HORNCHURCH 0 TOOTING & MITCHAM 1
Hornchurch were without captain John Purdie, and Ronnie Fletcher came in, in an otherwise unchanged starting line up. Elliot Styles took over as captain. All programmes were sold out long before the start, as the size of the crowd was considerably more than anticipated, and this included a small following from Tooting. Hornchurch are now sponsoring their local radio, LINK FM, on 92.2 vhf, and regular reports and news items are now expected to go out over the local area. This is in marked contrast to the poor level of coverage from the home newspaper.

Urchins started confidently and played towards the windmill end. Janney exchanged passes with Soz Yao but visiting keeper King rose to the occasion to catch Janney’s excellent centre. A Billy Coyne cross was touched on by Paul Shave to Yao but he was tackled by Joe Vines. Tooting rarely threatened, but looked dangerous when Batchelor broke free on the left, and Goodfellow did well to concede a corner with a timely interception. McLeod took the kick and Paul Vines powered a header inches over the bar. The same player then hammered in a low shot which came back off the foot of the post. A disgraceful incident in midfield saw most of the visiting team become involved and it was something of a surprise when only the unfortunate Jamie Byatt was booked, along with Soz Yao who was the victim, whilst the player to started it all off walked away, with the East Side loudly advising the match officials who had caused the trouble.

Tooting were very physical – this is the polite way to describe it – and when Soz Yao was fouled yet again as he streaked goalwards, it was Yao who took the kick on the edge of the area, but he hit his shot too high and over the bar. A mistimed clearance by York allowed Paul Shave an opening, and keeper King made a magnificent save to keep the ball out. It was the visitors who took a surprise lead when they broke out of defence and worked the ball upfield. A long centre came over from the right wing, Darren Behcet slipped as he fielded the ball, and it ran loose to AARON GOODE, who neatly slotted it into the net for what turned out to be the only goal of the match.

Urchins came close to scoring when Michael Spencer took a long throw to Paul Shave who headed on and Elliot Styles saw his header cannon back off of Dave King. At the other end Hamlin made ground and his centre was met by Paul Vine who headed over. Another incident in the fourth minute of the two minutes added on for stoppages saw manager Billy Smith red carded, whilst the player in question again escaped unpunished.

There was much talk in the packed club shop about the over physical tactics of the visitors but they were in front and that is what was important. At the start of the second half a Shave cross was headed narrowly wide by Yao, and then Joe Stevens, heading for goal, was fouled by Hamlin, but keeper King did well to hold on to Lee Blackburn’s dipping free kick. It was Blackburn again who went close, this time following a good build up by Shave and the irrepressible Joe Stevens, fast becoming a favourite with the knowledge home crowd. Yao to Blackburn and thence to Same Higgins, whose hard shot was blocked on the line. A Billy Coyne low cross into the packed goalmouth saw Ross Wall and Steve Butterworth both get just inches away from touching the ball over the line. Blackburn was brought down by Hartburn as he raced down the left wing, and from the free kick Spencer picked out Wall, who touched back to Blackburn, and his shot was well saved by an on form King.

Tooting broke out of defence, and Goode almost sent his shot into orbit, though with seven balls already in the river we were beginning to wonder if we would run out of balls. Fletcher came up to join the attack and he sent a good pass to Butterworth who in turn made ground before finding Ross Wall, with keeper King saving well. Mark Janney almost got through but Nelson tackled to conceded yet another free kick. Butterworth floated the ball into the goalmouth where Fletcher and King both went for it, and though the keeper appeared to have touched it out for a corner, a goal kick was none the less awarded. Fletcher then conceded a corner at the other end with a wild clearance and Coyne headed away McLeod’s corner kick. Janney was felled once again, this time by Byatt, and Joe Stevens took the free kick, and Dave king
Confidently held the ball. Tooting forced one more corner, taken by McLeod, and then the withstood the final four minutes of stoppage time as ball after ball was pumped into their packed penalty area, and they held on to take the three points.