Westview Essex Senior League
Saturday 4th February 2006
	Basildon United	2 - 4	AFC Hornchurch
Allen 38' (pen) 88 (pen)		H/T 1-3 Att: 130	Hayes 12' 49', Burbridge 20' 28' (pen)

Match Highlights

Basildon United

AFC Hornchurch

	12	GOAL - Hayes
	20	GOAL - Burbridge
Allen - BOOKED	20
	28	GOAL - Burbridge (pen)
Moore - BOOKED	31
Allen (pen) - GOAL	38
	45	OFF - Burbridge ON - Drake
	49	GOAL - Hayes
Hickey - OFF Connor - ON	63
Mole - OFF Gomez - ON	78
Morran - OFF Hudson - ON	82
	85	OFF - Golby ON - Philip
Allen (pen) - GOAL	88

Match Report by Tony Middleton

By 2.30 the car park was full. By 2.31 so was the bar. At least there was no queue for the refreshments inside the ground – it was shut and remained shut. The pitch was sloping and bumpy, and the perimeter fence was broken down, but star of the show was the spectators’ toilet – it had a washing machine inside it and another appliance which might once have been a clothes dryer – surely they don’t wash the players’ kit in there?

Urchins, with Matt Hayes coming into the starting line up for the first time, and with Rikki Burbridge playing up front, kicked down the slope in the first half, and the home keeper Paul Murray was immediately called into action, gathering a long low cross from Billy Holland. Urchins were awarded the first of many free kicks in the first minute, Nicky Cowley taking it from the half way line, but flighting the ball too low, and Marran headed away, though only as far as Greg Tiffin, who low return into the middle was met by Steve King, whose shot surprisingly went wide, when a sidefoot into the net looked a certainty. Urchins came forward time and again, Matt Hayes playing an inch perfect ball out to Lee Sontag on the left, and Lee straight away fired it back into the middle, where Mole was first to react and was able to clear.

A Tiffin centre was turned out by Connolly, and Tiffin’s corner was touched short to Danny Cowley, who played it back again, but Greg’s centre swerved over the bar and behind the goal, where Urchins supporters were still gathering. When Danny Cowley had a chance to break through he was promptly fouled by Stevens, and Gareth Thomas sent in a deep free kick which Steve King raced onto, with Marran doing well to hook the ball away. Connolly stopped a Hayes run into the goalmouth, conceding a corner, and Tiffin’s corner was cleared back out to Thomas, who played it forward for Tiffin to swoop in on goal, a very late flag being elevated for a very dubious offside.

A goal was well overdue, but it came in unusual circumstances – Mole won a corner on the left, and Moore’s inswinging centre saw Collier punch clear under pressure from Allen, and the ball was quickly turned out to Billy Holland, well inside his own half. He made ground and then played an immaculate through ball to Rikki Burbridge, who straight away played it across for MATT HAYES to score his first goal for the Urchins. A classic goal which brought the crowd to their feet.

Basildon conceded four fouls in quick succession, all of which should have merited a yellow card, and then a long run from Steve King saw him move upfield and play the ball in to Tiffin, and Murray did well to rush out of goal and save at his feet. A Nicky Cowley free kick had the home defence at panic stations, and Rikki Burbridge thundered in a shot which was charged down by a defender who did not have time to get out of the way, and then the ball was played out to Tiffin on the right, he rounded Jones, crossed the ball into the middle, and RIKKI BURBRIDGE touched it home. The Basildon team did not appear too happy with the goal, and Dean Allen exercised his captain’s right to protest. In turn the referee exercised his own right to wave a yellow card, which could well have turned into a red one as Allen still appeared somewhat unhappy.

Basildon briefly relieved the siege, Allen finding Mole who played a high centre into the goalmouth, where Collier saved well under a heavy challenge from Stevens. Back came the Urchins, King launched the ball upfield to Tiffin and his high cross saw Holland’s header rebound off the post. The third goal followed soon after, when Matt Hayes chased the ball through the middle, and was brought down well inside the area. Up stepped RIKKI BURBRIDGE to place the ball past the diving Murray for the third goal.

A fourth goal looked on at any time, and when King took Golby’s pass and sent Holland away, it was Connolly who saved the day, his tackle sending Holland crashing to the ground, and from Danny Cowley’s free kick Burbridge placed the ball in front of Tiffin, and Murray saved well, turning the ball out for a corner. Tiffin took the kick, King outjumped Jones and powered his header narrowly wide of the goal. Burbridge made a solo run through the middle, with Murray saving well, and then Murray had to race out of goal to prevent Tiffin breaking through. The whistle went and the referee reached for his notebook – what colour, red or yellow, as the keeper was ten yards outside his area. The linesman belatedly flagged, the referee went over, and came back. Danny Cowley at this point decided to get on with the match, and appeared to ask the referee to drop the ball, and Danny immediately touched it out of play for a goal kick, which neatly resolved the problem.

Basildon, more than happy to still have eleven players on the pitch, said thank you to Danny in the best possible way. They went upfield from the goal kick, Marran gained the ball in the penalty area, was tackled and fell over, and the referee awarded a penalty, with not one person in the crowd agreeing with the decision – but then, there were no home supporters in the crowd. The popular DEAN ALLEN stepped up and hit the ball low and hard past Collier for a goal which was the first that the Urchins have conceded in the league away from home since the 17th of September – Romford Recorder please note.

