Ryman League Division One North
Saturday 21st April 2007
	Ware	1 - 2	AFC Hornchurch
Nielson 20'		H/T 1-1 Att:221	S Parker 32', 48'

Match Highlights

Ware

AFC Hornchurch

Nielson - GOAL	20
	32	GOAL - S Parker
	48	GOAL - S Parker
Stevens - OFF Coughlan - ON	72
	73	OFF - Janney ON - A Parker
	76	OFF - Fletcher ON - Crowther
Frendo - OFF Bradford - ON	82
	84	OFF - Foyewa ON - R Lee

Match Report by Tony Middleton

Elliot Styles in the marathon, Jamie Southon and Danny Glozier both out with injuries, so it was an unusual looking Urchin team who took the field to the sound of the Pogues singing Fiesta and the home team lining up and applauding the greatest team ever seen in the Isthmian League. Andy Tomlinson at left back, Amos at outside right and Mark Janney at outside left, with Alex Fiddes midfield. The ground was a sea of red and white apart from the grey suited home following, immaculately dressed, behind Dale’s goal.

What a start for the Urchins. Fiddes played a long pass up the field, Bardle and Woods both left the ball for each other, and Woods had to kick wildly clear as Lee homed in, the match ball disappearing into the blue yonder. And seconds later it could have been one up, for McFarlane sent the ball through the middle, and Kris Lee, back to goal, turned and crashed in a shot which cannoned off the post and was scrambled away. Janney, on the left wing, then slotted in a pass to Kris Lee who touched on to Foyewa and thence on to Cross, who just failed to screw the ball home. Ware were by no means there to make up the numbers and when Cross lost the ball to Neilson, his resulting cross was turned out for a corner, which Neilson took and Purdie headed powerfully away. Back came Ware, with Stevens taking a free kick near to the corner flag, the decision perplexing many of the large away following as Cross appeared to have been fouled, and the ball found the inrushing Hammonds, who hit his shot wide of the post, with a the grey suited home following shouting ‘Goallll - o on o no o dear, it’s gone wide’.

Simon Parker, after a great solo run, saw his shot half blocked, with Woods gathering gratefully, whilst at the other end Tomlinson had to play a Neilson cross out for a corner, which was wasted, the ball being returned upfield for Lee to lay a pass out to Fiddes, who homed in but cracked his shot wide of the goal. A Purdie free kick was headed back by McFarlane to Kris Lee, who mis hit his shot as the ball bobbled on the hard surface. And then a goal, starting with what many considered to be a poor decision, when hand ball was awarded against Fiddes, the ball having been hammered straight at him from just a yard away, and from the free kick the defence was caught out and the ball returned back across the goalmouth for SCOTT NEILSON to flick home, sending the home crowd into raptures of delight.

Urchins came back strongly, Lee sending Janney away on the left, and the low hard cross being cleared by Blower, Ware’s Wolf then returning the ball upfield where Brightly had to race out of goal to kick clear from the Horsey. Urchins put the home side under heavy pressure and drew level when SIMON PARKER created space for himself, turned and from 30 yard hammered in a thunderous left footed shot which went in via the diving Woods and the post, for what many consider to be the best ever goal scored at Wodson Park, with 150 Urchins showing the home support what a real celebration is like. This was what everyone had come to see, and the Urchins threatened to run riot. Fiddes to Janney, who beat his three markers and Hammonds managed to clear the cross with Lee coming in at speed. An incredible interchange of passes between Fletcher, Parker and Janney ended when Blower hammered yet another ball out of the ground, and then it was Ware who threatened, Brightly dealing with a hard free kick from Berry. A Tomlinson free kick found Lee, who played the ball on high to Foyewa, but his shot was too high. Right on half time, Brightly ran out to head away from Horsey, the loose ball being gathered up by Janney and on to Fiddes whose hard shot was parried by Woods, and SIMON PARKER followed up to score, the mass celebrations being silenced by the linesman who oscillated his flag vigorously, and a highly dubious offside was awarded, with Simon Parker clearly extremely unhappy over what was a blatant miscarriage of justice.

