HORNCHURCH 1 HENDON 2
Paul Shave came in for Frank Curley, in an otherwise unchanged starting line up. Hendon were minus their flag waving supporters – both of them – who were here last season, and the huge traffic jams from the west of the town seem to have deterred many of the floating supporters, though on an evening when temperatures plummeted there was a none the less reasonable turn out, given the lack of away support. A first for Hornchurch – they had the same referee’s assessor two matches in a row – he was also at Hastings.

Urchins kicked towards the windmill end of the ground, and quickly won a corner, which Andy Tomlinson floated over, and James Parker cleared, nearly sending the ball into orbit, and just missing a low flying owl. O’Leary needed lengthy treatment following an injury in midfield, and from the restart Donny Barnard gained possession, powered forward, and drove his shot inches wide of the far post.

With Urchins well on top, it was Mark Janney who set off on an inspired run, racing past Leach and sending a perfect pass to Tomlinson, whose centred went across goal and out for a throw. Urchins won another corner, and Tomlinson swerved the ball over to Kris Lee, whose first time shot was tipped over by Wilmot for another corner. Another long delay whilst MacLaren received attention, and the match was taking on a disjointed nature with the many stoppages, both minor and major. Hendon came close themselves when Hunt’s shot was deflected out for a corner by Jim McFarlane, and the corner fell neatly to Brian Haule – not Brain Haule as on the team sheet – and his shot was cleared off the line by Lee Brown.

It was Urchins who enjoyed most of the territorial advantage, and Mark Goodfellow sent Dean Green away along the wing, and Dean’s long cross went begging, as Mark Janney just failed to get the touch that was needed. MacLaren again had some lengthy attention and this time was replaced by Guentchev.

Hornchurch continued to press and almost scored when Mark Janney’s corner was headed onto the roof of the net by Jim McFarlane. Green once again set off on a lengthy run down the wing and his centre was touched back by Paul Shave to Kris Lee, whose hard drive saw Wilmot make an excellent dive to keep the ball out of the net. Hendon had a rare upfield sortie and won a corner but Haule hauled his shot wide of the post. Then it was Green again setting off upfield, and this time he turned the ball inside to Janney, who quickly played it on to the overlapping Donny Barnard, and Donny’s dangerous centre was headed away by Parker as Lee moved in. A long ball by Goodfellow was headed out by Leach for a corner, and Janney’s kick was cleared by Burgess, the ball being played up field quickly and Haule created an opening for himself to hit his shot against the bar.

Paul Shave was booked following a tackle by a Hendon player, with most thinking that it was the Hendon player who should have received the yellow card, which raised the question and many wondered if the only reason he was booked was because of his hard tackling reputation. Urchins were awarded the free kick, and the ball went to Brown who centred to Kris Lee, whose header was close, but not close enough as the ball went inches past the post. In the final minute of normal time an excellent shot saw Dean Green’s header cleared off the line, and as the ball bounced loose, PAUL SHAVE dived to head home. Urchins could have had a second in stoppage time when Janney played Lee through, but Burgess did well to get in a timely tackle.

At the interval, the main talk was about Worthing, or rather Horsham, or, to be precise, whether the little old lady who so terrorised everyone last season would be there. Peter Butcher arrived, with the news that his chosen match at Grays had been abandoned through floodlight failure – will they be fined £1000?

The second half began well, a shot by Elliot Styles deflecting out for a corner, which Tomlinson took, and Dean Green saw his shot turned around the post by Wilmot for a second corner. Tomlinson again, and this time Wilmot punched the ball firmly away to safety. Hendon came more into the match. Garner found Hunt on the wing and his cross was headed away by Goodfellow. Urchins came back quickly and when Parker was dispossessed by Green, Dean played the ball inside to Janney, who swivelled and placed an excellent pass out to Barnard, overlapping once again on the wing. Barnard cut inside and hit his shot narrowly wide. Donny had yet to score for the Urchins, but twice tonight he went close to opening his account.

Hendon came back again, and won two corners in succession with Burgess hammering his shot yards wide, the ball disappearing into oblivion, which is just on the Hornchurch side of the river Ingrebourne. In Urchins best spell of sustained pressure, Janney put the ball across to Lee Brown, and thence inside to Kris Lee, and back again to Brown, whose shot was parried by Wilmot, the ball being played by Styles back out to Janney, and Mark crossed for Kris Lee who headed just inches wide. Leach was perhaps fortunate to escape with a yellow card, and from the free kick Dean Green saw Wilmot make an excellent save from his well directed header.

With Hendon conceding yet another free kick, and with the East Side calling for the yellow card, no action was taken, and Tomlinson’s kick was touched out for a corner. Tomlinson floated the ball over, and it was half cleared, to Styles, and another free kick resulted. Tomlinson this time picked out Green, but Vargas did well to tackle. Another free kick, Lee Brown the taker, Wilmot punched away, to Tomlinson, who hit the ball back first time and only just an inch or so over the bar. Barnard took the next free kick, with the visitors seemingly immune from the yellow card, and his long kick found Kris Lee, whose header went just wide. It was beginning to look as though Urchins would have one of those nights when nothing was going right, and this was proved right when Hendon broke away down the right and GLENN GARNER netted with a spectacular shot from the right wing cross, the goal being greeted with almost total silence from their supporters who were not there.

Urchins could have restored their lead three minutes later, for Janney crossed to Kris Lee, whose header bounced across goal, and Paul Shave dived headlong, but could not get the touch needed to turn the ball into the net. Simon Parker came on to replace Green almost immediately and the substitution had just been made when Hendon played the ball upfield, a defensive miskick let in LUBOMIR GUENTCHEV who ran on and steered the ball into the net, the Hendon supporters who were not there going wild with excitement.

Hendon were now committed to all out defence, and were not adverse to a bit of time wasting when they thought they could get away with it. But they nearly came unstuck when Simon Parker ran through, but his shot was weakly hit and Wilmot saved. A Hendon break away led to a corner, which McFarlane cleared, and Garner was booked, to loud ironic cheers from the East Side. From the free kick, Tomlinson found Kris Lee, whose header was saved by Wilmot. The three minutes stoppage time took nearly six minutes to play, with first Brian Haule being booked for dissent, and then Glenn Garner being shown a red card – a decision which was heartily endorsed by the EastSide, and he was perhaps fortunate not to receive another card as he slowly left the pitch, applauding the EastSide as he went. A good run by Lee Brown saw his centre go begging in front of goal, and in the final few seconds Simon Parker cut inside and his shot cannoned off the bar, and Urchins had lost three points which, had they taken their chances, they would have gained comfortably.