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AFC Hornchurch 1 - 0 Harrow Borough


Ian_W

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Team:-

 

1 Joe Woolley

2 Ricky Hayles

3 Joe Anderson

4 Elliott Styles

5 Reiss Noel

6 Frankie Curley

7 Leslie Thompson

8 Simon Glover

9 Martin Tuohy

10 Lewis Smith

11 Michael Spencer

 

Substitutes

12 Tambeson Eyong

13 Tommy Black

14 Aaron Gayle

15 Andy Tomlinson

16 Jonathan Hunt

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Whatever (And I can't really comment), WE WON!

 

Let's do Thurrock.

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Thought Hornchurch was far better than a very poor Harrow team, and probably should have won by a much bigger margin. From a neutrals point of view it was a dreadful match to watch, and from what I saw last night there are at least half a dozen sides in RLN who are better that both teams.. I accept though that I may have seen Hornchurch having an off night.

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Fair comment. From an entertainment point of view, it wasn't the best of games. We've played a lot better that that this season - in fact some of the football from Hornchurch has been really good. I'm just glad to get that game out of the way.

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I found this report on the another forum, written by someone under the name of Runwell.

 

FA Carlsberg Trophy, Second Qualifying Round Replay

AFC Hornchurch 1(1)-(0)0 Harrow Borough

Hornchurch Athletics Stadium, Bridge Avenue, Upminster, Essex/East London

Attendance: 176

Admission: £9. Didn't purchase programme

 

Also purchased from clubhouse: Bottle of sparkling water, bottle of Budweiser and Mars bar £4.70

 

My first visit to Bridge Avenue for nearly a year, and was in the company of Mr Buck during the second half, on another damp, grey, misty and drizzly night...but that's not his fault. I'm in the minority here, but I've always found Hornchurch's ground - in spite of the athletics track - quite decent, and that extends to the clubhouse with the large windows overlooking the pitch, and elevated picnic tables outside. Having Wurzel Gummidge the shaggy haired linesman at another of my games also added to the interest.

 

As for this replay between two Ryman Prem sides, Harrow were rebuilding this season after reaching the playoffs last time, and currently sit mid-table under new boss Dave Anderson. The Urchins have made a strong start to the campaign, currently second only to Billericay, and would be favourites tonight with home advantage. The incentive was a local derby in the final qualifying round at BSS strugglers Thurrock, and ex-Hornchurch manager and now chairman Colin McBride - who was working in the bar tonight - was manager at Thurrock for many years, and before that as a player in the Purfleet era. No better incentive than that!

 

The Urchins made the better start, and on four minutes striker Martin Tuohy got on the end of a curling cross, but his header was saved by the Harrow keeper at the far corner. A rare chance down the other end for the visitors shortly afterwards as a player with his back to goal received the ball in the six yard box, but was restricted in movement and decision making under pressure from a defender and he lost control of it. Hornchurch came close again on ten minutes when a shot was saved by the Harrow goalie's legs, and had the majority of play afterwards, but were little threat, a bit scrappy in their movement and passing.

When they finally got going again they claimed the only goal of the game on the half hour mark, when Leslie Thompson just beat the keeper by the left byline with a header that looped into the far corner. Just afterwards they came close again when a three kick from the left was goalbound, requiring the Harrow stopper to palm it away at his near post. Tuohy went close once more on 36 minutes when his shot following a good run was saved, then before the break Michael Spencer also went on a fine run, ending in a shot that went inches past the far post.

 

After a slow start to the second half with both sides unable to gain a foothold, the Urchins began to apply pressure, and on 63 minutes a header forced the backpeddling Harrow keeper to tip over. Then on the break Harrow ran down the left unopposed, but there was nobody in the box to turn the cross home, to the frustration of the small army of away fans. It was still the home side in control though, but they couldn't get the second goal that would've killed off the game. On 78 minutes a dangerous low shot from an angle was saved by the keeper, then a comical miss when an Urchins player headed (just) goalwards, and his colleague at the back post somehow contrived to head off target with the goal at his mercy. There was also a fine shot just outside of the box that was blocked by the legs of the Harrow keeper.

As Dave Anderson and his assistant got as frustrated as their eleven lads out on the pitch, the unusually subdued Ulsterman (at least compared to when I saw him at AFC Wimbledon and Northwood) started getting annoyed with the ref and some of his decisions. In the end the lippy got too much, and the man with the whistle sent Anderson's assistant over the railings behind the dugout - pointless, not only as he was effectively still around the dugout, but also there was next to no time left, and nothing I heard that justified such a response. If the ref was going to make a point like that he should have done so earlier, or after the game. Wurzel Gummidge wisely stayed out of it - I don't think he was particularly taken to his colleague out in the middle, judging by some of the things he said to the Hornchurch bench every now and then!

As we went into time added on, some pressure at last from the visitors, as they tried to force extra time, with the goalie going up for a few corners and actually getting a goalbound header from one of them which was deflected just over. In the end though it was too little, too late.

 

Hornchurch progress, and I wouldn't be surprised if they go on a good Trophy run this year, as I fully expect them to win at Thurrock despite the one division gap. They made this game harder that it should have been, but they definately deserved to go through and it's the result that matters, sending the tuneful Urchins fans home happy.

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