Half time, and the anger at the goal that was not a goal took a long time to subside. But it was time to read the programme, one of the best in the league, which contained a glowing tribute to the loyalty of the Urchins following. For Audrey in the food kiosk, it was a memorable occasion, as she was retiring after seven years in charge, and she was being run off her feet by the massive queues of Urchins all wanting one of the cheapest and best hot dogs in the league. But it was also a worrying time –with six balls already booted into oblivion, did Ware have enough balls to finish the match? Would the referee re-appear? He had already been hit by the ball three times.

Urchins stepped up a gear and Fletcher quickly found Parker and then on to Lee, with Hammonds intercepting Kris’ cross. With the away following still seething about the disallowed goal, justice was served, when Brightly played a long ball up field, which was headed back to Lee who touched on to SIMON PARKER , who calmly looked up, decided that with four defenders between him and the goal, he could not possibly be offside, and then neatly chipped the ball into the net. It could have been three within a minute, for Lee, completely dominant and in unstoppable form, sent Parker away, with Woods rushing out to kick clear, but only as far as Janney, still on the left wing, and he lobbed the ball over Woods and onto the roof of the net.

Ware won a corner with their first move of the second half, but Purdie cleared easily and the ball was played up to Cross, whose short pass found Tomlinson who back headed on to Foyewa who raced in only for Woods to save at his feet. Amos again, wining a midfield ball but being tackled by Bordle. Ware could have got back into the match when Burton embarked on a long run which ended in a low shot which brought the save of the match from Dale Brightly, who two minutes later then made a miraculous save, flinging himself to the right to make an incredible diving save. Balls eight nine and ten all vacated the ground in quick succession, and then it was Foyewa sending Parker clear, Woods coming out to smother at his feet. Cross to Janney and then to Foyewa whose shot was inches wide, and a good build up involving Tomlinson, Parker and Foyewa ended in a corner which Fiddes hit too long and the ball was cleared.

Fiddes put Amos clear again, with a corner resulting and Foyewa took the kick, with Adam Parker, just on the field in place of Janney, glancing his header inches wide. And then a real shock – Jim McFarlane moving up briefly to play at centre forward, but having headed close from a Purdie free kick, Jim trotted back to his more usual position. A poor goal kick from Woods saw Foyewa put Lee clear, but Woods recovered well to rush out to save at his feet. Crowther came on for Fletcher and dealt well with a thrust on the left wing, and it was Crowther again, taking a pass from Purdie, who sent Simon Parker away, with Woods again coming way out of goal to save. Ware threw everyone forward in the final few minutes, with the away goal coming under some pressure, and with Berry about to take a corner, Ryan Lee came on for Foyewa to boost the defence, and Brightly punched clear from Berry.

Thirty three without defeat, a record, 97 points, another record, 89 goals, a record, almost enough to get some lavish praise from the local papers. The Urchins legend continues.
 

Video clips by Rob Monger
Pre match interview with Match Secretary Kerry Street
- 20mins. Ware take the lead through Scott Nielson
- 32mins. Simon Parker scores a terrific equaliser
- 48mins. Simon Parker scores the winner
Post match interview with striker Simon Parker

  Teams

Ware Luke Woods Dave Blower Michael Bardle Danny Wolf (c) Stuart Hammonds Sam Berry Scott Nielson John Frendo Steve Horsey Paul Burton Joe Stevens SUBS Daniel Bradford Karl Ramshaw Jason Coughlan Andy Crawford Danny Gudgeon

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

AFC Hornchurch Dale Brightly Ron Fletcher Andy Tomlinson John Purdie (c) Jim McFarlane Garry Cross Mark Janney Alex Fiddes Kris Lee Simon Parker Amos Foyewa SUBS Ryan Lee Adam Parker Dave Sadler Ainsley Gasper Billy Crowther

Man of the Match Nominated by ...

Weather Conditions:  15 degrees and sunny. Wind speed 10mph

Match Duration: First half 46mins 36secs. Second half 45mins 32 secs

Match Officials: Mark Brampton with David Pike and Robert MacKay
 

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