Westview Essex Senior League
Tuesday 27th December 2005
	AFC Hornchurch	4 - 1	Brentwood Town
Heale 13' 45', Holland 35' 80'		H/T 3-0 Att:569	Carr (pen) 72'

Match Highlights

AFC Hornchurch

Brentwood Town

Heale - GOAL	13
Holland - GOAL	35
Heale - GOAL	45
	45	BOOKED - Clark
	68	OFF - Maynard ON - Kissoon OFF - McDowell ON - Turner OFF - Doyle ON - Chapman
	72	GOAL - Carr (pen)
Longman - OFF Hambley - ON	72
Holland - GOAL	80
	83	BOOKED - Turner
Tiffin - BOOKED	84
N Cowley - BOOKED	86

Match Report by Tony Middleton

Top of the league, eight points clear, it was no surprise that a crowd of 569 turned out to give the best possible answer to anyone who might still be under the illusion that Hornchurch are not the team of the season in this area. With the overnight snow only present in patches around the ground, the pitch was soft and in excellent condition, a credit to the groundsman. Work commitments meant that Steve King was unable to play, whilst Paul Golby was sidelined with an injury, which meant a start for Gareth Thomas, and a welcome return to the starting line up for Lee Sontag.

Urchins made a slow start and play was confined to midfield until a long upfield kick by Michael Collier reached Nicky Cowley who tried a first time shot from long ranger which stayed low, beat the goalkeeper, and then curled wide of the goal. Danny Heale created the first real chance of the match, playing the ball neatly in front of Billy Holland, who carried on, past Wicks, and fired in a low shot which Clark saved at full stretch, tipping the ball around the post for a corner. Longman’s corner was cleared only as far as Nicky Cowley who promptly played it back into the goalmouth where Clark came out to save as Holland moved in. Billy Holland was again put clear by Heale, and he was thwarted by some excellent covering by Tony Maynard, who had spotted the danger and had come racing back to tackle. Holland, taking a pass from Sontag on the left, sent over a good centre which was sliced high and wide of the post, and Holland then found himself clear on the left again, this time crossing for Tiffin, with Turner just doing enough to deflect the ball away. Longman promptly put the ball back into the goalmouth, and Clark saved as Tiffin homed in.

A goal was looking very likely, but it came from a rare sortie into the Urchins half, which Danny Cowley broke up, and then touched the ball to Glen Golby, who played it out of defence to Holland, who hit the ball into the middle, causing some confusion in the visiting defence, for DANNY HEALE to touch the ball home. Brentwood had done little but defend, though in one of their rare attacking moves, Doyle played the ball in to Maynard, who sent a good pass out to the other side of the field to McDowell, his cross then being headed away by Bostock. The action was for the most part at the Brentwood end, and Holland nearly made it two when he took Longman’s pass, rounded Turner, and prodded the ball past the outrushing Clark, only for the shot to roll just wide of the goal. Brentwood threatened briefly when Maynard’s cross was cleared by Thomas, and the ball fell to Savidge, whose first time drive was deflected out for a corner by Golby. Maynard took the corner, and the ball dropped invitingly in the penalty area, only to be sliced high and wide of the goal. Thomas needed treatment following a somewhat late midfield tackle, and then moved upfield again, crossing the ball to Holland, only for Turner to get to the ball first, and slice it wildly over his own bar. Tiffin took the corner and Turner headed away. The second goal soon followed, thanks to the sheer persistence of BILLY HOLLAND, who chased an upfield pass, lobbed the keeper, raced after the ball as it came down, and as RYAN QUINCEY tried to clear, Billy Holland got the touch to put the ball into the net for the second goal.

Two up and looking good, with the three Brentwood supporters wishing they were somewhere else. In quick succession Brentwood defenders put two balls into the tree, and one into the river, the latter not being appreciated by the resident heron. Quincey tried to redeem himself, but lost the ball to Thomas, whose long upfield pass found Heale in a shooting position, but quick thinking by Clark saw him rush out to kick clear. Danny Cowley won a midfield ball, and made a short pass to Holland, who turned the ball out to the right for Tiffin to run on to. Tiffin centred and Turner headed away, with Walsh completing the clearance. Tony Maynard was proving to be the most effective Brentwood player, and he set off on a long run, beating three defenders before Bostock was able to tackle and clear. Almost on half time came the announcement that Grays had lost to Canvey, which was greeted with a sympathetic roar of appreciation from the unsympathetic Ease Side, whilst on field they had a bit more to cheer about, when Tiffin put the ball low into the middle, Clark came out to saved, Holland slid in and managed to get to the ball first, and DANNY HEALE scored, with Clark being shown a yellow card for wanting to discuss the goal with the referee.

