Ryman League Division One North
Saturday 24th February 2007
	AFC Hornchurch	1 - 1	Waltham Abbey
Cross 39'		H/T 1-0 Att:416	Williamson 66'

Match Highlights

AFC Hornchurch

Waltham Abbey

Cross - GOAL	39
	45	OFF - Darwin ON - Power
Janney - OFF Foyewa - ON Gasper - OFF Collins - ON	59
	63	OFF - H Elmes ON - Williamson
	66	GOAL - Williamson
	72	OFF - Sontag ON - Burt
Southon - OFF Parker - ON	73

Match Report by Tony Middleton

Heavy rain equals heavy pitch equals ideal for Abbey. Kris Lee, Simon Parker and Danny Glozier all still missing, but Mark Janney returned after injury. A crowd of 416 had gathered at the start, with Urchins kicking towards the windmill end. A good start, Gasper and Fiddes linking in spectacular fashion, with Fiddes putting in a good centre, which Jordan Bostock headed away. Abbey packed their defence, as do most teams at the Bridge, but briefly threatened when Webb took possession on the left, where Fletcher tackled, putting the ball up to Cross in midfield. Cross quickly found Gasper whose run was thwarted by Forde who had come across to cover. Fiddes then found Sadler and he was tackled by Page, who conceded a corner, which Fiddes took, but the massed defence cleared comfortably. Cross intercepted a long pass upfield, and sent in an equally lengthy pass along for Sadler to chase, with Hickman rushing out of goal to clear. Janney almost broke through but was fouled by Webb, Fletcher taking the free kick and floating the ball across, where Page headed away, as Gasper came in at speed.

Southon was fouled in midfield and Fletcher’s long kick into the goalmouth was headed away by Forde as Urchins stepped up the pace. A rare chance fell to Abbey when Fletcher missed his kick and allowed Darwin to evolve rapidly towards goal, but McFarlane cut back quickly to clear. James Elmes almost managed to get through on the right, but Styles broke the move up to feed the ball along the left where Fiddes crossed and Sadler touched on to Fletcher who won a corner, which was fielded by Hickman. The best chance of the half started with a long penetrating run by Gasper who rounded Hickman, the keeper just doing enough to parry the ball, and it ran out to Janney, seemingly with the task of powering the ball into the net, but Janney took too long, and then had to take the ball past three covering defenders, the third of whom cleared off the line. An excellent exchange of passes involving Gasper, Janney and Cross ended when Bostock again tackled, and at the other end Harry Elmes gained possession and Styles did well to tackle, putting the ball out for a corner. Webb took the kick and Brightly punched away. Sadler moved on to a Purdie pass and slotted the ball through to Gasper, whose shot was turned out for a corner, which Janney took but could not find a home player among the green and white hoped masses. Fletcher joined in, linking with Cross, and finding Fiddes, whose excellent pass reached Gasper, Bostock again preventing a possible goal. Brightly at last had a save to make when Webb moved sharply in from the left and fired in a shot, Dale saving comfortably at the foot of the post.

A goal was long overdue, and it came when Southon started a move inside his own half with a good pass out to Sadler, who fired the ball across goal, and it was half cleared as far as Janney who touched inside to GARRY CROSS, who hit a swerving shot into the net, the ball first appearing to be going wide before swerving in alarmingly.

Sadler next found Janney and his long run opened up the defence, the ball being turned back to Sadler, and his cross was well held by Hickman. Sadler again, this time sending Cross racing through the middle, and Bostock managed to get in a tackle. Almost on the interval, Purdie headed away a cross from the left, almost too close to his own goal for comfort and from the corner Webb had the ball played back to him, and his hard ground shot went across the goal and out of play.

Half time, and £105 was the jackpot prize, and a surprise visit from Jon Smith, who recently moved into the midlands, but whose own match had been called off, along with many more. The news that the Irons were three down was greeted with surprise – most thought it would be more than three.

A good start to the second half, Styles crossing for Sadler and Fiddes taking up the running, but hammering his shot wide. Purdie broke up a good move involving Sontag and James Elmes, and then another corner, taken by Janney, which led to a huge scramble in the goalmouth, before Cross thundered a shot into the mass of defenders, the ball rebounding high and long an enabling Webb to race away, where he won a corner, and Brightly punched away and Purdie completed the clearance. A Styles run ended with a good tackle by Forde, whilst Cross found Gasper and his shot was turned out for a corner. Janney again took the kick and the ball was punted away, and eventually ended up in the tree behind the river side stand, where a squirrel thought it was a big nut and tried to squirrel it away.

On came Amos, and was given an opening by Cross, Foyewa racing away but hitting his shot wide of the goal, and then Foyewa sent over a good centre which Hickman did well to keep out. With Urchins seemingly in total control it was something of a surprise when RUSSELL WILLIAMSON converted what seemed a harmless low cross from the left to put the scores level. Urchins powered back, Foyewa seeing his shot deflected out by Forde for a corner, and Collins floated the ball over, where McFarlane tried to touch it back to Cross, but Forde nipped in to clear. A Purdie free kick then was headed back by McFarlane to Cross whose rocket like shot cannoned back off a defender who got in the way and wished he had not. Styles crossed to Adam Parker and he found Cross who again hit in an excellent shot, which this time rose just a little too high and over the bar. Brightly was briefly in action, taking a low ball from the left wing, but when Forde lost possession at the other end, it looked certain to concede a goal and Collins swept goalwards, only to curl his shot wide. Adam Parker hit a centre from Collins high over the bar, whilst Brightly had to move sharply to save from Williamson, and the same player then forced a good save from Brightly, at the cost of a corner. In the time added on for time wasting, and not enough time was added on by a long margin, Urchins swarmed all over the Abbey goal, the final whistle coming just as Collins hit a shot inches over the bar.
 

Video clips by Rob Monger
- 39mins. Garry Cross puts us in front
- 66mins. Russell Williamson gets the equaliser
Pre match interview with Essex Senior League Chairman Rob Errington
Post match interview with ex Hornchurch manager Arthur Wenborn

  Teams

AFC Hornchurch Dale Brightly Ron Fletcher Elliot Styles John Purdie (c) Jim McFarlane Alex Fiddes Garry Cross Mark Janney Dave Sadler Ainsley Gasper Jamie Southon SUBS Amos Foyewa Dave Collins Andy Tomlinson Adam Parker Billy Crowther

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

Waltham Abbey John Hickman Wesley Forde Dan Page Lee White Jordan Bostock Marc Sontag James Elmes Albert Bostock Ben Darwin Harry Elmes Danny Webb SUBS Luke Power Nicky Burt Russell Williamson Billy Bricknell Tony Tillbrook

Man of the Match Nominated by Jamie Southon

Weather Conditions:  Overcast. 8 degrees, wind speed 10mph.

Match Officials: Steve Rubery with Lloyd Wood and Ross Wooding

Match duration: First half 48mins 28secs. Second half 49mins 9secs
 

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