Westview Essex Senior League
Saturday 11th March 2006
	Southend Manor	1 - 3	AFC Hornchurch
Philip o.g.		H/T 1-1 Att: 150	D Cowley 11' (pen), Drake 71' Tiffin 77'

Match Highlights

Southend Manor

AFC Hornchurch

Philip (o.g.) - GOAL	9
	11	GOAL - D Cowley (pen)
	20	OFF - Philip ON - Dennis
Kemp - OFF Taylor - ON	45
Hedges - OFF Gray - ON	66
	69	BOOKED - Sontag
	71	GOAL - Drake
	74	OFF - Drake ON - Burbridge
	77	GOAL - Tiffin
Fry - OFF Flynn - ON	85

Match Report by Tony Middleton

Over two hundred Urchins made their way to the Manor, and when Hornchurch took the field, they raised the roof. Michael Collier was once again in goal, whilst the only other change to the starting line up was Matt Hayes in place of Timmy Hambley who was injured in the Barkingside match. The pitch was very muddy, the goalmouth at one end was heavily sanded, but they appeared to have run out of sand and the other goal was in a terrible state. The match started in bright sunshine, which only served to enhance the luminous lemon of the home strip, and Urchins made the best possible start, when Nicky Cowley slid the ball through to Billy Holland, who was hacked down in the penalty area for a first minute penalty – well, it would have been had the referee given it, but he did not, but then, what’s new?

Less than a minute later Nicky Cowley went through and was also brought down, this time on the edge of the area, and a free kick was awarded. Danny Cowley took the kick, and Holland’s header was well saved by Green. A very good build up involving Nicky and Danny Cowley saw Tiffin in with a chance but he hesitated too long and Flanders tackled, whilst another Danny Cowley free kick found King running in, and his powerful header went narrowly wide. Billy Drake then turned inside of Easterford and fed the ball through to Holland, Jay tackling and conceding a corner, which Hayes swerved in too close to goal and Green saved.

Manor’s first upfield move began with a long run by Kemp, and he was allowed to make ground as the defence held off for too long, his shot being blocked by Golby, but the ball ran out to the left wing and the resulting cross back into the centre found the ball drifting into the net, Nathan Philip perhaps being put off by a jumping lemon head right in front of him. Nil one, was the championship slipping away?

Would Urchins be able to recover? Yes, they would, for Billy Holland went through at the other end and was fouled, and then – sensation – the referee gave a penalty, which DANNY COWLEY neatly tucked away low to the keeper’s left. One one and the championship was back on schedule. It could have been two soon afterwards, Nicky Cowley feeding Holland, who touched the ball back to Nicky Cowley, whose shot was too high. Back came a confident Manor, Foy crossing from the left for Hodges to shoot, and Collier saved well, the ball running back out to Hodges, whose follow up shot was blocked by Golby. Billy Drake, a constant worry to the home defence, then took a short pass from Holland, turned inside of Easterford, then fired in a shot from outside the area which went just inches wide.

Nathan Philip, having broken up a dangerous looking Manor move, then needed lengthy treatment in the middle of the pitch and was not able to continue, with Craig Dennis coming on in his place. It was Dennis whose header two Lee Sontag set up a move on the left and Sontag played the ball over for Danny Cowley, but the pass was too far forward and Burrows touched the ball back to Green, who took too long to clear and Drake and Holland moved in, dispossessed the keeper, who was perhaps fortunate to recover in time to grab the ball as Drake chased after it. Jay conceded a free kick when he stopped Nicky Cowley which Danny Cowley took, playing the ball sideways to Tiffin, whose cross was turned out by Barker. Sontag came over to take the kick and the wind swerved the ball too close to the keeper. But a poor clearance by Green only ran as far as Holland, whose first time return shot was saved by a grateful Green. Nicky Cowley intercepted an upfield pass on the half way line, raced through the middle and hammered in a shot which rose over the bar.

Manor looked dangerous when they were able to move out of defence, Hodgson homing in from the left, and only a neat tackle by King at the cost of a corner stopped a dangerous situation. Barker’s corner was cleared by Dennis, and shortly after, a Hayes pass was intercepted by Foy, and he down the wing and drove the ball hard into the middle where Collier saved at full stretch. Nicky Cowley, taking a pass from Golby, then touched the ball on to Drake who twisted and turned inside of his marker, to glide the ball into the path of Tiffin who was pulled back for offside. A long King centre to Nicky Cowley saw Nicky’s shot deflected for a corner. Nicky took the kick but the wind swerved the ball over the bar. Sheer persistence from Drake won another corner, this time taken by Tiffin, and King’s header was too high and the ball went over the bar. Almost on half time Golby took a pass from King, and laid the ball through to Drake, who picked out Nicky Cowley and his shot was blocked by Jason Jay, who was an inspiration to the home side.

