HORNCHURCH 1 ASHFORD 3
Urchins made only one change from Tuesday, Mark Janney coming in for the injured Frank Curley. Jason Willis made his home debut, and is now the sixth goalkeeper this season, and was in early action when Smith and Wellard exchanged passes before John Purdie tackled, the ball going back to Wellard whose cross was held by Willis. Urchins kicked towards the windmill end of the ground, and themselves had a chance a minute later when Elliot Styles sent Dean Green clear, with Dean volleying this shot over the bar. Styles then went into the referee’s book, and a free kick was awarded and Mark Goodfellow cleared up to Kris Lee, on to Mark Janney and his centre was well held by Paul Burgess.

Warren Harris was a constant danger and his shot was turned around the post by Willis. Harris took the corner, and Goodfellow headed away. It was Harris again who then opened up the left side with a good pass to Wellard, forcing Willis into a diving save to hold the dipping centre. Willis was again in action, when he had to punch clear from Logie’s long throw. Kris Lee was thwarted by O’Sullivan, who conceded a free kick, but did not pick up a yellow card in the process, and Mark Janney’s hard shot was saved at the second attempt by Burgess.

Urchins missed a great chance to open the score when Janney sent Simon Parker away. Simon homed in on goal but then hit his right footed shot inches past the post. And a minute later it happened again, when Billy Coyne sent Parker clear but Simon again hit his shot wide. Urchins fell behind a minute later when a free kick controversially awarded – nothing wrong with the decision except that it was awarded the wrong way – the ball came over from the right, Elliot Styles went up with GAVIN SMITH and the ball drifted past everyone and almost apologetically ended up in the net. Surprisingly no one went over to congratulate the scorer.

Urchins had the majority of the play and Green found Janney who crossed to Parker, with Scott Weight just getting to the ball first. And then came an incident which not only turned the match, but also denied Urchins a goal. Janney sent Kris Lee away and Kris crossed to Dean Green who weaved through the defence and was scythed down for a clear cut penalty which in turned should have earned a clear cut card to the offender. The whistle went, the EastSide exulted, then exploded with anger when the referee booked Deano for diving.

Urchins continued to press, Parker found Green and Dean again weaved through but his shot skimmed the wrong side of the post. A Billy Coyne long throw was dropped by Burgess, and both Green and Lee had shots scrambled away before O’Sullivan finally cleared. With decisions seemingly going in one direction, Jamie Southon went in the other direction when the referee decided he did not agree with Jamie’s assessment of one of his many decisions. Urchins again went close when Donny Barnard, whose young son was making his debut appearance at the Bridge, in the custody of his granddad, sent Green away on the right, and the ball was played across to Billy Coyne whose magnificent first time shot brought an equally magnificent save from Burgess, and from the corner it was Burgess again to punched away, and then saved Coyne’s follow up shot, to concede another corner. Burgess punched Tomlinson’s swerving kick away and Coyne went close once again with a fine shot. Kris Lee hit a shot over the bar after Parker had put him through , and then Dean Green made another good run on the right and crossed to Kris Lee, whose flick was touched around by the inspired Burgess. Tomlinson’s corner reached Coyne, whose shot was again saved by Burgess, and from the long clearance up the field, an unmarked BYRON HARRISON wandered through an open defence to slot the ball into the net.

The sun came out, and so did the subs, with Jim McFarlane, Dave Sadler and Ross Wall all coming on. And this quickly paid off when Dave Sadler made a good opening for Kris Lee, who found MARK JANNEY who ran on and scored at the second attempt, after Burgess had parried the first shot. Kris Lee almost levelled with a fine run and shot, and then Colin McBride became the next victim of the referee when he was also sent to the stands, leaving Michelle Sheehan and Ron Hanley wondering which of them would be next in line. And then, with Urchins looking likely to pull the game back, Dave Sadler was sent off for what can at best be described as an innocuous tackle for a fifty fifty ball.

And when a loud hand ball appeal was rejected just a minute later, perhaps no one was really surprised, and thirty seconds later, when a decision went in Urchins favour, a loud cheer emanated from the EastSide.

Ross Wall and Billy Coyne combined to send Janney away, and his centre was held by Burgess, but with Urchins forced to go forward, they left themselves open at the back, though this was not helped when a shot by Harrison went yards wide, and a corner was awarded instead of the goal kick. Willis did well to hold on to the kick and promptly sent the ball up field to Ross Wall, who turned it inside to Kris Lee, whose shot was tipped around the post by the very much in form Burgess, who then confidently collected Andy Tomlinson’s inswinging corner. Ashford then nearly scored when Lee found McFarlane, whose shot was saved by Burgess, who punted the ball high upfield and Harrison confidently waltzed the ball around Willis, and then just as confidently hammered it against the bar with the goal wide open. Jon Palmer opened up the home defence with a good ball to Harris whose cross was deflected out by Goodfellow, for a corner which Harris took and McFarlane cleared. Kris Lee found Janney again and Mark’s shot was well saved, but when John Purdie moved up to join in the attack, Vinnie O’Sullivan hammered the ball away and BYRON HARRISON found himself with yards of room, to carry on and glide the ball home. Harris had a shot turned around the post soon after, and Willis held the corner. It seems mandatory for referees to add on three minutes, no matter how much time is wasted – and Ashford wasted plenty – so when the referee added on just three minutes it was perhaps not a surprise. In a match when there was not a single bad tackle, three home players were booked, one sent off, and two more sent off from the bench – now that was really a surprise.