FA Challenge Cup Preliminary Round
Saturday 27th August 2005
	AFC Hornchurch	0 - 0	Chalfont St Peter
		H/T 0-0 Att: 320

Match Highlights

AFC Hornchurch

Chalfont St Peter

Holland - MISSED Pen	3	SENT OFF - Proverbs
Sontag - OFF Bull - ON	45
	60	OFF - Barriteau ON - Brosnan
Dear - OFF Springer - ON	63
	70	OFF - Deely ON - Cochrane
	86	OFF - Needham ON - Carroll

Match Report by Sara Paine

After the drama of the two matches in midweek, Hornchurch faced Chalfont St. Peter in the FA Cup Preliminary Qualifying Round. Chalfont hail from near Slough in Buckinghamshire and had finished 11th out of 16 in Division 2 of the Ryman League last season, so expectations of the match were generally high.

The game promised so much and yet in the end, was ultimately a disappointment, as the Urchins failed to convert their many opportunities into concrete goals. Fans were left wondering how on earth Hornnchurch were left with a goalless draw, in a game in which they missed an abundance of easy chances to score.

The Urchins started the match on the attack and, within 10 minutes, a corner from Nicky Cowley led to a hand-ball on the line by Chalfont's Wesley Proverbs, who was immediately sent off for the offence.

It seemed as though the gods were smiling on the Urchins as Billy Holland, leading ESL scorer this season with five goals, stepped up to complete the formalities by converting it into a goal. However, Chalfont 'keeper, Doug Mc Kechnie, had other ideas and showed the first of his many outstanding match-saving abilities, by plucking the save out of mid-air - extraordinary considering he normally plays as a centre-forward.

With hindsight, the sending off of Chalfont's number 3 and Danny Heale's subsequent missed penalty proved to be the turning point of the match. Chalfont re-grouped into two solid blocks of four to pack the penalty area - not pretty by any means - but a strategy designed to close down the opposition and to hold on to the match for as long as possible. Patience and common sense proved to be the watchwords as Chalfont managed to hold on

Doug McKechnie's breathtaking penalty save was the first of many that kept Chalfont in the match, despite their being one man down for 80 out of the 90 minutes.

A number of sustained Hornchurch attacks then began on the Chalfont goal, with Lee Sontag heading over the crossbar, and a high tackle at the half way mark leading to a free kick which reached Danny Heale who, though - bang on target - lacked the final killer instinct and was saved.

Hornchurch contined to pile on the pressure relentlessly, until it seemed only a matter of time until they scored. But half time intervened, and the substitution of Lee Sontag for number 12, Charlie Bull, seemed to acknowledge that the Urchins needed to 'up' their game in order to get a clear result. The last fifteen minutes of the first half saw a frantic attack on goal that, more often that not, led to an offside whistle being blown to signal a break in play and a knock-back for Hornchurch.

The second half opened to the strains of Andy William's 'You're just too good to be true ...' drifting across the Bridge View Stadium - seemingly an anthem for Chalfont, who had survived the first half, one man down, and against an onslaught of Hornchurch volleys.

Hornchurch's Danny Heale's began the second half on the attack almost immediately with a cross to no. 2, Greg Tiffin, which was cleared at 10 yards, despite the linesman calling offside almost immediately. A number of further 'offsides' were called throughout the second half, as Hornchurch forwards found themselves a few steps on the wrong side of the law.

The last two thirds of the second half saw Hornchurch struggling to exploit the advantages it had gained by the sending off of Proverbs early on in the first half. A number of spirited attacks on goal were blocked by the simple expedient of Chalfont packing the penalty area with players to deflect any crosses. which prompted Urchins' manager Jonny Lawrence to admonish his players to 'open up the field'. By twenty six minutes past four, the relentless Hornchurch onslaught had led to Holland scoring, but it was disallowed almost immediately for handball.

It might have been better for Hornchurch if the opposition had NOT lost a player early on as a flurry of crosses from the the centre forwards 9 and 8 towards Danny Heale in the centre gave the Chalfont goalkeeper the opportunity to display his considerable talents.

Tension continued to rise in the final few minutes as Hornchurch whacked strike after strike towards the Chalfont goal, each shot being blocked by a sea of Chalfont bodies. In the aftermath, a few walking wounded on both sides were evident, but the match was generally good-tempered and positive with only the number of 'offsides' called by the referee against Hornchurch raising any eye brows.

Man of the Match, sponsored by and1inthetree, was Greg Tiffin, for his determined and hardworking attitude throughout. The replay is at 7.45pm on Tuesday evening.

Video Highlights by Rob Monger

- Post match interview with man of the match Greg Tiffin (1.8MB)

  Teams

AFC Hornchurch Michael Collier Greg Tiffin Lee Sontag Glen Golby Steve King Jordan Bostock (c) Nicky Cowley Danny Cowley Billy Holland Danny Heale Sean Dear SUBS Charlie Bull Gareth Thomas Danny Gill Stuart Roberts Lee Springer

- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 * 12 14 15 16 17

Chalfton St Peter Doug McKechnie Lee Togwell Wesley Proverbs Gareth Paxton Mark Needham Andy Goddard (c) Martin Deely Steve Hand Ross McMeekin Renne Barriteau Pardeep Ghattaora SUBS Danny Wallis Steve Nott-Macaire Jamie Cochrane John Carroll Barry Brosnan

Man of the Match Nominated by and1inthetree Greg Tiffin

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