Ryman League Division One North
Saturday 11th November 2006
	Harlow Town	2 - 0	AFC Hornchurch
Salmon 56', Winston 90+2'		H/T 0-0 Att:360

Match Highlights

Harlow Town

AFC Hornchurch

Adams - BOOKED	26
	42	BOOKED - Tomlinson
Akers - BOOKED	45+2	BOOKED - Glozier
	49	OFF - McFarlane ON - Bostock
Salmon - GOAL	56
Glidden - OFF Taylor - ON	56
Wraight - BOOKED	61
Akers - OFF Swift - ON	80
	82	OFF - A Parker ON - Collins OFF - Lee ON - Gasper
Winston - GOAL	90+2

Match Report by Tony Middleton

The news that Mark Janney was out with a neck injury meant that Urchins could not field a full quota of substitutes, as Jamie Southon and Dave Sadler were also still on the injured list. Could one player make a difference – we were soon to find out. The new Harlow ground is several miles along the A1169, the route taking you all around Harlow and then back towards the centre. An impressive main stand is let down badly by lack of litter bins and by the remoteness of the toilets, situated almost apologetically in the far corner of the ground. The bar is small and lacks a television, something the 200 plus Urchins were quick to point out. The rest of the ground is flat, apart from a terraced area over the far side. Main drawback is the long queues at the one and only tea bar, whilst a real plus point is the best tannoy in the league.

Prior to the start there was a minute’s silence, with all the Urchins team wearing black arm bands.

Urchins, with over 200 in the crowd of 360, totally dominated the first half, and wasted four clear cut chances. A hyped up Harlow team got off to a poor start, Chapman chopping down Simon Parker in the first few seconds, and Tomlinson’s free kick was far too hurried and the ball went out of play. And just a minute later Lee slid a pin point pass to Cross, who but inside and hit the shot into the side netting. Harlow were rarely in the match as an attacking force, although a good pass by Wraight reached Winston, thanks to a slip up by a defender, and his lot shot brought a diving save out of Brightly, who promptly punted the ball high up the middle and Hasell had to rush out of his goal to save as Simon Parker homed in.

Foyewa, operating in Mark Janney’s position on the right wing, put Adam Parker clear, and Lee moved through onto the flick, but his finish was lacking and Chapman half cleared, only for Glozier to put the ball back into the middle where Heckenbach conceded a corner. Adam Parker took the kick and after McFarland touched on, Lee rose well but was somewhat surprisingly given offside.

Cross then slotted a neat pass to Lee who turned the ball back to Glozier, whose high centre found Foyewa, but Amos lost the ball by trying to take it past one defender too many. McFarland played a high ball into the box, Hasell dropped it, and Simon Parker snapped up the rebound, only to be pulled up by the referee’s whistle. And then the best chance of the match – Purdie out to Tomlinson, up to Lee who headed on to Cross who raced clear, beat Hasell and then saw his shot come out off the post, when a goal looked a certainty. Cross again with a low cross, and Boateng hooked the ball out from Lee. Fletcher joined in, and hit a long pass into the area, where Hasell just beat Simon Parker to the ball as it dropped invitingly. A high chip from Cross was heading for Simon Parker when Hockenbach intercepted at the last moment, and Tomlinson found Cross with a neat prodded pass through the defence, but Cross hit the side netting with his shot. And a long pass to Simon Parker from Purdie saw Simon race down the right and send over a low ball to an unmarked Lee, who managed to miss the target from just a few yards out. It was one way traffic, but keeper Hasell was having an inspired match. Fletcher put in a high centre, Lee headed on to Adam Parker, whose side footed shot was saved well by Hasell, as a third scoring chance went begging.

And Kris Lee raced clear, rounded Hasell, only to lose control of the ball as it ran away from him, and he was unable to screw it into the gaping net, but instead touched the ball back to Foyewa, whose cross into the goalmouth was poor and the ball never reached Simon Parker who was waiting there unmarked. Amos then put Simon Parker clear but a defender handled and prevented any further progress.

