Essex Senior League Cup Semi-Final 1st Leg
Saturday 18th March 2006
	AFC Hornchurch	1 - 0	Romford
Holland 72		H/T 0-0 Att:446

Match Highlights

AFC Hornchurch

Romford

Drake - BOOKED	8
	19	OFF - Finn ON - Davis
	32	BOOKED - Clayton
Holland - GOAL	72
	74	OFF - Barry ON - Penny
Drake - OFF Burbridge - ON	80	OFF - Gallen ON - Clark
Hayes - OFF Springer - ON	83

Match Report by Tony Middleton

Many of the Urchins went for an early morning swim at the Dolphin Centre, and when they arrived at the Stadium, it was an unusual Urchins squad that greeted them. Several players were missing - Lee Sontag was unwell and not able to play, and with Nathan Philip out, along with Craig Dennis (cup tied), John Hickman (cup tied) Rhys Madden (not eligible), Jordon Bostock (suspended), Gareth Thomas (injured), Tim Hambley (injured), Urchins called Asa Pamplin back into the squad along with Danny Gill from the youth team, and Paul Golby returned after his injury.

Urchins started well, Hayes long ball out to the right sending Tiffin off down the wing, any danger being immediately thwarted by an offside flag – an indication of what was to come later. Paul Golby intercepted the free kick which resulted and played the ball out to the other wing, where Holland ran clear, and was again pulled up for offside, not to everyone’s agreement. Drake did well to control a high ball from Ket Makitu, and played it out to Tiffin on the right. Greg made ground and crossed, with Finn grabbing the ball at the second attempt. A Barry free kick was headed away by Glen Golby and when Danny Rafis – there are two of them and this one is not the Lapsation one – played a ball up to Neville, Paul Golby did well to clear. Howe played it back and Makitu gained possession but was fouled, though no card resulted. Barry again, this time laying the ball through to Gallen, and King made an excellent sliding tackle to intercept.

Foley almost gave a goal away when he took far too long over a clearance and played the ball weakly back to Finn, and Billy Drake came in at speed to win the ball. Before he could retrieve the loose ball, the referee stopped play and booked Drake and awarded Romford a free kick, the keeper needing attention before continuing. A minute later Nicky Cowley played the ball through to Tiffin, who was thwarted by Finn’s dive, the incident leading to a mass over-reaction from the excitable visitors, but Greg sensibly walked away and allowed the referee to attempt to restore control. After discussion with the linesman, the referee took no action against any of the Romford players, two of whom were fortunate to escape without any colour of card.

Romford were clearly fired up, and when Billy Drake controlled a long high upfield ball and raced goalwards, he was brought down, appeals for a penalty being ignored. Danny Cowley gave Romford an opening when he lost the ball in midfield, and Cornhill fed the ball along to Gallen, whose centre found Rafis running in to head down towards goal, Collier tipping the ball around the post, and King completed the clearance when he headed away Barry’s corner.

Neil Finn went off and was replaced by youth team keeper Chris Davis, making his playing debut in the first team, according to the Romford officials, and he was soon into action when Danny Cowley and Tiffin opened up the way for Drake to home in, and Davis saved well, Davis was back into action shortly after, running out of goal to save at the feet of Hayes who was played through by Nicky Cowley. Romford came back, and Barry’s swerving shot was well saved by Collier, who was having a lot more to do than normal.

A long flighted free kick from Danny Cowley saw Davis outjump Nicky Cowley for the ball, whilst another free kick was taken by Billy Drake but was hit to high and the ball went over the bar. Trauma time – one brother had lost his other brother – Jon read out the message over the tannoy and five minutes later they found one another on the clubhouse steps. Trauma averted. But Jon refused to read out a similar message from a prominent Eastsider who also claimed to have lost something recently.

Billy Drake then won the ball from Maskell and slipped it through to Billy Holland, who was clear with only the keeper to beat, when up went the flag yet again – offside. Drake then went solo, rounding Alder, but quick thinking by Davis saved the situation for Romford, whilst a Drake shot then had Davis leaping to touch the ball out, Tiffin’s corner being flighted too low and Foley cleared. Nicky Cowley found Hayes with a neat sideways pass, and Matt’s snap shot went close but not close enough.

