HARLOW 4 HORNCHURCH 1
The M25 was motionless, packed with traffic, so it meant a diversion via Chelmsford and the A414 to get there. Inside the ground, let’s get a programme. ‘These are not programmes’ said the official standing right next to the programme seller. ‘Well what are they then’ asked someone. He looked at them, looked at the seller, and said ‘yes, they are programmes, but they should be sold there and not here’. For the record, ‘there’ was approximately one yard further to the left of ‘here’.

And so on to the match - Mark Goodfellow un well, Deano out with a back injury, Sadler out, Simon out with long term injury – the starting line up picked itself, there was no alternative.

The ground was a blaze of red and white as Hornchurch took the field – the crowd was just under 400, due in some part to the reduction of admission charges - £5 for adults, free for anyone else, and enhanced by one hundred Urchins. Urchins, playing towards the cheap entrance part of the ground, started well, when a Billy Coyne free kick fell nicely for Kris Lee, whose header was saved by James Hasell. This was followed by a free kick taken by Andy Tomlinson which Hasell also held safely. Urchins looked confident moving forward, and Frank Curley played a good ball to Ross Wall who sent Mark Janney away on the right and Mark’s low cross into the middle went begging in front of goal. A Kris Lee run on the left saw an excellent low ball into the goalmouth where Bardle reacted first to clear after Hasell had dropped the ball, and a goal looked likely when Kris Lee chased a long ball down the middle, but was barged off the ball as he was about to shoot.

On 12 minutes he booked Frankie Curley was booked, very harshly. And this enabled Harlow to mount their first attack, which ended when Dale Brightly dived to save a low shot from Shaun Glidden. Harlow came forward again and along shot from Bardle deflected off of Richards for a goal kick.

Harlow took the lead when a free kick was awarded five yards outside the area. It did not look like a free kick, but it was a free kick none the less. How many times have goals been scored direct from free kicks this season? Too many, and it was no surprise when MARK TAYLOR hammered the ball over the wall and into the net, sending the handful of home supporters wild with ecstatic delight. Urchins stormed back and regained composure when Janney made a good run along the right and won a corner when Bardle tackled. Tomlinson floated the ball over, and with everyone watching Purdie and McFarlane, it was Elliot Styles who got the header in, the ball being cleared off the line, the ball being hammered back upfield where Richards raced forward and saw his shot blocked by Barnard. Urchins enjoyed some sustained pressure, with Barnard, Wall and Janney combining to win a corner. Janney sent the ball over, and Stewart headed away for a throw. Billy Coyne hurled the ball into the goalmouth where Kris Lee headed wide.

Harlow came back and a long ball by Taylor reached Frendo, who shot from the edge of the area, the ball just rolling wide of the post. Andy Tomlinson became the second Hornchurch player in the book, again very harshly, and then Curley played a neat ball through to Lee, whose shot was turned around the post by Hasell. Tomlinson sent the ball over, Ross Wall played it back again and Stewart cleared. With half time approaching, Richards appeared to be clear on goal, but was thwarted when Jim McFarlane raced back to tackle. In stoppage time Glidden twice sent over dangerous looking corners, the first of which was cleared by Purdie after Taylor had played it back into the middle, and the second was headed away by McFarlane.

At half time, the wind changed and came in from the north rising to any icy northern blast, and Urchins found themselves kicking against it in the second half.

Urchins came forward strongly after the interval and in a sustained spell of pressure Lee, Wall, Curley and Janney all combined well, and Janney sent over a good centre which McFarlane headed back across goal and neither Styles nor Wall could reach the ball. And then it happened. John Purdie limped off and Ryan Kirby came on for his debut, and he was quickly in action, pumped the ball on to Janney who was tackled by Bardle. Whilst Urchins were rearranging their defence Richards played the ball back to Taylor, whose centre found an unmarked Frendo, but he hit his shot well wide of the goal, narrowly missing a passing spitfire from the North Weald aerodrome, whilst the locals sounded their siren. Urchins drew level when Billy Coyne hurled the ball goalwards with one of his trademark long throws, and a massive scramble ensued, before the ball came back out to BILLY COYNE who neatly lobbed the mass of defenders and the keeper, and the ball dropped just under the bar. Such was the noise that North Weald aerodrome was evacuated.

But the scores were only level for three minutes. Danny Green made a long solo run to send in a low cross which was turned out for a corner. Lalite sent the ball over low and towards the near post where SAM BERRY was positioned to turn the ball into the net. Richards set himself up with a scoring chance shortly afterwards, and McFarlane tackled to concede a corner, which Kirby cleared and the ball was played up to Ross Wall whose shot hit the keeper and rebounded back to Lee, whose follow up was saved by Hasell, though Kris was given offside anyway. Richard again broke clear but shot wide but Urchins came back with a Coyle free kick which was half cleared to Janney, but his cross was hammered away. And then came one of those farcical goals which are great when they don’t happen to you – only this one did. No danger at all, but a terrible pass back left Dale in no man’s land, and though he managed to block the ball, it ran loose and CHRIS ELLERBECK tapped home.

Three one down, but certainly in with a chance, only for the entire match to turn yet again, on one of the most cynical fouls ever seen at Harlow. Harlow have a new manager and this showed, as their entire team were out to impress. But when Kris Lee went speeding through the centre, and looked certain to score, he was scythed down, and Kris ended up flat on his face five yards inside the area. The referee decided it was outside the area, and he showed a straight red to the Michael Bardle, who thereby became the third player to be sent off by Mr Degnarian in HFC matches. But the chance had gone. Incredibly the home supporters decided to give him a standing ovation as he left the pitch, waving to all and sundry, and it was this disgraceful incident which ensured that Harlow took three points, for the free kick was hammered into the packed wall of defenders, as was the follow up shot.

Jon Green came on for his debut and almost put Wall away, but with Urchins committed to coming forward, Harlow went up the field, SAM BERRY soloed past a wide open defence, and hammered in a spectacular goal. In the final few minutes a Styles shot went out for a corner, which Janney took, and a long Billy Coyne throw was also turned out for a corner, which Tomlinson took, and almost on time Styles headed over from Tomlinson’s kick. So three points lost, thanks to some very poor defending, and thanks mainly to a cynical foul, and given that the team picked itself, it was by no means a poor performance, again a home side who were out to prove themselves to their new manager, whilst their old manager was on the field playing for Urchins.