DOVER 1 HORNCHURCH 0 - report - by request

[Dagger03]

Tuesday 26-March-2013

DOVER 1 HORNCHURCH 0

 

DA – Mitch Walker – David Harrington – Tom Wynter – Dean Rance – Michael Kamara – Tyrone Sterling – Ricky Modeste (Chris Sessegnon 73) – Steven Thompson © - Ben May – Moses Ademola (Billy Bricknell) – Daryl McMahon

Subs – Danny Webb - Sam Long – Lee Hook

 

HFC – Joe Woolley – Michael Spencer – Alex Bentley – Joey May (James Love 89) – Elliot Styles ©- Rickie Hayles – Chris Bourne – Frankie Curley – Martin Tuohy (Wayne Gray 77) – Kieron St Aimie (Billy Coyne 64) – Lewis Smith

Subs – Tambeson Eyong – Simon Glover

 

Scorer - Ben May 90+2

Bookings – Styles 23 (H) – Kamara 90+3 (D)

Attendance 483

Officials C Brooks with N Wallace and S Woodison

Duration 46.10 + 49.00

Weather – 0 degrees, clear, wind speed 15 mph

 

DOVER 1 HORNCHURCH 0

 

This was a match that Hornchurch deserved to take all three points, but they ended up with nothing.

 

There was still snow on the ground in the surrounding areas, and a strong wind was sweeping in to a very exposed ground, bringing a considerable wind chill factor to the temperature, which was already reading zero degrees.

 

In a somewhat depressing atmosphere, bleak and seemingly deserted, Hornchurch made the first telling move of the match when Martin Tuohy glided a neat pass towards Michael Spencer on the right, and the resulting shot was deflected out for the first corner of the match. Joey May sent the ball across, and Michael Kamara headed away.

 

This proved to be Hornchurch’s last attacking move for some time, as play became confined to midfield, and Dover could have taken the lead when Ben May found himself with a good opportunity, but his weakly hit shot was comfortably saved by Joe Woolley.

 

Woolley then held a corner from the right, and Hornchurch replied with a good move, which opened up the home defence – Tuohy took a long pass from Alex Bentley, and played the ball out to Spencer, who had moved forward. Spencer’s shot beat Mitch Walker in the home goal but the ball went wide of the post.

 

Hornchurch have this season conceded far too many free kicks on or near the edge of the penalty area, but they were somewhat harshly penalized when Elliot Styles made what appeared to be a perfectly timed tackle. The referee – whose three previous matches with Hornchurch had all ended in defeats for Hornchurch – booked Styles and awarded a free kick about five yards out of the area. Lloyd Harrington took the kick, swerved the ball over the wall, but wide of the goal.

 

Towards half time Hornchurch kept up a spell of sustained pressure, and when Chris Bourne made an impressive run along the left flank his low cross resulted in a corner, Joey May sent the ball over and it was headed out for a second corner, and this time it was keeper Walker who rose to gather.

 

Dover swept down the other end and a mistimed tackled by Bentley led to a penalty. Ben May stepped up, and directed his kick to Woolley’s left. Woolley dived and clutched the ball to make an excellent save.

 

The wind increased during the interval, and Dover almost took an early lead when Ricky Modeste got onto the end of a corner, and Woolley made an excellent save to turn the shot around the post. And it was Woolley who then calmly gathered the corner, under pressure from the home forwards.

 

Hornchurch replied with a Joey May corner, which was headed away, and then Hornchurch conceded another free kick, about ten yards out from the area, when Rickie Hayles was penalized for a tackle on Dean Rance. This time it was Chris McMahon who took the kick, and the ball cannoned back off the defensive wall to safety.

 

Billy Coyne replaced Kieron St Aimie and was quickly in the action with a long throw, and Tuohy almost found the net with a spectacular overhead kick, which sent the ball narrowly past the post.

 

Hornchurch then won a corner, Joey May sent the ball over, and Frankie Curley went close with another overhead kick, the ball again going wide of the post.

 

Hornchurch continued to press, and when Joey May took a free kick, the ball was played to Lewis Smith who went speeding towards goal, only to be brought down as he was about to shoot. No cards were produced, and Martin Tuohy then sent the penalty wide of the post, possibly due to the antics of the goalkeeper, who was jumping and down and who moved before the kick was taken.

 

Wayne Gray replaced Tuohy, and then followed the best move of the match - starting inside the Hornchurch penalty area, Bentley played the ball forward to Joey May, who quickly slotted across to Spencer, who immediately played the ball through to Gray, who raced towards goal, only for his shot to be saved by Walker in goal, who dived one way, and the ball hit his legs and rebounded to safety.

 

James Love came on for Joey May, who had seemingly covered every inch of the field, and the match went into stoppage time.

 

It was in the second minute of stoppages when the ball was played in from the right wing, and it seemed to bob around in front of goal, until BEN MAY got a touch. Even then there appeared little danger, but the ball went in via a post to sent Hornchurch home pointless.