Plenty to talk about at half time – could Chris Davis keep Romford in with a chance? Why were the East Side chanting ‘there’s only one team in Havering’ when the Urchins also have a Capital League side as well, would Urchins beat the offside trap. Whilst in the shop, Tony was still selling his Easter eggs in a mug to whoever was inclined to look in his direction.

Nicky Cowley started the second half off with a fine pass to Danny Cowley, and again Davis saved, but then Nicky Cowley was played through from the centre, and he carried on and lobbed the keeper, to score, the goal being disallowed for offside, a decision which did not go down at all well. Nicky Cowley almost broke through on the right but Alder tackled and Nicky Cowley’s follow up attempt was blocked by a packed defence. A Danny Cowley free kick cannoned out off the wall and was played back to Matt Hayes, who was ruled offside, whilst at the other end, Glen Golby did well to tackle when Neville broke through and a hard drive from Maskell was well saved by Collier. Glen Golby sent Holland away on the left, and he turned inside Howe tackled just in time to prevent a shot, and then Holland sent Drake away, but Foley came across to tackle.

Howe then lost possession to Holland who moved in on goal but he slipped over as he was about to shoot. Ket Makitu took up the running on the right with a good pass out to Tiffin, whose cross was deflected out by Maskell, and then Ket was fouled by Neville and from the free kick, taken by Danny Cowley, King rose well and headed down to Makitu whose shot was blocked in a packed defence. Makitu was then played through by Tiffin but could not finish and his shot was saved by Davis, and then Billy Holland found the net with a header, but was given offside, not with everyone in agreement, but soon afterwards Ket moved up from his own half, played a short pass out to Tiffin, and he turned the ball back into the middle of the field to Danny Cowley, who played the ball low into the goalmouth and BILLY HOLLAND hammered the ball home.

It was one way traffic from now on, King rising to head a Danny Cowley free kick just over, and then came the best goal of the match, arguably one of the best of the season. It was Billy Drake who made the running, carrying on through two tackles, rounding the keeper and then chipping the ball into the goal, where Billy Holland made certain that the defenders on the line could not reach it with a magnificent diving header. No goal, offside. Ridiculous, said the East Side, or similar words.

Rikki Burbridge came on for the tireless Drake, and created consternation in the home defence with a good run, with Maskell finally clearing, and Nicky Cowley then played a good cross to Holland, with Maskell again clearing.

Lee Springer came on for his first match after injury, and he almost reached Danny Cowley’s free kick, but Foley got there first, and then Springer sent over a good cross which Holland glanced wide. Holland again went through, this time from Burbridge and Howe tackled, whilst King headed a Danny Cowley free kick narrowly wide, and almost on time Burbridge and Tiffin combined to send Holland away on the wing, his cross being turned into the path of Tiffin, whose shot was well saved by Davis.

Urchins won by just the one goal, but with three seemingly perfectly good goals disallowed, so it was somewhat surprising to listen to the torrent of abuse aimed at the referee by a small group of Romford supporters – perhaps they had best be called followers, as no supporter would act in that way – at the end of the match.

Video Highlights by Rob Monger

- 72mins. Billy Holland scores the winner (550KB)
- Post match interview with Jordan Bostock (2.8MB)

  Teams

AFC Hornchurch Michael Collier Greg Tiffin Paul Golby Glen Golby Steve King Ket Koka-Makitu Nicky Cowley (c) Danny Cowley Billy Holland Billy Drake Matt Hayes SUBS Rikki Burbridge Danny Heale Lee Springer Asa Pamplin Danny Gill

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

Romford Neil Finn Steve Howe George Alder (c) Callum Foley John Maskell Paul Clayton Chris Barry Danny Rafis Kevin Neville Des Gallen Max Cornhill SUBS Jordan Tolan Gavin Penny Danny Walker Kevin Clark Chris Davis

Man of the Match Nominated by Smudge & Hero Antiques Glen Golby

Weather Conditions:  Sunny and 6 degrees at start. 3 degrees at finish. Wind speed 22mph

Match Officials: Kevin Pratt with Richard Airey and Malcolm Thomson

Match duration:
 

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