Westview Essex Senior League
Tuesday 28th March 2006
	Eton Manor	1 - 2	AFC Hornchurch
Chester 66'		H/T 0-2 Att:161	Hambley 35', D Cowley 38'

Match Highlights

Eton Manor

AFC Hornchurch

Smith - BOOKED	7
Coker - BOOKED	17
	20	OFF - Sontag ON - Hambley
	35	GOAL - Hambley
	38	GOAL - D Cowley
?? - OFF Hammon - ON	45
	50	BOOKED - Drake
Reading - BOOKED	55
Chester - GOAL	66
	68	OFF - Burbridge ON - Holland
OFF - Tarten ON - Parker	70
	86	OFF - Hambley ON - Springer

Match Report by Tony Middleton
 

On a very wet and windswept night, many Urchins chose to stay at home for the Arsenal match on TV rather than travel to Eton Manor. Even so the estimated 160 travelling Urchins was higher than most clubs’ home gates, and it was Manor’s highest gate of the season, their previous highest crowd being 40. Rikki Burbridge, Billy Drake and Lee Sontag returned to the starting line up for the third match in less than a week. For the second away match in succession the referee was Mike Smith who had also taken the LAPSA match.

Manor started strongly, Barrett’s free kick finding an unmarked Wyche, whose header was kept out by Glen Golby, whilst Urchins first move ended with a free kick, which Danny Cowley floated close to goal and King’s header was well stopped by Bastin. Danny soon had a second chance, when he was tripped by Coker and took the kick himself, captain Reading leading heading the centre out for a corner. Sontag swerved the ball over and Bastin punched away, with Drake’s follow up shot being blocked by a defender.

Then a long clearance saw Collier having to gather at the edge of the area as Wallace almost got to the ball, hotly pursued by Glen Golby. Billy Drake found himself clear on the right and his run along the wing made a lot of ground, before he slipped a pass neatly to Nicky Cowley, who touched the ball back to Drake and Smith came across to tackle. Nicky Cowley gained possession from the throw and Connolly headed his cross out for a corner. Tiffin took the kick and Reading headed away. Reading was very fortunate to remain on the pitch after a late challenge on Lee Sontag, which forced Urchins into an early substitution, Timmy Hambley taking Lee’s place. No card of any sort was waved, the incident happening right in front of the home dug out. Many felt that a red card at this stage was badly needed, especially as Smith had already been booked and the match was already punctuated with a series of free kicks. Danny Cowley took the free kick after a lengthy stoppage, and Barratt headed out. From a long throw by Paul Golby, Danny Cowley eluded a lunging tackle and turned, hitting a shot inches wide of the post. It was then Glen Golby who played Tiffin clear with the popular Joe Quinn covering well.

Manor were not completely on defence so a good run by Wallace from Wyche’s pass saw Glen Golby head the cross away and Collier gathered the follow up shot from Wallace. Coker then went into the book for a deliberate hand ball when many thought he was the last defender, and Nicky Cowley hit the shot hard into the wall. Tiffin won a corner, but Hambley’s kick was held by Bastin, whilst another free kick by Danny Cowley was cleared when Smith got to the ball first in the goalmouth scramble which had resulted.

Burbridge had a run at goal and was brought down by Smith, who had already been booked, and from the free kick Paul Golby found Danny Cowley and though King rose high to head goalwards, Barratt was on hand to save at the post. A Tiffin corner was too low and was easily cleared whilst a Danny Cowley free kick was touched to Hambley and back again and Connolly was able to charge down the shot.

Many admired the linesman’s flag, which was frequently oscillated wildly, though equally frequently the referee did not notice it, or waved play on, and it began to seem as if it was going to be a frustrating night, especially when Billy Drake’s corner saw Burbridge’s shot blocked, and King’s follow up cleared off the line for another corner, this time on the right. TIMMY HAMBLEY took the kick and he swerved the ball straight into the net. One nil to the visitors. No sooner had the goal been announced than Urchins nearly had a second, Burbridge going close. Back came the Urchins again and Steve King played a long low pass along the right wing to send Tiffin away, and he put the cross low into the middle, where Drake’s shot was deflected out for a corner which Hambley took and he pumped the corner into the goalmouth. After a goalmouth scramble, DANNY COWLEY hatched onto a loose ball and hammered it hard into the net, with a possible touch en route by Craig Dennis. Two nil to the visitors. Bastin punched clear from another Hambley corner and a Tiffin corner from the other side of the pitch was headed away as Urchins piled on the pressure.

At half time, most people headed to the shop to admire the Manorettes who were serving tea and insults (tea 50p, insults free), and Manor even had easter eggs in mugs on offer. Many commented on Manor’s tackling and many more wondered if there was any point in having any linesmen. It was also guess the ground time – just what was the ground on the programme cover. Did Tilbury have a new stand?

