Ryman League Division One North
Saturday 9th December 2006
	Waltham Abbey	0 - 2	AFC Hornchurch
		H/T 0-1 Att: 159	Lee 24', Foyewa 89'

Match Highlights

Waltham Abbey

AFC Hornchurch

	24	GOAL - Lee
	45	OFF - Styles ON - Southon
Bostock - OFF Webb - ON	54
Williamson - OFF Dear - ON	67
Ayers - BOOKED	79
	80	BOOKED - Tomlinson
	81	OFF - Gasper ON - Foyewa
	85	OFF - Janney ON - Fletcher
	89	GOAL - Foyewa

Match Report by Tony Middleton
 

Severe flooding en route – would the match be on? Yes, it was, and the pitch looked soggy and extremely bumpy. A new stand has replaced the old terracing, with seats imported from Manchester City. There were over 100 Urchins in the crowd, officially stated as 159. Ainsley was in the starting line up for the first time in a league match, though there were in fact sixteen changes to the team published in the official programme – they had not put the Urchins line up in at all.

Abbey won the toss and forced Hornchurch to kick into a strong setting sun, but Urchins almost took a first minute lead when Cross slotted a good pass through to Lee, whose shot was partly blocked by Forde, with ex-Urchin John Hickman completing the save. And then, with a bumpy and uneven pitch hindering Urchins smooth style, they were forced to defend, when Jordan Bostock mistimed his header and put the ball out for a corner, which ex-Urchin Russell Williamson took, and McFarlane headed powerfully away. Williamson was proving to be very difficult to mark, and his pass upfield caused Glozier to concede a corner. Williamson took the kick and McFarland once again headed away. A long hopeful shot by Albert Bostock – Jordan’s brother – earned Abbey a corner although the ball did not appear to touch anyone on the way into the nearby allotments, but referee Ashvin Degnarin, who also took the Bury match, decided a corner it was. Williamson’s kick was again headed away by McFarlane, and Purdie slid the ball upfield to Janney who set off on a 50 yard run, being stopped by a tackle from behind. Glozier took the free kick but it hit the wall, which took the pace out of the shot and Hickman saved.

Another Glozier free kick shortly afterwards was headed away by Page, and it was Glozier again with a good upfield pass, and Hickman rushed out of goal to head away, colliding with Gasper who needed lengthy attention. Cross then played a great cross low into goal where Lee was just inches short of connecting. Back came Abbey, Williamson to Burt, looking well offside, but play continued and Glozier had to cut across sharply to play the ball out for a corner, which Williamson floated over and Brightly punched away. Tomlinson combined with Styles to give Gasper an opening but White came over to intercept. Up came Abbey once again, out on the left, and Page’s low cross was gathered by Brightly with Burt homing in. Dale threw the ball quickly to Glozier who played it upfield, and Tomlinson took up the running out on the left, crossed into the middle, and KRIS LEE finished off the move which had started at the other end of the pitch, to send one hundred Urchins into raptures. ‘Who scored’, called out the announcer. ‘We did’, came back the answer.

It could easily have been two, when Janney powered down the right and crossed, with Hickman doing well to save from Tomlinson, and then Bostock’s free kick found McFarlane, whose header skimmed the post. Gasper chased a long ball but White got there first to head back to Hickman. A dubious free kick was awarded to Abbey and Burt fired the ball over, with McFarlane heading out for a corner, taken by Williamson and headed away by McFarlane yet again. Then a free kick to Hornchurch, to ironic cheers from the away support, and Brightly pumped the ball into the goalmouth, McFarlane up again, and his header found Styles who blazed the ball just over the bar. Abbey came back, Burt’s centre being headed out for a corner by McFarlane, who again dealt with Williamson’s corner.

And interesting balls out count at half time – one in the cemetery, one in the allotments, one in the river, two into the waste land, and one in the tree. The floodlights had been switched on just before the interval, and there was a slight delay whilst everyone waited for them to be turned up to full power – only to find they were already at full power, casting a dull shadowy glow over the pitch, with the only bright spots being the supplementary lighting in the spectator areas – are these the worst floodlights in the league?

