FA Vase 2nd Round
Saturday 19th November 2005
	AFC Hornchurch	1 - 3	Soham Town Rangers
Heale 80'		H/T 0-0 Att: 469	Bugg 47' 63', Robinson 81'

Match Highlights

AFC Hornchurch

Soham Town Rangers

	26	BOOKED - Robinson
	47	GOAL - Bugg
	63	GOAL - Bugg
Hambley - OFF Burbridge - ON	69
Longman - OFF Tiffin - ON	79
Heale - GOAL	80
	81	GOAL - Robinson
P Golby - OFF Everett - ON	81
	85	OFF - Furnell ON - Benjamin
	87	OFF - Bugg ON - Rutter

Match Report by Tony Middleton

On a bright and sunny day, Urchins kicked in their favourite direction, and the style of play was quickly set, with Allis tackle conceding the first of many free kicks against the visitors. Paul Golby floated the ball towards the far post where King headed it back across goal, but not in time to prevent the ball from going out of play. Holland was the next to receive the Soham treatment, Simpson being the culprit, and Luke Longman crossed the pitch to take the kick, with King once again outjumping everyone to head the ball back across goal, where Williams headed away what was to be the first of many crosses. Holland, coming back inside his own half, then twisted and turned and found Longman who quickly sent a short pass through to Heale, whose first time drive flashed wide of the post with Greygoose beaten. Greygoose, arguably the best goalkeeper at this level, then had to kick wildly upfield as Holland was sent through, the ball falling to Longman, whose return shot was equally wild and way off the mark. Hambley found himself in a good position, but then found himself on the floor, thanks to Hill’s challenge, and from the free kick Heale could not reach the ball and it drifted wide. Collier had little to do at this stage, apart from taking a long free kick, and Soham then returned the ball upfield to Hinde, out on the right, his cross going well behind the goal for a goal kick.

Longman was again in the picture, when he lost possession to Bugg, who then raced clear, with Collier coming out to gather on the edge of the area. When Bromwich brought down Hambley, Paul Golby sent in a high free kick which found Hambley, who however could not control the ball in time to stop it running out of play for a goal kick. Nicky Cowley’s neat pass to Longman enabled Luke to play the ball through to Danny Heale, but any danger was quickly cut out when Flanz put the ball over the stand and into the gardens at the back. Glen Golby came over to the right to take a long throw in, but Hill rose above everyone else to head away. Nicky Cowley made an opening for himself but was brought down, and Longman’s free kick was too deep and the ball went out of play. The ninth free kick of the match, was taken by Paul Golby and though Hambley got into a shooing position, he was pulled up for offside.

The referee at last brought his book out, with Matt Robinson getting the only yellow card of the match, perhaps harshly after what had gone before, but it seemed to work and thereafter Soham changed tactics, and began to play the ball instead of the player, though the damage had been done, with Urchins getting rid of the ball before the tackle came in. A long ball from Nicky Cowley to Holland was then passed sideways to Heale, who was crowded out by Simpson, and shortly afterwards Holland was put clear through the middle, with Greygoose coming out to save at his feet. Danny Heale’s tackle on Williams gave Soham a free kick inside the Urchins half and Flanz played the ball out deep to the far post , where Bostock cleared upfield, only for the ball to be intercepted by Flanz who then switched play to the far side of the field, where Bugg tried a shot from long range which Collier had no difficulty with.

Soham began to come forward more, with Bugg hammering a free kick, conceded by Longman, into the wall, and then Flanz sent Robinson away on the left, his shot bringing a very good save from Collier. Soham could have taken the lead shortly before the interval, when Hinde was allowed yards of space to run in onto a free kick, his header powering over the bar.

Half time, and Urchins had the territorial play in the first half, though their slow build up was mainly thwarted by a strong Soham defence, whilst both Bugg and Robinson had looked dangerous in their few sorties upfield. Main talking point at half time was how many more phones would be pimped (whatever that means) in the club shop, which was packed to capacity, thanks to special offers by the entrepreneurial shop manager.