Steve King set up Lee Sontag within seconds, and Lee’s pass found Holland, who ran through, chipped the ball past the outrushing Murray, and was denied a goal by Connolly who cleared off the line for a corner. Nicky Cowley took the kick and Tucker was able to clear. Holland almost broke through again, Tucker stopping him and conceding yet another free kick, taken by Danny Cowley and Holland’s header was saved well by Murray.

At half time, Urchins were seen wandering around trying in vain to find the refreshment hut – it was just inside the entrance – it was also shut. Others were seen entering the toilets and running out again, panic stricken. Rikki Burbridge was withdrawn as a precaution, and Billy Drake took his place, being marked by the tallest player on the field, who was at least eighteen inches taller. Taller he might have been, but Billy had the longest pair of shorts, as they came to below his knees. Urchins kicked up the slope, towards the massive mushroom behind the goal, Glen Golby starting off proceedings with a long throw to Holland, who was brought down by Tucker. Danny Cowley took the free kick, and put the ball out wide to Sontag, his cross finding Steve King, whose hard drive crashed into the side netting. Billy Drake then outjumped Jones, to make space for himself but was crowded out by Marran and Tucker, the ball running out to Tiffin, who laid it back to Nicky Cowley, his header being well saved by Murray who turned it out of play. Tiffin sent the corner over, Drake jumped with Murray, who punched the ball away, and it was sent straight back into the middle, where MATT HAYES scored with a spectacular shot.

Basildon looked more confident in the second half, and a long free kick found Stevens, whose hard shot brought the save of the match out of Collier, who tipped the ball over. Moore took the corner, and Collier saved well, under pressure from Allen. King then set Holland up, and Billy raced clear, being brought back by a very questionable offside flag. Golby intercepted Roberts pass and sent the ball upfield, where Drake won the ball from Jones, and forced another good save from Murray. Drake again, this time slotting the ball out to Sontag, whose cross found Danny Cowley, whose shot was wide of the goal. Nicky Cowley then played Sontag through, the resulting offside flag again earning the linesman a good deal of criticism from the crowd. Hayes made a lot of ground on the right, and his cross took a deflection, with Murray saving well once again. Then the match flow was disrupted, first by a lengthy stoppage when Danny Cowley was victim of what appeared to be a two footed tackle, and then Lee Sontag needed lengthy treatment. Shortly afterwards the referee called both captains together, and then followed a delay of six minutes and 45 seconds whilst a replacement match official was found, as the referee could not continue.

The replacement referee was soon called into action, awarding Urchins a free kick, and Danny Cowley floated the ball over to Steve King, his header being well saved by Murray. Billy Drake then made an incredible run which took him around Tucker and Jones, and he turned in on goal, looked up, and sent the ball across to Billy Holland, who was caught out when the ball bobbled on the uneven surface and he hit his shot wide.

Basildon again came back, Stevens racing through, and Collier made an inspired save, to turn the ball out for a corner. Moore’s corner was turned over the bar by Collier, and Moore’s second corner found Mole, and again Collier saved. Then Collier made the save of the match – perhaps of the season – when he dived high and wide to stop a vicious drive from Stevens. The whistle went, and a penalty was awarded – seemed unusual as goalkeepers are normally allowed to handle the ball – and DEAN ALLEN again slotted the ball home. Nathan Philip, who had replaced Glen Golby, sent a good pass to Hayes, who in turn found Drake, who in turn was fouled – what’s new? – Tiffin took the free kick, and King headed on to Holland, who beat Murray with his lobbed shot but the ball dropped over the bar. Highlight of the match then followed, when Drake homed in on goal, Murray raced out, tackled, took the ball round Drake, then around Holland, then continued upfield with the ball, seemingly wanting to show the rest of his side how to control the ball, before releasing it nearly on the half way line.

Soon afterwards the match ended somewhat early, after only 53 minutes play in the second half. So many players were outstanding it is hard to single out anyone in particular – Rikki Burbridge whose first half play was immaculate, Matt Hayes, who two goals were taken with precision, Billy Drake, who gave the giant sized home defenders a very worrying second half, Steve King, who played a lot further upfield than normal – but two players stand out – Paul Murray in the home goal, without whom double figures would have loomed large, and Michael Collier for the Urchins, who made three amazing saves.

Three points – and in the distance a rather large lady could be heard tuning up her voice.

Video Highlights by Rob Monger

- 12min. Matthew Hayes scores his first goal for the club (630KB)
- 20mins. Rikki Burbridge makes it 2-0 (570KB)
- 28mins. Rikki Burbridge puts us further ahead from the spot (760KB)
- 38mins. Basildon pull a goal back (870KB)
- 49mins. Matthew Hayes gets our fourth (610KB)
- 88mins. Basildon score their second  (780KB)

  Teams

Basildon United Paul Murray Ben Connolly C. Jones Chris Tucker Neil Morran Darren Mole Steve Hickey Luke Moore Chris Stevens Dean Allen (c) Stuart Roberts SUBS N. Gomez Bradley Connor Ben Atkins T. Hudson -

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

AFC Hornchurch Michael Collier Greg Tiffin Lee Sontag Glen Golby Steve King Gareth Thomas Nicky Cowley (c) Danny Cowley Billy Holland Rikki Burbridge Matt Hayes SUBS Billy Drake Lee Springer Nathan Philip Danny Gill John Hickman

Man of the Match Nominated by ...

Weather Conditions:  Dull. 4 degrees. Wind speed 5mph

Match Officials: Martin Avant with Kevin Curran,David Avant and Barry Fox (fourth official)

Match duration: First half 47mins 28secs. Second half 52mins 53secs
 

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