Essex Senior League Cup Quarter Final First Leg
Saturday 7th January 2006
	Tilbury	2 - 2	AFC Hornchurch
McGoldrick 34', McClean 43'		H/T 2-1 Att:137	Holland 30', Heale 71'

Match Highlights

Tilbury

AFC Hornchurch

	29	GOAL - Holland
McGoldrick - GOAL	34
McClean - GOAL	43
Harris - BOOKED	48
	55	OFF - Drake ON - Burbridge
Harris - OFF Adekunle - ON	57
Port - BOOKED	61	BOOKED - Tiffin
	68	GOAL - Heale
Cramer - OFF Deakin - ON	72
	74	BOOKED - Philip
Cobb - OFF Webster - ON	80

Match Report by Tony Middleton
 

It was with trepidation that the massed following arrived from Hornchurch. No so much the thought of a possible defeat, but the piles of broken windscreen glass in the side street where you have to park. Urchins were without Jordan Bostock and Danny Cowley, both suspended, whilst two more players were cup tied and unable to play. With Steve King and Luke Longman also absent from the starting line up, Nicky Cowley took over as captain, Nathan Philip got a welcome run out in the first team, and Billy Drake was in the starting line up. Ket Koka-Makitu and Bradley Kite were both included in the squad. Entering the ground, you are confronted by a thirty foot high cage behind both goals, in front of which was a mass of mud which served as the goalmouth area. The old main stand stood padlocked and forlorn, as did the only toilets inside the ground.

Urchins got off to a slow start, with the clogging pitch holding the ball up, but when Lee Sontag sent Holland away on the left, he raced towards goal and was promptly brought down, for a penalty – or at least, 99 percent of the crowd thought it was a penalty. The referee did not, and awarded a goal kick. Urchins came back quickly, Cowley gathering a loose ball in midfield and firing it through to Holland, whose run was stopped by the joint efforts of Harris and keeper Cook, the ball running out to Drake, whose shot skimmed the post. Tilbury’s first sortie of the match ended when Paul Cobb headed over from Hattam’s centre from the left, and Tilbury maintained the pressure when Harris moved up, and cut inside, with Golby tackling to concede a corner, which Cobb swung in almost under the bar and Collier punched out, with Cramer following up and Collier saving again, and he promptly cleared upfield for Drake to turn the ball out to Cowley, whose cross was deflected for a corner. Tiffin took the kick, and Heale headed over. There was then a lengthy delay whilst the referee tried to get the goal net repaired.

Tiffin sent in another corner, and Timmy Hambley had two attempts at goal, both of which were blocked by a packed defence. Billy Drake was creating space for himself out on the left, but just when he appeared to be clear he was brought down by McGoldrick, Tiffin’s free kick being headed out by McLean with Heale homing in. Paul Cobb at the other end sent over a good centre which was dropping perfectly for Cramer, until Philip popped up to head away, the ball then being played deep upfield to Holland, who raced past Port, drew Cook out of goal, and flicked the ball past him, and then watched as it drifted inches past the post.

Then came the best build up of the match, when Hambley, Cowley and Heale all combined, with Cowley being fouled on the edge of the area. Hambley dummied the free kick, and Heale’s shot hit the wall and came out for a corner, which Heale took, and Drake played the ball to Hambley, and as Drake went tumbling, there was a massive appeal for a penalty, again rejected by the referee, and leaving just about everyone wondering what has to be done to be awarded a penalty. Seconds later, with Urchins powering back, a free kick was given on the edge of the area – would anything have been given had it been another foot further? – and Tiffin’s free kick was punched out by Cook, Heale followed up, Cook saved again, the ball ran out to Cowley, who returned it into the middle, where Cook missed the ball, and Drake fired it low towards goal, and with Holland following up, the ball entered the net, the goal being disallowed on the advice of the flag waving linesman on the opposite side of the pitch.

Cowley set up the next attack, with Sontag running on to his pass and crossing, with Port heading out for a corner. Tiffin sent the ball across and Andrews headed away, the ball falling to Billy Drake whose first time shot was deflected by Cook for another corner. Over came the ball again, and BILLY HOLLAND headed home, to give Urchins a thoroughly deserved lead at last.

Tilbury came back quickly, Harris crossing for Cramer, with Collier saving, turning the ball round the post, and Port’s corner swerved alarmingly before the ball went out of play. Cowley tried a long rang shot which sailed not only over the bar, but also over the thirty foot high cage behind the goal, which is there to protect low flying aircraft from high flying balls, but it was Tilbury who gained a surprise goal when Cobb’s harmless looking cross eluded Collier and a surprised and delighted McGOLDRICK had a simple tap in. Urchins retaliated immediately, Cowley taking Thomas’ pass and sending Holland streaking through the middle, his shot being saved by Cook, and rebounding to Holland, who shot again, and once again Cook saved, this time palming the ball around the post for a corner, which Tiffin underhit and Harris cleared, only to Sontag who returned the ball into the middle and Cook punched away under pressure from Heale and Hambley. Tilbury took advantage of too many Urchins moving forward when Harris ran clear on the left, his cross finding Cobb who could not get in an accurate shot. Then Cramer ran clear but was pulled back for offside. Danny Heale nearly broke through but was pulled down on the edge of the area, and Hambley’s free kick was saved by Cook. Two minutes before the interval Tilbury went ahead when COURTNEY McLEAN headed home from a free kick, with the Urchins defence all at sea. There was still time for Drake to set up Heale, but his shot hit the side netting.

