Essex Senior League Cup Final
Monday 1st May 2006
	Brentwood Town	0 - 2	AFC Hornchurch
		H/T 0-0 Att: 712	Burbridge 60', 71'

Match Highlights

Brentwood Town

AFC Hornchurch

	60	GOAL - Burbridge
	63	BOOKED - D Cowley
	71	GOAL - Burbridge
Walsh - OFF Doyle - ON	71
	76	OFF - Holland ON - Drake
J Turner - OFF Quincy - ON	80
	82	BOOKED - Sontag
	84	OFF - Burbrige ON - Springer
Dunnen - OFF Wicks - ON	86
B Turner - BOOKED	90+1

Match Report by Tony Middleton

At 2.45 the teams came onto the pitch to be presented to various dignitaries. The teams were announced, by arguably the best announcer heard at an away match this season. Presentation over, the match kicked off – eight minutes early – never mind the 200 Urchins still outside the ground, let’s get on with it.

A very bumpy and hard pitch did not make for an easy start and both sides were slow to adapt, King created the first opening when he intercepted a pass intended for Brown and chipped through to Tiffin, whose cross had no one in the middle waiting, and Clark gathered. Lee Sontag was next to break through the defence, running along the left and playing a high centre into the goalmouth, where Clark, under pressure from Burbridge, dropped the ball, but play was halted for a free kick. Brentwood began to settle and when Nicky Cowley was penalised for a push on Ricki Macklin, Kissoon sent in a high and curling kick into the goal area which drifted wide and out of play.

Holland dropped back to the half way line to win a pass out from defence and he played the ball out to Paul Golby whose cross was headed away by Ricki Macklin, but it was touched straight back by Nicky Cowley, and his centre was met by Burbridge, whose header was cleared off the line. Sontag made space for himself on the left, lost the ball but won it back and continued upfield, his shot being parried by Clark, the ball running back to Holland, who played a short pass to Sontag , with Clark racing off his line to kick clear. Burbridge again, this time playing a pass out to the left, but he was fouled and Danny Cowley took the free kick, with Savidge clearing only as far as King, who played a neat pass inside to Holland, whose shot was well saved by a diving Clark, although offside was given.

King went close with a header from Holland’s centre, whilst a long pass by Glen Golby to Burbridge saw Rikki float the cross over to Holland, but Dinnen came in to hook away. Paul Golby made ground on the left, playing forward to Sontag, and his square pass into the middle found King, who could not control the bobbling ball and Chapman cleared. A Danny Cowley free kick found Burbridge who placed an excellent pass in front of King, who was beaten to the ball by the outrushing Clark. Burbridge headed wide from a Glen Golby free kick , with Tiffin racing in but failing to catch the ball before it ran out of play. Collier then punted a long ball upfield and Burbridge collided with goalkeeper Clark as Clark came out for the ball, a free kick being awarded.

Brentwood came back strongly, when Carr’s hard shot was diverted by Collier for a corner, and Walsh’s corner found Dinnen racing in, his header going wide of the goal. Bostock conceded another corner shortly afterwards, which Walsh again took, and this time Glen Golby headed away to Nicky Cowley, who almost sent Burbridge away down the middle, only for Chapman to intercept. Danny Cowley, Holland and Tiffin combined to centre for Burbridge who cracked his shot narrowly wide, whilst at the other end Ricki Macklin’s free kick caught the defence flat footed, and a header cannoned off the bar, Bostock gratefully hammering the ball away. Back it came to Carr, and Bostock tackled to concede a corner, which Walsh took and found Chapman, whose shot was just wide. Almost on half time Tiffin slotted a pass inside and Clark just beat Nicky Cowley to the ball.

Long queues at the miniscule refreshment hut at the interval, where the proprietor, on being asked for lids for the tea, proudly pointed to the table alongside, and said – ‘no lids, but you can have sugar and milk if you want’. In the gantry a red bobble hat bobbled, and all around the ground hundreds of Urchins commented that whilst Grays is not in a different county, it is in a different time zone. Never mind, all the dignitaries were present for the start, who cares about the supporters?

