HORNCHURCH 1 BILLERICAY 0 - report and line ups

[Dagger03]

Saturday 29-December-2012

HORNCHURCH 1 BILLERICAY 0

HFC – Joe Woolley – Alex Bentley – Duran Reynolds - Andy Tomlinson – Paul Goodacre - Reiss Noel – Tambeson Eyong – Frankie Curley – Leon McKenzie– Lewis Smith (Wayne Gray 90+4) - Elliot Styles ©

Subs – Martin Tuohy - James Love – Rimmel Daniel – Ronnie Fletcher

BTFC – Sam Beasant – Paul Rodgers – Joe Anderson – Craig Edwards – Rob Swaine – Sam Lechmere (Junior Dadson 78) – Osa Obamwonyi – Glenn Poole (Charlie Taylor 57) – Jay May – Dave Collis – Nathan Green (Joe Benjamin 70)

Subs – Tunde Adewunmi – Alex Cerdeira

 

Scorer – Tambeson Eyong 28

Bookings – McKenzie 39 (H) – May 29 (BT) - Reynolds 64 (H) – Benjamin 71 (BT) – OFF – Edwards 88 (BT) – Kevin Ramsey 90+2 (BT – management team) OFF

Attendance 503

Officials – Carl Fitch with Russell Howes and Nigel Bond

Duration 46.16 + 52.01

Weather – 10 degrees, overcast, rain showers, wind speed 19 mph with gusts to 27 mph.

 

HORNCHURCH 1 BILLERICAY 0

 

Paul Goodacre returned to the starting line after following his lengthy lay off due to injury and illness, and Ronnie Fletcher was named in the squad, having been signed from Tooting & Mitcham.

 

Despite the heavy rain over the previous few days, the match was never in any doubt. The pitch was again in excellent shape, although intermittent rain and strong winds made playing conditions difficult.

 

The first half was dominated by Hornchurch, who could have taken a first minute lead when Joe Woolley punted a long ball deep upfield, for Lewis Smith, who ran on, and his shot was deflected for a corner. Andy Tomlinson sent the ball over, but the strong wind swerved it behind the goal.

 

Billericay were rarely in contention as an attacking force, though Rob Swaine went close with a header from a corner, but Woolley positioned himself well to save.

 

Hornchurch almost took the lead from an Andy Tomlinson free kick, which found Frankie Curley, whose header was well saved by Sam Beasant.

 

When Leon McKenzie fired a long range shot inches over the bar, Billericay were struggling to contain a rampant home side, whilst a Tomlinson corner was punched away by Beasant.

 

Tambeson Eyong was in spectacular form, giving Joe Anderson a torrid afternoon, made even more torrid by the welcome from the East Side.

 

This was Tambeson’s 91

^st

match in the league, and a goal was long anticipated. And it came in the 28

^th

minute. It started with a free kick from Tomlinson, which was headed back by Leon McKenzie to TAMBESON EYONG, who hit the ball home from outside the area. Tambeson’s delight was obvious and the East Side celebrations were not far behind, for what was arguably the most popular goal scored this season.

 

Tambeson was now in full flight, and almost on half time he sped past the home defence to run on to a pass from Alex Bentley, and was thwarted by Sam Lechmere, who tackled to concede a corner. Tomlinson took the kick and Beasant punched clear.

 

With the rain coming down for much of the second half, and the wind increasing in velocity, Hornchurch went all out for a second goal. Duran Reynolds sent a ball along the left touchline for Lewis Smith, who rounded Paul Rodgers and cut inside, weaving through and hitting his shot narrowly wide of the far post.

 

Leon McKenzie then came close to finding the net, with a first time shot from Eyong’s cross. The ball cannoned back off the inside of the post and was quickly played back to Lewis Smith, whose follow up shot was finger tipped around the post by Beasant, who then ably dealt with Tomlinson’s corner.

 

Dave Collis gave away two free kicks in quick succession, and from the second of these, Lewis Smith took a quick return pass from Tomlinson, and his cross found Frankie Curley, whose hard volley hit a defender on the line and was scrambled to safety.

 

Billericay had little to offer and their best attempt came from substitute Charlie Taylor, whose shot went over the bar, whilst a well directed free kick by Sam Lechmere was comfortably saved by Woolley.

 

On came Joe Benjamin in the 78

^th

minute, but his appearance lasted slightly less than one minute, as he kicked Tambeson Eyong in a mistimed tackle, and the referee – arguably the best we have had for a long time – immediately waved the red card.

 

Billericay tried hard to force an equalizer, but never threatened the home defence, where Elliot Styles, Reiss Noel and Paul Goodacre were dominant.

 

And when Billericay did win a corner, Joe Woolley was equal to the occasion.

 

Billericay’s Kevin Ramsey was then ordered off the visiting bench, as the visitors grew increasingly frustrated, but Hornchurch had no difficulty in holding out to take the three points.