Second half, no changes, Holland up to Heale, Williams heads away, Bromwich kicks the ball long into the other half, and STEVE BUGG races clear, with the home defence spread-eagled, and places the ball low past Collier. One nil, and Urchins only had themselves to blame. Urchins did not change tactics, and continued with a slow cross field build up, which gave Soham too much time to marshal their defence. When Hinde conceded a free kick, Danny Cowley needing treatment this time, Longman once again picked out King with his cross, and once again the header went over the bar, close but not close enough. Longman again, now operating out on the left wing, up to Heale, and Bromwich sent another ball out of the ground, Paul Golby took the throw and Hill headed away. Furnell then did well to put the ball out when Longman tried to make ground on the left, with Glen Golby throwing the ball deep into the goalmouth, where Greygoose punched clear but only as far as Danny Cowley, who could not get his shot in as defenders reacted quickly. A penalty appeal was turned down when Holland went down under a challenge from Williams, as he ran on to Paul Golby’s through pass, the refereeing surprisingly awarding the kick to Soham. Most of the Urchin build up seemed to find, or be aimed at , Luke Longman, on the left, with Nicky Cowley and Danny Cowley waiting for the ball that never their way out of defence. It was Longman with two crosses in quick succession from the left, the first punched out by Greygoose, and the second finding Danny Cowley, whose shot was saved by Greygoose. Nicky Cowley was given an opening on the right, his run ending when Flanz tackled to concede a throw, which Glen Golby put into the middle, and Williams headed away. King headed wide when he met a free kick from Longman, and when Bromwich conceded another free kick, Longman got up to take the kick, which Greygoose held with no one challenging for the ball as it came over. Longman again, another free kick, on the right this time, and the ball went across goal, the home forwards unable to find any way through the well drilled defence. Then a surprise, Nicky Cowley took the next free kick, but placed the ball too low and it was easily cleared, and played upfield, to Robinson, whose excellent cross found STEVE BUGG, completely on his own, and he headed home his second goal of the match. Burbridge came on in place of Hambley, and the effect was noticeable, with far more thrust on the right. It was Burbridge to Holland, via Nicky Cowley, and the low cross reached Heale, who was tackled by Hill, but the ball rebounded to Nicky Cowley, whose first time return cross was well held by Greygoose. King moved up the right, crossed into the middle, but the ever dominant Williams headed away, only to Longman, whose dipping shot beat Greygoose but was a fraction too high.

Soham were looking dangerous as they grew in confidence as the match wore on, and Robinson’s free kick from out on the right was headed away by King, but Bugg followed up to drive the ball back, and Bostock was able to turn it out for a corner, and when Collier dropped the ball under heavy pressure as it was curled into the goal, it was Bostock who eventually was able to clear, with at least three attempts at goal prior. Best chance so far for Urchins came when Paul Golby combined with Danny Cowley to find Holland, whose pass to Nicky Cowley looked dangerous until the flag went up for offside, a very tight decision. With Soham now coming forward, and no longer concentrating on defence, the home defence was often exposed. Hinde twice inside a minute found Bugg, whose shot on the first occasion was turned around the post for a corner, taken by Robinson, who again found Bugg, with Bostock this time coming in quickly to tackle at the expense of another corner.

The influence of Burbridge began to have some effect, and Urchins had their best spell of the match. A long ball was headed over by Burbridge, and then Rikki headed on to Holland, who raced clear, beat Greygoose with his shot, and the ball rolled the wrong side of the post – or as Jon Smith put it – “just what has Billy got to do to score?”

And then, to the delight of the East Side, on came Greg Tiffin. Could he do anything, or was it too late? Twenty seconds later we got the answer, as the free kick, for a foul on Danny Cowley, came over, and DANNY HEALE touched the ball into the net. The ground erupted, the heron soared overhead, silhouetted against the darkening sky, and Urchins were right back in the game. For just thirty seconds, as they had lost concentration, and Soham ran the ball upfield, and the excellent cross found a delighted MATT ROBINSON, again totally unmarked, to score the third, to the obvious delight of the entire Soham team, who had been struggling for the past ten minutes.

And the heron turned, flapped its wings, and flew off towards its night roost at Allhallows. Terry Everett came on, perhaps far too late, and Urchins did not cave in. Nicky Cowley found Holland, who blazed his shot over the bar. Bostock came up, played the ball out to Tiffin on the revitalised right wing, Greg inside to Holland, but Williams got to the ball first. Glen Golby then threw the ball into the goalmouth from the left touchline, Holland got there first, and Greygoose was just able to parry the shot. Glen Golby again, another long throw, Nicky Cowley and Burbridge both went up for the ball, and it was flicked over Greygoose and also over the bar. Urchins had just one more opportunity, Rikki Burbridge hammering a free kick against the defensive wall, and Soham had won, deservedly yes, as they showed Urchins how to take their chances, but the score was perhaps a little unfair. If Holland’s shot had gone in, if Rikki’s header had gone in … but they didn’t

Video Highlights by Rob Monger

- 47mins. First blood to Soham through Steve Bugg (560KB)
- 63mins. Bugg gets Soham's second (525KB)
- 80mins. Danny Heale pulls a goal back for us (395KB)
- 81mins. Soham's Matt Robinson restores the margin (780KB)
- Post match interview with goalscorer Danny Heale (1.5MB)

  Teams

AFC Hornchurch Michael Collier Luke Longman Paul Golby Glen Golby Steve King Jordan Bostock (c) Nicky Cowley Danny Cowley Billy Holland Danny Heale Timmy Hambley SUBS Rikki Burbridge Charlie Bull Craig Dennis Greg Tiffin Terry Everett

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

Soham Town Rangers Dean Greygoose Martin Bromwich Simon Flanz Paul Hill Stuart Williams Michael Simpson Rob Allis Peter Hinde Andy Furnell Steve Bugg Matt Robinson SUBS Aaron Rutter Andy Coleman Tom Benjamin Scott Howe

Man of the Match Nominated by ...

Weather Conditions:  Sunny and 7 degrees at start. Clear and zero degrees at finish. Wind speed zero

Match Officials: Russell Bird with Mick Banbury and Paul Quick

Match duration: First half 46mins 8secs, Second half 48mins 32secs
 

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