Talking point at half time – how many more times would our errant floodlight flicker on and off, would Jenny’s shaggy boots start a new fashion, and were there more people in the shop than outside, as they queued for the hog roast?

Nicky Cowley started proceedings off for the second half with an excellent pass to send Billy Holland away, with Walsh doing well to run back to cover. Heale created the next scoring chance, taking Sontag’s pass and quickly crossing to Holland, with Turner this time coming back in time to intercept. Brentwood came back well, Paul Carr’s solo run taking him clear of the defence, but his shot went wide as Collier came out of goal to narrow the angle. Longman sent over a long cross field pass to Tiffin, who sent the ball across and into the middle where it eluded everyone and went out for a goal kick. Sontag came up on the left, moved inside, and picked out Nicky Cowley, who in turn laid the ball out to Gareth Thomas, whose shot cum centre was saved by Clark, just as the snow began to fall in earnest. Holland next opened up the visiting defence, finding Nicky Cowley, who turned and shot, with Savidge blocking the ball and then hammering it to safety, Longman then fired in a right footed shot which went wide, and a minute later tried from an identical spot, this time with his left foot, the ball screaming inches wide. A Danny Cowley free kick was grabbed by Clark as Golby came in from the left, and a Tiffin centre found Heale, whose header looped over the bar. Heale again cut in, this time playing the ball back from the touchline to Longman, whose vicious drive was a fraction too high . Heale and Longman again combined, and Luke’s cross found Tiffin, coming in fast at the far post, with Clark saving well once again. Ricky Mackin then tried a shot from 30 yards from an indirect free kick, the ball sailing wide, and Ricky Mackin again came into the picture, taking a pass from Maynard, his shot being deflected out by Golby for a corner, which Collier punched out under pressure from Carr.

Danny Cowley hit a long range shot wide of the post, whilst Sontag set up Heale, who turned and then hooked his shot wide. Brentwood came back into the game with a belated penalty, the referee awarding the kick on the advice from the linesman, and PAUL CARR neatly slotted the ball into the net. Clark then made another excellent save at the other end, tipping Holland’s shot over the bar, though a goal kick was awarded, and then Clark saved well from Heale, who had moved in onto Nicky Cowley’s well flighted centre. Qunicey, whose every moved was greeted with cheers from the East Side, helped to create the fourth goal of the match, when his upfield charge was halted, and the long clearance fell right in front of BILLY HOLLAND who ran on to score.

Brentwood tried hard for a second goal, Walsh’s shot being turned out by Golby for a corner, and Walsh again, this time with Collier making the save. Last chance of the match came when Danny Cowley found Danny Heale, whose shot was wide of the post. Four one, three points, eleven points clear at the top, next match next year.

Video Highlights by Rob Monger

- 13mins. Danny Heale puts us in front (590KB)
- 35mins. Billy Holland makes it 2-0 (650KB)
- 45mins. Danny Heale gets his second (660KB)
- 72mins. Paul Carr pulls a goal back for Brentwood from the spot (560KB)
- 80mins. Billy Holland restores the margin (675KB)

  Teams

AFC Hornchurch Michael Collier Gareth Thomas Lee Sontag Glen Golby Greg Tiffin Jordan Bostock (c) Nicky Cowley Danny Cowley Billy Holland Danny Heale Luke Longman SUBS Rikki Burbridge Billy Drake Craig Dennis Terry Everett Timmy Hambley

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

Brentwood Town Chris Clark Ryan Quincey Nick Savidge (c) Andy Wicks Ben Turner Scott Walsh Tony Maynard Ricky Mackin Mark Doyle Paul Carr Lance McDowell SUBS Jay Kissoon Joe Turner Daniel Mackin Tom Chapman John Benstead

Man of the Match Nominated by Pitpass Billy Holland

Weather Conditions:  Zero degrees - cloudy at start, snow showers second half. Wind chill factor - zero at start, minus four at finish

Match Officials: Wade Norcott with Tony Goddard and Alan Goddard

Match duration: First half 47mins 22secs. Second half 48mins 35secs
 

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