In stoppage time an innocuous tackle by Glozier led to a massive over reaction from the home team, so much so that Winston raced across and appeared to aim a kick at Glozier, who jumped out of the way, and Winston instead kicked his own player who jumped up and joined in the mass melee, with keeper Hasell also racing out to almost to the half way line to add his own tuppence worth. A disgraceful piece of play acting by a Harlow player (name known but withheld) occurred when Adam Parker attempted to push him away from the incident. The player immediately fell to the ground clutching his face, then just as quickly jumped up when the referee ignored him. The referee eventually booked Akers (hardly surprising) and Glozier, who had done nothing to merit it, flashing a luminous green concoction which looked like a piece of an old steward’s jacket. Moral simple – red means off you go, green means you have got away with it.

So half time, and four chances missed, and the ill directed illuminations were switched on, the otherwise excellent corner floodlights leaving large dark patches on the ground – something which needs to be remedied quickly.

Urchins started the second half well, or perhaps not so well, because Simon Parker, in great position in the area, lost control of the bouncing ball when he was well placed to score. Then things went downhill, as Jim McFarlane had to go off, having been dominant in defence up until then. Harlow then scored soon afterwards, MARK SALMON being allowed too much room and he hip the ball over the defender, ran on and scored with a good low drive, in what was Harlow’s first real shot of the match.

Bostock almost set up a goal with a long punt upfield, which saw Hasell racing out of goal to kick clear from Lee, and Goyewa wasted an opportunity he created himself by over elaboration and a massed defence crowded him out. Two corners, both taken by Lalite, were cleared comfortably, though the latter was pumped back again and Adams mishit his shot high and wide and out of the ground. Foyewa found Simon Parker with a through pass, and Simon raced clear, but Hasell saved well, the ball rebounding back to Simon, whose follow up shot was hacked off the line by Akers 0 that made five chances missed so far.

Foyewa was foiled by an illegal tackle and Adam Parker’s free kick saw Lee drift in and then glance his header wide of the open goal. Purdie needed six minutes of attention when he collided with Adam Parker, and left he field for several minutes, with blood pouring down his face. A Tomlinson corner was scrambled out to Cross, who flicked the ball back to Adam Parker and thence to Foyewa, whose shot was wasted – that makes six, but who’s counting?

Gasper and Collins came on, for Lee and the impressive Adam Parker, victim of many a mistimed tackle in midfield, and it was Gasper who found Glozier on the left, and his centre was deflected out for a corner. Gasper again, this time his shot was turned out for a corner, which Collins took, but Hasell was there again. Foyewa was at last making space for himself on the right and he put a cross field pass to Collins, who sent Simon Parker away, but the shot hit the side netting. And in stoppage time, Gasper hit the ball wide of a gaping goal from Collins cross. As is often the way, the defending side broke clear, but there seemed no danger until misdirected headed back pass fell to SAMMY WINSTON, who ran on and scored.

There should have been at least eight minutes stoppage time, but the referee chose to end proceedings after adding on just three minutes and thirty seconds. And, as Karl said, ‘it was a mugging’ (edited version). And, in case anyone has missed it, this is Urchins first away league defeat since August of last year, when they lost on the first day of the season at Waltham Abbey.

Video clips by Rob Monger
- 56mins. Marc Salmon puts the home side in front
- 90+2mins. Sammy Winston makes sure of the points

  Teams

Harlow Town James Hasell Clark Akers Leon Glidden Beckett Hockenbach Danny Chapman Danny Boateng Leon Lalite Kenny Adams Sammy Winston Gary Wraight Mark Salmon (c) SUBS Mark Taylor Danny Swift Michael Glidden Neil Moore Danny Green

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

AFC Hornchurch Dale Brightly Ron Fletcher Danny Glozier John Purdie (c) Jim McFarlane Andy Tomlinson Garry Cross Adam Parker Kris Lee Simon Parker Amos Foyewa SUBS Dave Collins Elliot Styles   Jordan Bostock Ainsley Gasper

Man of the Match Nominated by ...

Weather Conditions:  9 degrees, clear. Wind speed up to 14mph

Match Officials: P Forrester with S Leaf and A Medcock

Match Duration: First half 48mins 43secs. Second half 48mins 30secs
 

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