Play started for the second half more or less when it should have been finishing for the first half, and it took just seven seconds for Danny Cowley to race into a scoring position, being thwarted by the whistle for offside. Holland was caught in possession by Dinner who played a long pass up to Carr, whose shot was well saved by Collier. Billy Holland made a long rapid run on the left, but he could not get his cross in. At the other end, Ben Turner’s free kick was headed powerfully by Dinnen and Collier saved well. But this was a fired up Urchins, and it was Holland who signalled the firing up with a run through the centre to take King’s low pass in his stride, and he hammered in a shot which went inches wide. Ben Turner’s free kick was punched away by Collier, who then needed lengthy attention, with everyone wondering who would go in goal should it be necessary – it would have been Glen Golby, but Collier was able to continue. And within seconds Urchins were ahead. And what a goal – Collier out to King, King just outside his own penalty area, King ran forward, beat two players, and placed an excellent low ball into middle, where Holland dummied, and RIKKI BURBRIDGE hammered it home, to spark wild celebrations on the pitch, with 700 Urchins – their highest ever away following - only too happy to join in off the pitch. Time 59 minutes and 24 seconds. One nil to the champions and the treble was looking good.

Could Brentwood get back into the match? When Danny Cowley conceded a free kick Walsh played in a dangerous centre, which Bostock half cleared back to Walsh, and his return ball was dealt with by King. Danny Cowley reciprocated with a free kick of his own, Walsh being the offender, but there was no one on the end of the ball as it floated wide. And then it was two – Billy Holland won the ball, and played it up to RIKKI BURBRIGE, who set off on a long run through the middle, holding the ball for what seemed like ages, before he fired in his second goal of the match. The treble was now definitely looking good, with the stadium a sea of red and white. Even the freeloaders in the balconies overlooking the ground in the luxury flats were smiling - (they call them apartments, but they still look like flats).

Mark Doyle came on, with the impressive Walsh going off, to luxuriate in an ice pack on his thigh. Burbridge again, this time from Danny Cowley, and Sontag missed with a header from Rikki’s centre. To Brentwood’s infinite relief, Billy Holland was substituted, their relief turning to amazement when Billy Drake appeared to create his usual havoc. It did not take long for Drake to get the ball, thanks to a neat pass by King, and off he went, with Dinner just getting in his tackle. Drake was obviously too much of a handful for Brentwood, so on came Ryan Quincy, who could do little to stem the tide. Drake it was who gained possession, and he chipped the ball out to Tiffin, whose shot was parried by Clark, and Drake raced in, with Clark just getting there first. And then it was almost three. Burbridge through to Drake, who raced clear, his shot being parried by Clark, but back to Drake, who turned the ball in to Burbridge, whose shot was cleared off the line by Clark. Sontag then played in a perfect pass for Drake, who was pulled up for a somewhat questionable offside when clear.

Then on came Lee Springer for Burbridge and Lee was quickly in possession, touching on to Sontag whose cross was turned out for a corner, which Tiffin took and which Wicks cleared. Brentwood almost pulled a goal back with a good run and shot by Ricki Macklin, which Collier appeared to turn around the post, although a goal kick was awarded. Drake then raced away when he latched on to a poor clearance by Clark, and with only Clark to beat he was grabbed around the neck from behind and hurled to the ground, the referee generously waving a yellow card – generous because had it been red the player would not have been awarded a medal, and the entire Brentwood team had played well – Tiffin took the free kick and hit the ball over the bar. Time for one more free kick, by Danny Cowley, and it was all over – the treble, another clean sheet, and unbeaten away from home since August. Champions in every possible way.

Video Highlights by Rob Monger

- 60mins.Rikki Burbridge opens the scoring (830KB)
- 71mins. Rikki Burbridge gets the second (920KB)

  Teams

Brentwood Chris Clark Rikki Macklin Ben Turner Tom Chapman Bobby Dinnen Scott Walsh Joe Kissoon Stuart Brown Joe Turner Paul Carr Nicky Savidge (c) SUBS Andy Wicks Mark Doyle Daniel Macklin Joe Tizard Ryan Quincey

- 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 Jordan Bostock Nicky Cowley (c) Danny Cowley Billy Holland Rikki Burbridge Paul Golby SUBS Billy Drake Lee Springer Matt Hayes Luke Longman Ket Koka-Makitu

Man of the Match Nominated by ...

Weather Conditions:  12 degrees - sunny. Wind speed 10mph.

Match Officials: Wade Norcott with Graham Pavitt, Michael Gattins and Graham Atkins.

Match Duration: First half 47mins 10secs. Second half 49mins 29secs.
 

AFC Hornchurch Forum Latest Posts