Plenty to discuss at half time – how many times does a flag have to be waved violently before it becomes an oscillation? When is a penalty not a penalty? (Answer, when the referee says it is not). Would the Tilbury coach ever stop shouting? (Answer, no). And why did Tilbury charge £1 for the programme when they gave it away at the last match? Would the refreshment kiosk manage to serve more than one person during the interval?

Urchins went all out for the equaliser after the interval, Sontag and Holland exchanging passes before Sontag cracked the ball across the goal, where no one could provide the final touch. Drake continued to create havoc, and he linked with Holland who returned the ball to Billy Drake who went streaking towards goal and was scythed down cynically right on the edge of the area, a yellow card being lenient, to say the least, the Tilbury player’s grin said everything. The free kick was hammered into the wall, and Cowley followed up but his shot hit the bar.

Heale and Holland threatened, but Port broke up the move, whilst a Cobb run at the other end ended with an excellent cross which Cramer hit well wide. Cook saved a Holland cross with Heale coming in rapidly, and Drake sent Sontag clear on the left, with McLean conceding a corner. Tiffin sent in an inswinger, and Heale cracked the ball into the side netting. And then on came Rikki Burbridge to the cheers from the 130 Urchins fans in the crowd, which turned to gasps of amazement when Billy Drake was called off, the amazement being matched by the looks of relief on the Tilbury supporters’ faces, as he had been outstanding.

Nathan Philip switched sides to break up a Tilbury move, and then Philip took a Tiffin pass and ran along the right wing, sending over a centre which Heale headed over. Heale again broke through the middle, but his shot went wide. Burbridge went close and then came the equaliser, with Nathan Philip running down the right wing, carrying on almost to the touch line and then crossing, for DANNY HEALE to head home, the vibrations from the cheer that went up causing the cranes in the docks to swivel around 360 degrees.

Tilbury relied heavily on Paul Cobb, and he brought a good save out of Collier with a hard low shot from the wing, the ball being touched out for a corner, which Port floated over and Golby headed away. Collier was in action soon afterwards, saving from another inswinging corner, and then punching out from Cramer’s shot, whilst Burbridge was given a run at goal by Philip’s well flighted pass, but he could not bring the ball under control in time to prevent Port getting in a tackle. Heale and Holland combined for Burbridge to run onto the pass, but there was no one on hand to take Burbridge’s low flick into the middle, whilst Glen Golby hit a shot wide after a solo run down the middle.

Tilbury inexplicably pulled off Paul Cobb, not that the Urchins following complained, as Cobb was Tilbury’s most dangerous player, but play was confined to the Tilbury end, with Sontag and Holland again setting up Burbridge, the result being yet another free kick just outside the area. Tiffin took the kick, received the rebound from the wall, and tried again, and again got the rebound, his third attempt being saved by Cook. Deakin put in a good centre which ran out to McLean who promptly hit it back across goal, with Philip clearing, then Philip was in action at the other end, taking Thomas’ pass and crossing for Burbridge, with Cook saving once again. Sontag made a solo run down the middle, his shot going just too high to be effective, with the final whistle following almost immediately.

Video Highlights by Rob Monger

- 29mins. Billy Holland heads us in front (580KB)
- 34mins. Danny McGoldrick levels the scores (570KB)
- 43mins. Tilbury go in front through Courtney McClean (415KB)
- 68mins. Danny Heale gets our equaliser (580KB)
- Post match interview with Paul Golby  (3.1MB)

  Teams

Tilbury James Cook Courtney McClean Terry Harris Joe Andrews Bobby Port Lee Hattam Danny McGoldrick Paul Cobb Dean Cramer Ben Middlemass Ricky Eaton SUBS Simon Deakin Dave Webster Keith Wilson Steve Taylor Adeniyi Adekunle

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

AFC Hornchurch Michael Collier Nathan Philip Lee Sontag Glen Golby Gareth Thomas Nicky Cowley (c) Greg Tiffin Timmy Hambley Billy Holland Danny Heale Billy Drake SUBS Rikki Burbridge Charlie Bull Ket Koka-Makitu Paul Golby Bradley Kite

Man of the Match Nominated by ...

Weather Conditions:  1 degree - overcast. Wind speed zero.

Match Officials: Bernie Morrs with Adrian Amey and Kevin Harris

Match Duration: First half 49mins 5secs. Second half 46mins 59secs

 
 

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