And so back into the crepusculdinal setting of the Abbey pitch, Urchins kicked towards the moonlight end of the ground, and almost extended their lead in the first minute when Tomlinson made the running, fired the ball over to Lee on the other side, and Kris headed inches over the bar. A figure emerged out of the gloom – it was Harry, who joined the away officials in the Maine Road seating. A White free kick was saved well by Brightly, and then at the other end a Janney corner was played back to Mark, whose follow up cross drifted just wide of the post. Southon, on for Styles, found Gasper with a good pass, and down went Ainsley, Janney’s free kick finding both McFarlane and Lee, the ball being scooped off the line by Ayres as a goal appeared a certainty.

And then came the announcement of the winner of the 50-50 draw – and yes, it was Sir Gary once again. Elmes hit a free kick wide, and Urchins came back again, with Brightly’s long kick being played into the middle by Tomlinson and Hickman saved well under pressure from the ever dangerous Lee, having possibly his best game since joining the Urchins. Southon to Tomlinson and his centre went for a corner, which Janney took and Forde cleared. A long ball from Cross saw Lee streaking away and Hickman rushed out to power the ball out of the ground. Cross went solo through the middle and his shot swerved just wide of the post, and a Glozier free kick was headed out by an alert Forde. Gasper tried a solo run but was crowded out. Purdie conceded a corner at the other end, and Bostock tackled to gain the ball as it came over, playing a quick pass up to Lee, who rounded Page and homed in on goal, the ball bobbing as he went to shoot and the shot swerved alarmingly and skimmed the wrong side of the post. Abbey’s best chance on the match fell to Harry Elmes, whose shot was fingertipped over by a diving Dale. Webb took the corner, as Williamson had by now been substituted – whatever for? – and the ball was played back to Webb, who went for goal and Purdie tackled to concede another corner, which Webb took and McFarlane headed away. A third Webb corner inside three minutes, and Brightly punched away, the Brightly held a free kick from White, under heavy pressure from the onrushing home forwards. But Abbey no longer looked like scoring, and Urchins regained control. Southon out to Lee, Lee to Janney, back to Lee and he fired in a vicious shot, which went inches wide. A Tomlinson inspired move led to a corner, which Tomlinson took and McFarlane headed back to Lee, and his shot went out for another corner. Tomlinson took the kick, up rose McFarlane again and his header brushed the post. On came Amos to sort out the Abbey defence, and on came Ron Fletcher to add some defensive support, and it was Ron to Amos, and Foyewa’s shot was just wide. And this set up the second and decisive goal. A poor goal kick was propelled back to Foyewa, then to Lee, back to AMOS FOYEWA and the ball went crashing into the net, to send the vast majority of the crowd into ecstasy. ‘Who scored’ called out the announcer. ‘We did’, came back the answer once again. It was as good as all over now, but there was still time for Fletcher to find Lee, whose run ended with a corner. Tomlinson took the corner, and McFarlane yet again went close with a header. And player of the match? An excellent all round performance, on a very difficult surface – but one player stood out above everyone - Jim McFarlane.

Video clips by Rob Monger
- 24mins. Kris Lee puts us in front
- 89mins. Amos Foyewa seals the points
Post match interview with defender Jordan Bostock

  Teams

Waltham Abbey John Hickman Dave Ayres Dan Page Lee White (c) Wesley Forde Albert Bostock James Elmes Russell Williamson Nick Burt Harry Elmes Ben Darwin SUBS Danny Webb Ryan Dear Luke Power - -

- 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 Ainsley Gasper Elliot Styles SUBS Simon Parker Amos Foyewa Jamie Southon Ron Fletcher Dave Collins

Man of the Match Nominated by ...

Weather Conditions:  Sunny and 10 degrees at start- clear and 3 degrees at finish. Wind speed 7mph reducing to nil

Match Officials: Ashvin Degnarin wiht CV Uju and E Forlemu
 

AFC Hornchurch Forum Latest Posts