Half time conversation centred around Stansted – not their performance last week, but how were they doing at Burnham today? The answer soon followed – they were three up. As the teams took the field for the second half, the wind veered and came in from the north east, the snow which had earlier threatened now came in and quickly turned into a blizzard, and that was when we found out that the roof leaked – it had not been leaking in the first half, but then it was not snowing in the first half.

The conditions were tricky, to say the least, and they were just as bad on the field, though Billy Drake did not seem to be worried as he continued to torment the home defence. It was Drake who set the pace for the second half, streaking away on the right and forcing Barker into conceding a corner, which Nicky Cowley took, only for the ball to go straight behind the goal as the wind caught it. Manor gave Collier a worrying moment with a Burrows free kick, for although Collier held on to the ball – a yellow one which stood out in the blizzard – he was flattened by a heavy challenge, with howls of protest coming from behind the goal, but the calls for a yellow card were in vain. Manor began to tire and Urchins, urged on by the massed pack of huskies behind the goal, stepped up the pace, despite playing into the snow. Jay conceded a free kick for hand ball and Danny Cowley swung the ball over for King, and his header was saved by Green. Then it was King’s turn to become the provider, finding Tiffin out on the right, and Greg’s cross into the packed goalmouth led to a mass hand ball appeal, the referee ignoring the appeal and allowing play to continue. Gray had a great chance to put Manor back in front when Jay played him through, and though he looked offside there was no whistle. Dennis covered well and held up for long enough, and Collier saved well, the ball running back out to Foy, whose follow up shot was again saved by Collier.

With Urchins increasingly dominant a good move by Danny Cowley and King led to Drake darting in, his shot hitting the post, whilst a Tiffin corner again swerved in too far and Green was able to hold the ball without anyone challenging. King then embarked on a long run which ended in a free kick, and Danny Cowley tried a shot, and Green saved well. Then it was Golby and Hayes who combined for Tiffin who ran clear on the right and won a corner. Sontag took the kick and King’s header was cleared off the line. A goal had to come, and it started with Craig Dennis who played the ball up to Billy Holland, who was again brought down inside the area. The whistle went, and the referee placed the ball right on the edge of the area. Manor packed their defence, everyone came back, and the referee encouraged them to move back the requisite ten yards. Danny Cowley and Nicky Cowley stood and waited patiently to take the kick. Who would it be? Danny or Nicky? The whistle blew, and BILLY DRAKE, who had been standing there almost unnoticed, calmly hammered the ball home, and probably wished he had not, as he was promptly engulfed by the rest of the team. And what a way to win the championship – Billy’s first free kick, and the youngest player in the squad scoring.

Nicky Cowley almost set King up for another opportunity, but Barker tackled, the ball rebounding to Tiffin, whose shot was turned out for a corner. At this point Rikki Burbridge came on for Billy Drake, and Tiffin swung the ball over, and there was another massed penalty appeal, with the now predictable response. Hayes to Nicky Cowley, who made ground, and opened up the play and then switched the ball over to GREG TIFFIN, whose shot sparked off more massed celebrations.

Burnham pulled one back, whilst at the Manor, Taylor made a good run down the wing and his cross was headed out by Dennis, with the resulting corner being gathered by Collier. Burnham scored again and the Stansted keeper was sent off. Nicky Cowley made a long run on the left, and slid the ball to Danny Cowley, and his shot hit a defender and the ball was played back to Tiffin whose shot hit Jay and went out for a corner, taken by Sontag and gathered by Green. Right on time Holland dispossessed Green, and laid the ball back to Burbridge whose shot hit the post. A five minute wait for the Burnham match to finish, and it was all over – Urchins are champions.

Video Highlights by Rob Monger

- 9mins. Southend Manor take the lead (480KB)
- 11mins. Danny Cowley levels from the spot (590KB)
- 71mins. Billy Drake puts us in front (490KB)
- 77mins. Greg Tiffin confirms the win (610KB)

  Teams

Southend Manor L Green John Flanders Vinny Barker Jason Jay (c) John Easterford Mick Burrows John Hedges Dan Kemp James Fry Sam Lake Ryan Hodgson SUBS David Flynn M Taylor Ian Gray C Khory-Davidson -

- 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 Nathan Philip Nicky Cowley (c) Danny Cowley Billy Holland Billy Drake Matt Hayes SUBS Danny Heale Rikki Burbridge Paul Golby Craig Dennis John Hickman

Man of the Match Nominated by ...

Weather Conditions: 4 degrees and sunny at start, minus 1 and snow at end. Wind speed 18 - wind chill factor minus 6

Match Officials: Graham Atkins with J Mott and M Avent
 

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