HORNCHURCH 2 WTHAM TOWN 0

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AND THANK YOU TO BURY TOWN AND THEIR SUPPORTERS FOR THEIR REMARKABLE GESTURE WHEN THEY RAISED £500 FOR THE INJURED TOBI JOSEPH.

 

Saturday 02-January-2016

HORNCHURCH 2  WITHAM TOWN 0

 

Hornchurch: Mott, Coyne, Chouman, May (Collis 90), Cooper, Goodacre, Knight (Luke 68), Styles, McKenzie, Purcell, Bentley.

Subs – Poku – Dove – Thompson

 

WT – Harry Palmer – Tom Cocklin – Tyler Hayes – Shane Lemard (Jordan Pavett 80) – Mitch Hunter – Paul White © (Lewis Payne 80) - Nathan Koranteng – Max Bradford (Ryan Charles 69) – Aaron Gayle – John Watson – Lewis francis

Subs – Michael Osei – George Cocklin

 

Officials – Rob Hyde with Peter Cruise and Adam Humphreys

 

Scorers – Purcell 47 – Luke 73

Bookings – Hayes 18 (W) - Purcell 63 (H) – Coyne 88 (H) – Pavett 90+1 (W)

Attendance 219

Weather – 12 degrees, overcast with showers

Duration 46.00 + 48.00

 

HORNCHURCH 2  WITHAM TOWN 0

 

Hornchurch fielded an unchanged line up for the third match in succession, and, as at Great Wakering, they enjoyed 80 percent of the play. But this time they had difficulty in turning their territorial advantage into goals.

 

Hornchurch could have taken the lead in the first nine seconds, when George Purcell ran in from the left only to hit his shot wide of the goal. And just a minute later David Knight came in from the right, and his shot was also wide.

 

Witham came back strongly a minute later, and Billy Coyne did well to clear a very dangerous cross from the left, the ball rebounding to Lewis Francis, whose shot cleared the bar.

 

Hornchurch kept up an almost constant barrage on the away goal, and when Purcell crossed from the right, Knight scooped the ball over the bar from close range.

 

Witham were dangerous in one of their rare sorties up field, and Sam Mott saved from John Watson, whilst Jed Chouman had to run across sharply to clear from Aaron Gayle.

 

Back to the windmill end, where most of the action was taking place, and Nathan Cooper, who had joined the attack, put his shot wide, and a Purcell free kick cannoned back off the defensive wall. A minute later Purcell weaved his way into a shooting position but sent his shot over the bar, and when Leon McKenzie set up Knight, he was foiled by a fine save by Harry Palmer, who touched the ball around the post for a corner.

 

On 36 minutes a back pass was handled by the Witham goalkeeper Palmer, and the referee awarded what should have been an indirect free kick – but he failed to indicate that it was indirect, although any controversy was avoided when George Purcell’s shot was deflected over the bar for a corner.

 

Tyler Hayes sent a rare Witham shot over the bar, but the half ended goalless.

 

Hornchurch came out strongly after the interval and took the lead two minutes into the second half when a Joey May corner was directed into the net by George Purcell, to the obvious relief of both players and spectators in the larger than usual crowd.

 

The scene was now set for another goal fest, but a combination of poor finishing and good goalkeeping prevented a repeat of the Great Wakering scenario. Palmer saved from Elliot Styles in fine style, and Purcell hit a free kick into the wall, and a Joey May free kick fell invitingly to David Knight, whose shot was deflected by Palmer for a corner.

 

Manager Jim McFarlane then made what turned out to be an inspired substitution, when he introduced Junior Luke into the attack, and Luke ran on to an excellent Knight pass to neatly slot the ball past Palmer.

 

Alex Bentley almost got onto the scoresheet with a good run through the defence but his shot was a fraction too high, and Palmer then saved a hard drive from Luke, and then did likewise from Purcell two minutes later.

 

Purcell again put a shot wide, and although Hornchurch continued to press they were unable to increase their goal tally any further.