The second half began with yet another free kick, Collier pumping the ball deep into the home half, when Burbridge was upended by Reading. Urchins surged back, and Paul Golby took a pass from Glen and slipped a short pass to Nicky Cowley who played an excellent through ball to Burbridge, who was thwarted by an excellent dive by Bastin. Timmy Hambley played a corner too low and Coker headed away, and then Billy Drake, given zero protection in the first half, was booked for an innocuous challenge on Reading, to the ire of the travelling masses, who considered the challenge on Burbridge moments a couple of minutes before to be far worse. A Hambley free kick was scrambled out, and Drake set off on a direct run at goal but was scythed down well inside the area. From the free kick, given outside the area. Hambley hammered the ball into the wall, Hambley regained the ball and found Drake who in turn was again brought down, with Reading being booked to a chorus of boos and to chants of Captain Disgraceful.

A massive scramble from Hambley’s free kick, with Glen Golby cracking the ball inches wide of the goal. Timmy Hambley got the loudest cheer of the night with a mistimed tackle on Reading, and then came a big surprise. A Manor supporter appeared and called out Well done Steve. No sooner said than done, for Reading played a good pass to Tarten - whom the Manor announcer had described as a player of many colours (but still falling well short of his classic ‘he’s not a Romford player but his name’s Danny Ringer’) – and Tarten forced Dennis into conceding a corner, from which, following a goalmouth scramble in which the defence was in total disarray, GRAHAM CHESTER hit the ball home, bowing low to the crowd by way of acknowledging the applause,

Urchins had been tripped up non stop all night – would they trip themselves up yet again? Billy Holland came on for the hard working Burbridge and ensured that play stayed at the Manor end of the pitch. Hambley slid a pass in to King and he crossed the play to the other side, but Tiffin’s cross went begging in front of goal. Danny Cowley was fouled by Reading, and Drake hit the ball into the wall, and then Holland’s shot rebounded to Nicky Cowley whose own shot went out for a corner, which Hambley took and Bastin saved. Then it was Paul Golby to Nicky Cowley to Tiffin. Whose cross appeared to be headed out of the goal and may well have been over the line, whilst Reading then lost possession to Hambley whose low drive was fumbled by Bastin and gathered at the second attempt.

Smith tried to set up a Manor move but it backfired when Paul Golby played the ball straight back down the wing to Nicky Cowley and then to Tiffin, who found Drake with the cross, but Billy was brought down on the edge of the area and Hambley touched the free kick to Nicky Cowley whose shot could not penetrate the wall. Tiffin found Holland who turned quickly to control an awkward pass and his shot was well saved by Bastin. At the other end a free kick was hit high over the bar by Hammond, and then Lee Springer came on for Hambley, and got straight into the action with a pass to Holland, whose shot was parried by Bastin, who also saved Drake’s follow up. Hammond was penalised for a foul on Danny Cowley and Danny took the free kick which King headed powerfully goalwards, Bastin saving. With seven minutes of stoppage time there were few worrying moments, and Urchins could have had another when Glen Golby picked out Drake, who made ground and passed to Springer, whose shot was blocked. Holland followed up and was tripped on the edge of the area. Drake took the kick and the ball came back off the wall, as the final whistle went. Nineteen matches unbeaten, another away win, and most importantly of all, the two match run without a win was halted. Manor happy with their best gate for years, the Manorettes happy with the shop takings, and the only person not happy was the Manor supporter. And player of the match? He was kicked, tripped, fouled, and he never stopped running. He doesn’t know how to stop, he just keeps on playing. Yes, it just has to be Mr Dynamite, Billy Drake.

And the ground on the front cover of the programme? It’s the Jersey national stadium.

Video Highlights by Rob Monger

- 35mins. Timmy Hambley puts in front (420KB)
- 38mins. Danny Cowley extends our advantage (580KB)
- 66mins. Graham Chester scores for the home side (880KB)

  Teams

Eton Manor Richard Bastin Glen Connolly Ray Coker Chris Barratt Steve Reading (c) Lee Smith Jon Quinn Charlie Tarten Jamie Wallace Graham Chester Ryan Wyche SUBS Mark Clarey Chris Hammond Steve Parker Dean Pearson Joe Dixon

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

AFC Hornchurch Michael Collier Greg Tiffin Lee Sontag Glen Golby Steve King Craig Dennis Nicky Cowley (c) Danny Cowley Rikki Burbridge Billy Drake Paul Golby SUBS Timmy Hambley Billy Holland Danny Heale Lee Springer Ket Koka-Makitu

Man of the Match Nominated by ...

Weather Conditions:  7 degrees - showers. Wind speed gusts to 25mph

Match Officials: Mike Smith with Paul Falvey and Stuart Brown

Match duration: First half 46mins 19secs. Second half 51mins 31secs
 

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