BILLERICAY 1 HORNCHURCH 1

[Dagger03]

Saturday 25-August-2012

BILLERICAY 1 HORNCHURCH 1

 

BT – Dale Brightly – Greg Oates – Nathan Green – Luke L’Anson – Rob Swaine © - Chris Wild – Sam Lechmere – Glen Poole – Marc Charles-Smith – Alex Osborn – Duran Reynolds

Subs – Jared Small for Charles-Smith 74 – Harrison Chatting for L’Anson 70 – Josh Hutchinson for Osborn 84 – Richard Halle – Matt Bennett

 

HFC – Joe Wooley – Alex Bentley – Michael Spencer – Simon Glover – Paul Goodacre – Reiss Noel – Sam Cutler - Leon McKenzie – Martin Tuohy – Lewis Smith – Elliot Styles ©

Subs –Tambeson Eyong for Tuohy 90+3 – James Love for Cutler 65 – Andy Tomlinson for McKenzie 90+1 – Joey May

 

Scorers – Lechmere 12 (BT) – McKenzie 67 (H)

Booking – Glover 5

Officials – A Crysell with R Howes and S Moore

Attendance 647

Duration 47.52 + 49.50

Weather -21 degrees, cloudy, light rain, then sunny, wind speed 15 mph

 

BILLERICAY 1 HORNCHURCH 1

 

Hornchurch took time to adapt to the sloping and none-too-even playing surface, with the strong wind making conditions difficult, and the home team made the early running.

 

After a slow start Paul Goodacre conceded a corner which Sam Lechmere swung over and Rob Swaine headed over the bar.

 

This proved to be the only chance for either side until Billericay opened the scoring. Swaine won a header in midfield to place the ball deep into the Hornchurch half, and although Joe Woolley ran out to block Marc Charles-Smith’s run at goal, the ball rebounded to SAM LECHMERE who had plenty of time to pick his spot and plant the ball firmly into the net.

 

Hornchurch almost replied within a minute in what was their first sortie into the other half of the field. Simon Glover touched the ball back to Alex Bentley, who fired a first time shot from thirty yards out, the ball rising just over the bar.

 

But it was Billericay who had the majority of the first half play, and Woolley saved well from Duran Reynolds.

 

Much of the play was confined to midfield though towards half time Hornchurch came more into the match as an attacking force. Leon McKenzie combined well with Elliot Styles to set up Glover, who put his shot too high and over the bar, whilst a Lewis Smith free kick was crashed against the wall of defenders. A second Smith free kick almost cleared the row of trees behind the goal.

 

A well directed free kick from Sam Cutler found Paul Goodacre, whose header was a fraction too high and over the bar.

 

Right on half time Smith and McKenzie exchanged passes and from the resulting cross Chris Wild just intercepted as Martin Tuohy homed in.

 

The sun came out for the second half and the wind increased noticeably in power, and Hornchurch at last began to asset their midfield authority, as the home side struggled to stay in front.

 

A Cutler free kick led to a Cutler corner, from which Goodacre’s header led to a goalmouth scramble before the ball was finally punted away.

 

Dale Brightly then came to the rescue when McKenzie sent Smith speeding through, whilst a similar through pass, this time from Cutler, to Smith, led to a corner.

 

At the other end Woolley dealt well with a Lechmere corner, despite considerable pressure from the home forwards. And Woolley was twice left needing attention after some over-exuberant challenges from home forwards.

 

Woolley then made a good save from Lechmere, following a Lechmere corner which had only been partially cleared.

 

Midway through the half Hornchurch found some rhythm, and they almost leveled when Cutler sent Tuohy clear, but Brightly made a good save to keep his side in front.

 

James Love came on for Cutler, and took a midfield role, rather than his more usual full back position, and this paid off just two minutes later, when Hornchurch drew level. Reiss Noel had broken up a rare home attack and Lewis Smith took a pass and ran along the right wing before cutting inside and firing in a hard shot, which Brightly could not hold, and LEON McKENZIE reacted immediately to turn the ball into the net.

 

A minute later it was almost a second goal, when Smith put McKenzie through, but Brightly saved well to prevent a certain goal.

 

McKenzie then returned the compliment with a neat backheel to Smith, who fired in a first time shot which skimmed the near post.

 

And when Styles put Smith through, it took an excellent reaction save by Brightly to keep the ball out of the net.

 

Brightly then made two more first class saves inside a minute, first from Smith and then from McKenzie, as Hornchurch swarmed forward into the wind.

 

Andy Tomlinson came on for McKenzie, and it seemed as if Hornchurch were settling for a point, but with Craig Edwards on the home bench now increasingly loud in his condemnation of virtually everything which did not go his way, it was apparent that it was Billericay who were hanging on.

 

Alex Bentley won the ball in midfield and set off along the wing, and Tuohy got on to the resulting cross, only for Brightly to once again make an excellent save, turning the ball out for a corner. Tomlinson floated the ball over and it was scrambled away.

 

In the final minute Tambeson Eyong came on for Tuohy and immediately set about dismantling the home defence. A powerful run by Eyong left defenders trailing and his cross was turned out for a corner. Tomlinson raced over to send the ball into a packed goalmouth, where Styles saw his shot blocked on the line. The ball rebounded back to Elliot whose follow up shot was again blocked on the line by Brightly, and the whistle went for time immediately afterwards.

[stormin norman]

1 all was a fair result but the travelling support was very disappointing ,mmmmmm sounds familiar

[cup of tea]

I'll take 1-1 particularly after you started well but I thought that we were the better team and I wouldn't have been surprised if we had taken all three points.

 

As for the fans, we made more noise then the rather disappointing home fans - I could have heard a pin drop when I passed your support on the way to get a drink in the second half (Some worried people there methinks)

[bridgefan]

Agree Tea - Brightly 'saved' them - More atmosphere on the moon than that generated by the home fans

[Eastside Urchin]

The crowd was down by around 500,either we brought 500 down at Xmas or more likely we have both lost fans.

Think we had around 120 around the ground,maybe a few less but you lot didn't have the numbers before,shame as I think it's almost got too nice nowadays,in comparison to Dover on Saturday you are angels,lovely

 

 

[cup of tea]

Not sure if it's the time of year or whatever it is, the attendances seems to be down everywhere. I expected Dover to bring up a few more on Saturday to be honest.

As for Billericay, it's a well run football club and their fans are a credit to their club in terms of their behaviour (ooh, that sounds a bit gushing).