Ryman League Division One North
Tuesday 21st November 2006
	Flackwell Heath	0 - 1	AFC Hornchurch
		H/T 0-0 Att: 88	McFarlane 81'

Match Highlights

Flackwell Heath

AFC Hornchurch

	22	MISSED PEN - Janney
Levine - BOOKED	31
Hazell - BOOKED	39
Havermans - BOOKED	64
Finlay - OFF Deacon - ON	67
Rolfe - BOOKED	67
	72	OFF - S Parker ON - Gasper OFF - Tomlinson ON - Collins
	81	GOAL - McFarlane
	83	BOOKED - Collins
Geary - SENT OFF	86

Match Report by Tony Middleton

A changed line up from Saturday saw Jordan Bostock, Simon Parker and Elliot Styles all back in the starting line up, with Billy Crowther from the youth team included in the squad. A two hour journey culminated with a solid traffic jam at the exit from the M40, and by the time the majority of the away support arrived, the small car park was full, which meant a longish wall down a very dark Magpie Lane to the ground.

Urchins started slowly and were kicking down the diagonally sloping pitch, but almost took the lead when a Janney low cross into the goalmouth was poked wide by Lee. The next move again involved Janney and this time he found Cross in front of goal, but the shot was saved by Hart. Parker won a corner, when Levine covered, and Tomlinson curled the kick almost under the bar, where Hart punched clear. Urchins were struggling to find a rhythm and a Styles chip through the middle was too long and Hart gathered easily. Tomlinson and Glozier then combined well on the left, the eventual centre being punched away by Hart. Flackwell Heath briefly came back as an attacking force, with two successive corners by Rose, with Purdie playing the latter upfield to safety. Lee ran on to a high ball from Styles and forced a good save from Hart, whilst at the other end a long penetrating centre by Rose found Donoghue whose header was misdirected well wide of the goal.

Parker and Janney combined well to give Cross an opportunity but Connor tackled and the danger was cleared, only for Janney to immediately surge back, only to be fouled by Levine who was fortunate to escape with a long lecture when a short yellow card was perhaps the most likely alternative. Tomlinson took the free kick and curled the ball into the goalmouth where Rolfe turned it out for a corner. Janney took the corner and the ball went across to Glozier who was fouled by Havermans, as Flackwell's enthusiasm overflowed. From the free kick Cross surged goalwards and was chopped down. Up stepped Janney for the penalty and Hart flung himself sideways to parry the ball around the post. Janney’s corner was headed away by Connor and it was beginning to look like they would never find the net. McFarlane joined in the attack with a through pass to Janney, who played the ball into the centre where Connor cleared from Parker. Bostock twice intercepted as Finlay threatened to break clear – yes, it is the ex-Urchins Andy Finlay – and Levine was booked for a foul and was fortunate not to get a second yellow soon afterwards when he first conceded a free kick and then tried to discuss the decision with the referee, whose leniency was beginning to be stretched somewhat.

Rolfe followed into the book soon afterwards, but the match was becoming patchy, as witnessed by three successive overhit centres from the left, when Glozier appeared to get caught out by the steepish slope. Almost on half time Glozier found Lee who won a corner and Janney took the corner, and Lee hit in a good shot with Hart turned around the post for another corner, which Glozier took and Hazell cleared.

At half time the main talking point was which home player would be the first to get a red card, and it was the count the crowd competition revealed that there were approximately 126 in the ground. A home official came around shouting 291 – this turned out to be the winning raffle number and not the official attendance. Would Urchins find any rhythm in the second half?

The answer was almost immediate, for Tomlinson surged along the left, pushed the ball through to Lee and Kris crossed straight away, the ball running into the path of Mark Janney, who hammered his shot goalwards, for Hart to make an excellent save from just a few yards out, the ball rebounding for a corner which Glozier took, but Havermans played the ball away to safety. With Karl relaying the missed chance to Serious Sid, Janney stormed back along the right in a fifty yard run but his final cross was too far ahead of Tomlinson.

Glozier played a good pass through to Parker who won a corner. Tomlinson took the kick and McFarlane’s header was close but not close enough. An unusual incident followed when Janney was brought down in full flight by Havermans. Up strode the referee, out came his notebook, and into the book went the name of Rolfe – yes he got the wrong one, which proved to be fortunate for Havermans who soon afterwards was yellow carded for another foul, but stayed on the field as a result. A corner resulted from the free kick and Janney found McFarlane whose header was wide of the goal. But pressure was mounting, and the Urchins were beginning to look more like their normal selves.

Hart then made an excellent save from Lee after Glozier had opened up the defence, and then it was all change as Gasper and Collins came on. The difference was immediate as they combined on the left, with Ainsley’s centre going across goal. Flackwell Heath came back and a good lengthy pass by Hazell found Deacon but excellent covering by Bostock prevented any danger. But a goal was now looking imminent and it almost came when Gasper played Collins through on the left, and Connor tackled to give away a corner. Janney took the kick, over it came, and JIM McFARLANE came in at the near post to head home, to start off the celebrations behind the goal, with the referee joining in as he tried to get the players back onto the pitch.

Gasper made a good opening on the left, and found Cross whose pass was too far ahead for Janney to reach. Gasper again, this time to Lee, who was pulled back for offside, and then Styles conceded a free kick but was then stamped on by Geary who did not wait for the referee to wave a card – by the time the red was flourished with a flourish Geary was half way towards Wycombe. Levine took the free kick and tried a speculative long shot which Brightly held. Collins then found Lee who was pulled down, Collins taking the free kick and Gasper’s header found Hart making the save of the match to turn the ball around the post. Collins took the corner and Hart turned it over the bar. Janney took the corner from the other side of the pitch, but played it too short and Flackwell Heath came away with the ball, and they surged upfield to win a corner at the other end, where Purdie headed away as the final whistle went.

Three points, from a home side who are far better than their league position suggests, and who had drawn at Sudbury three days before. And a far better second half performance from the Urchins, as they grew in confidence as the match progressed.

 

Video clips by Rob Monger
- 81mins. Jim McFarlane heads in the winner
- 89mins. Flackwell Heath keeper Nick Hart makes a terrific save
 

  Teams

Flackwell Heath Nick Hart Maz Hazell Joel Havermans Matt Rolfe Brian Conner (c) Carl Levine Daniel Rose Kieran Thorne Jon Donoghue Andy Finlay Chris Geary SUBS Neil Hanson Greg Deacon Ricky Pattenden Josiah Hunte Paul Kelly

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

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

Man of the Match Nominated by ...

Weather Conditions:  5 degrees at start, 2 degrees at finish - wind speed zero

Match Officials: M Downey with A Hyne and E Moore

Match Duration: First half 45mins 34secs. Second half 47mins 49secs
 

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