Ryman League Division One North
Tuesday 6th March 2007
	AFC Hornchurch	7 - 1	Witham Town
Lee 24' 35' 36', Cross 29' 52' Collins 77', Foyewa 79'		H/T 4-0 Att:244	Kevin Hawes 63'

Match Highlights

AFC Hornchurch

Witham Town

	9	OFF - Sharp ON - Humphreys
Lee - GOAL	24
Cross - GOAL	29
Lee - GOAL	35
Lee - GOAL	36
Fletcher - OFF Styles - ON	45
Cross - GOAL	52
Southon - OFF Collins - ON	62
	63	GOAL - Kevin Hawes
	66	OFF - Karpowitz ON - Johnson
Lee  - OFF Foyewa - ON	69
	70	BOOKED - Goodwin
	74	OFF - Goodwin ON - Dowsett
Collins - GOAL	77
Foyewa - GOAL	79

Match Report by Tony Middleton

Thanks to a lot of hard work on the pitch, the match was able to go ahead, and there was almost an immediate reward when Cross took a low pass from Janney and forced an excellent save out of Cope in the first minute. Witham, who conceded seven in the away match, were soon struggling, and when Lee was fouled in full flight, Glozier’s swerving free kick was punched out by keeper Cope, who was to be in almost constant action throughout the match. A left footed drive from Southon swirled wide of the post, and Witham then lost Nathan Sharp with an ankle injury, Humphreys coming on in his place. Another high centre into the box from Glozier saw Humphreys do well to deflect the cross out for a corner, which Janney took, and then took the return pass, and he cut into the area and his shot was blocked off the line, as far as Lee, whose first time shot was also blocked by a massed wall of defenders. Purdie put a good pass up to Parker who embarked on a long upfield run, but was forced wide and he could not get his shot in, instead screwing the ball back to Cross, whose own first time shot hit Kaan Hawes and rebounded out. Almost incessant pressure was also rewarded when Janney flicked a short pass on to Cross, whose hard shot was touched around the post. Janney took the corner, and McFarlane’s headed was cleared off the line, whilst a Purdie free kick was headed away to safely shortly afterwards.

Southon sent Lee away and his return into the goalmouth was cleared by Holmes, and another free kick from Glozier was over hit and the ball ran out of play. A goal was simply waiting to happen, and it came when Parker gained possession from a poor goal kick, and Simon laid the ball out to Janney, whose chip into the middle was headed home by KRIS LEE. It was soon two when GARRY CROSS ran through the middle and fired in an unstoppable shot. Witham managed their first real attack when Rowell broke clear on the left, but his shot was wide of the post. The third goal followed soon after when Brightly took a long kick upfield, and KRIS LEE ran forward to head home, and a minute later it was KRIS LEE for this third inside 12 minutes when Parker made the running and Kris screwed the ball home. Four up and it could have been even more. A let off for Witham when McDonald escaped with a lecture after a mistimed challenge which could easily have led to a red card, had not the referee sensibly allowed for the very slippery conditions, and then Witham again broke clear, Rowell again running down the left wing, and playing a good pass out to Kevin Hawes who put his cross cum shot behind the goal. Janney made a good run down the right, and he then laid the ball over to Glozier whose shot was turned out for a corner, which Janney came over to take and Goodwin headed away from McFarlane. A spectacular own goal almost followed when a defender headed high over his own keeper from 20 yards out, and Cope dived backwards to tip the ball over the bar. Glozier took the corner and the ball was played back to Parker who headed over. It was Parker again, almost on the interval, with a long run and shot, the ball being cleared off the line for yet another corner, which Janney took, and then Janney had to cross to the other side to take a follow up corner when Revell, back in defence, turned the ball out. Cope saved well as the half time whistle went, during which Max handed out the £70 jackpot prize.

Main talking point was just how many could the Urchins run up, against a visiting team who had never stopped trying to play good football, but who were up against an inspired home side, led by an inspired Kris Lee, back after a three match suspension. But it was Witham who made the first move of the second half, with Brightly making his first save of the night to gather a high ball from the left, but it was soon back to normal, and Cope was having a lot to do at the other end. The fifth goal soon followed, with GARRY CROSS finishing off a long solo run with a hard shot into the net, and it could have been six a minute later when Lee made a long run through the defence and his low cross was cleared off the line by Revell, again back in defence. Fiddes then picked out Lee and Revell tackled well to clear, and Witham then won their first corner of the match, but the ball was hit too long and Styles cleared. A Janney run on the right ended when he played the ball low across goal, with no one able to get in the final touch, and then it was Parker, weaving his way past three defenders, with Cope tipping his shot around the post. From Janney’s corner, Purdie made a late run upfield and crashed a shot hard against the crossbar, the ball rebounding back, and the follow up shot being cleared off the line. Parker again, this time laying the ball back to Fiddes and Cope coped well with the shot, tipping the ball around the post, and from Janney’s corner, McFarlane headed wide.

It was so one sided that it was more than a surprise when ADAM DOWSETT ran solo through the middle to pull a goal back, which was almost immediately nullified when Fiddes put Janney clear, Cope again saving well to prevent a goal. Another Janney corner, with Lee this time heading goalwards and Cope once again saving, and then a Glozier free kick went begging across goal, whilst a Styles – Foyewa run ended in another free kick, with Parker almost beating Cope to the ball as it came over. A break away by Johnson was stopped by Fiddes with a timely tackle, and then a long build up ended when DAVE COLLINS carefully flighted his shot past Cope and into the net.

Two minutes later it was seven when Parker made the running on the right, turning the ball low across goal for AMOS FOYEWA to tap home, and it could have been eight when Glozier’s cross almost found the net, only for Kann Hawes to deflect the ball out for a corner. Collins took the kick, and Cope palmed the ball out for another corner which Collins again took, Revell clearing. Witham threatened briefly when Johnson broke clear and found Rowell, who hit his shot wide of the post, and Witham then held out against increasing home pressure to keep the score down to seven. So another three points and it is beginning to look good for a play off place.
 

Video clips by Rob Monger
- 24mins. Kris Lee opens the scoring
- 29mins. Garry Cross scores our second
- 35mins. Kris Lee scores his second...
- 36mins. ....then completes his hattrick
- 52mins. Garry Cross makes it 5-0
- 63mins. Kevin Hawes pulls one back for Witham
- 77mins. Dave Collins restores the margin
- 79mins. Amos Foyewa completes the scoring
Post match interview from the sauna with captain John Purdie

  Teams

AFC Hornchurch Dale Brightly Ron Fletcher Danny Glozier John Purdie (c) Jim McFarlane Alex Fiddes Garry Cross Mark Janney Kris Lee Simon Parker Jamie Southon SUBS Amos Foyewa Ainsley Gasper Elliot Styles Dave Collins Dave Sadler

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

Witham Town Matt Cope Darren Hawes (c) Adam Holmes Nathan Sharp Phil Goodwin Kaan Hawes Kevin Hawes Krystof Karpowitz Glen Revell Cody McDonald Danny Rowell SUBS Jack Humphreys Steve Joyce Lee Johnson James Howarth Adam Dowsett

Man of the Match Nominated by Serious Sid Kris Lee

Weather Conditions:  7 degrees. Wind speed 5mph

Match Officials: Ian Bentley with Oliver Rodrigues and Matthew Hopton

Match duration: First half 48mins 43secs. Second half 48mins 2secs
 

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