HORNCHURCH 0 CANVEY ISLAND 3
What can be said about a match where there are three penalties, nine bookings, yet only two bad tackles, one of which went unpunished?
There was very little action at either end until Canvey took the lead with a twice taken penalty. Canvey were awarded a free kick about 25 yards out after Elliot Styles was penalised for a tackle, and Rob King crashed one of just a handful of shots that were on target during the entire match, and Ollie Morris-Sanders dived to touch the ball onto the bar. The drama was not over as the referee awarded a penalty seconds after, although Billy Coyne appeared to take the ball fairly. Up stepped Rob King to neatly slot the penalty home to Ollie’s left, but the referee wanted it re-taken as visiting players had encroached into the area. Up stepped ROB KING once again to neatly slot the ball into the same place as he had just a half minute earlier.
Neither team threatened to score in open play, this, though a good cross from Alex Rhodes went begging across goal, and a hard drive from Rob King forced Ollie into a diving save. Ashley Dumas then combined well with Alex Rhodes to set up Jason Hallett but his shot was wide of the goal. Hornchurch created a chance when Dave McSweeney played a good pass along to Lewis Smith who raced clear, but the alert James Russell came way outside of his area to kick away. Though the ball was promptly played back Chris Moore had got back to clear. McSweeney and Tommy Black then set up Elliot Styles but Elliot was caught in possession and the ball was cleared.
Lewis Smith almost broke through but Moore clearly wildly, and at the other end Ronnie Fletcher neatly cut off a wing run from Rhodes. Close to half time Lewis Smith won a free kick on the left, and Black’s cross was cleared by Frank Everett for one of the few corners in the match.
The 50-50 prize of £80 was claimed by Carly at half time, and the second half started with a lot more zest from Hornchurch, though without any reward. Moore headed away from Black and Coyne and Styles set up Jo Flack whose run was stopped by an offside flag. Styles then played a good ball out to Michael Spencer whose cross came to nothing, whilst Black hit a free kick inches wide of the post. Canvey then broke away and another penalty was awarded, though there appeared to be nothing wrong with Ronnie Fletcher’s tackle, which ROB KING once again neatly converted. A minute later there was a massive appeal at the other end when Jo Flack went crashing to the ground, but the referee decided that it was a dive and booked Jo instead of awarding what many considered a clear cut penalty.
Morris-Sanders then saved a free kick from the ever dangerous Rob King, and Tam Eyong came on for Billy Coyne, and promptly opened up the play on the right to slot the ball in to Lewis Smith who in turn laid it off to Leon Hunter, but his shot went wide of the goal. Flack and Spencer between them won a corner, but Black’s kick was headed away by Ashley Dumas. Tam won another corner and this time Black sent the ball over to Rickie Hayles whose header was a fraction too high and over the bar. Russell save well from a Hayles free kick and Russell did well to react quickly when Ollie punted a long ball downfield for Smith to chase. With Hornchurch applying a steady pressure the turning point came when Tam Eyong went streaking away from the half way line only to be scythed down by Steve Ward. The only possible decision was a straight red but the referee decided instead on yet another yellow card, to loud jeers of disapproval from the East Side.
Two minutes from time a well timed tackle by Dave McSweeney was penalised, and yet another penalty was awarded, and for the third time ROB KING placed the ball in exactly the same spot. There was little left to play for as Canvey simply shut up shop, though they did introduce Danny Heale for the final fifteen seconds of the match. In the five minutes added on for stoppages the only half chance fell to Hunter after good work by Styles and Eyong, but he was thwarted by a somewhat controversial offside flag. |
