a neat pass to Cross, and then followed an unsavoury incident when Cross went for the ball, and appeared to be fouled, and the entire Enfield Town team completely lost control and Cross was besieged, the referee and both linesman eventually holding a conference, before a yellow card was waved in the direction of Garry Cross. When Amos was sent sprawling soon afterwards, no card was waved, and the Eastside were by now in very loud voice, even the ballboy joined in, as the crowd clearly were incensed by the tactics of the visitors.

Ens then broke clear and the dangerous Hammatt raced away, his vicious shot being brilliantly touched over by Brightly. Magona was booked, Jamie Southon again being the victim and needing treatment, and as time moved on, the visitors pulled a surprised goal back, when Fletcher’s clearance was played back and RICCI CRACE hooked the ball into the net. Could there be a last minute surprise? Bastian was yellow carded as Town tried in vain to get the ball into the Urchins half, but the closest they came to a goal was when Ofori headed high over the bar. Over five minutes were added on, but another goal did not look likely, and not surprisingly it was Mark Janney who was named player of the match. The final score was just one goal different, but this did not reflect the almost total supremacy the Urchins enjoyed from start to finish.

Video clips by Rob Monger
- 6mins. Simon Parker heads us into the lead
- 45+2mins. Garry Cross tidies up to make it 2-0
- 88mins. Ricci Crace pulls a goal back for Enfield Town
Post match interview with man of the match sponsor Harry Fisher
Post match interview with departing MD Jon Smith

  Teams

AFC Hornchurch Dale Brightly Ron Fletcher Danny Glozier John Purdie (c) Jim McFarlane Andy Tomlinson Garry Cross Mark Janney Kris Lee Simon Parker Jamie Southon SUBS Amos Foyewa Ainsley Gasper Elliot Styles Billy Crowther Dave Sadler

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

Enfield Town Jerome John Paul Campbell Steve Magona Simon Tickner David Bastian Andy Jones Steve Velandia Rudi Hall Ricci Crace Byran Hammatt (c) Matt Negus SUBS Dave Hunt Dean Nyman Robbie Carroll Kojo Ofori Ronnie Watson

Man of the Match Nominated by Harry Fisher Memorial Trophy Mark Janney

Weather Conditions:  11 degrees, showers in second half. Wind speed 15mph increasing to 25mph in second half

Match Officials: Neil West with Kirk English and Dave Revel

Match duration: First half 46mins 33secs. Second half 50mins 23secs
 

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