Ryman League Division One North
Saturday 10th March 2007
	AFC Hornchurch	2 - 2	Arlesey Town
Janney (pen) 80', Cross 85'		H/T 0-1 Att:423	Townsend 8', Mills 62'

Match Highlights

AFC Hornchurch

Arlesey Town

	8	GOAL - Townsend
Collins - OFF Foyewa - ON Lee - OFF Gasper - ON	57
	62	GOAL - Mills
	69	OFF - Becket ON - Charalabous
	75	OFF - Mills ON - Clark
Janney (pen) - GOAL	80
Cross - GOAL	85

Match Report by Tony Middleton
 

Heavy traffic and road works meant that many arrived late for the match, although all programmes were sold out long before the start. No Ron Fletcher, injured in the match against Witham, Dave Collins into the starting line up with Alex Fiddes dropping back to right back. Arlesey won the toss and Urchins had to kick into strong sunlight and a strong wind. The strength of the wind was quickly apparent when Rydeheard hit a free kick from almost on the half way line which skimmed the post, the pace of the ball beating everyone. Fiddes started the first Urchins move when he intercepted Gray’s pass and laid the ball forward to Janney, who in turn touched on to Lee, whose goalwards shot was cleared by Dogbe. The strong wind almost caught the home side out again when a Rydeheard free kick, again from the half way line, found Hay, whose header was wide but too close for comfort. At the other end, Lee chased a long Southon ball and Gray just got there first. Shoot from anywhere was the motto, and a Townsend long shot was stopped by Purdie, but it was Arlesey who took a surprise lead when a well hit but speculative wind assisted shot from well outside the area by ASHLEY TOWNSEND deceived Brightly and swerved into the net, the goal being greeted in stunned silence. Townsend almost added another with a long shot from the left which was touched around for a corner, which Tekell took and the ball swerved alarmingly in flight, but McFarlane headed away. Urchins struggled, being faced with an unusually bumpy and sanded pitch as well as the increasing wind and strong sunlight, but they went close when Lee flicked on, following a lengthy build up and Parker laid the ball low into the goalmouth, where Becket half cleared, only for Janney to power back with a good wing run and centre, keeper Rashid turning the ball away for a corner, Collins took the kick and Rashid punched out from almost under the bar.

The East Side were getting very upset at what appeared to be some blatant time wasting, which was ignored by the referee – not run for the ball if you can walk, and don’t walk if you can stand still – several decisions met with polite disagreement from the terraces, but Arlesey nearly scored again from a free kick, which many though was given incorrectly, when Tekell from the half way line saw Brightly save what turned out to be a very much on target shot. Lee was getting little change out of his two markers, and with the visitors packing their defence it began to look like a long frustrating afternoon, but a Lee flick to Cross almost brought the equaliser, Cross hitting the shot just wide. It took an age for the goal kick to be taken, and Urchins came back when they were awarded a free kick – to ironic cheers – which Janney floated into the goalmouth and McFarlane headed over. Townsend then tried a solo run and ran straight into the defender, but none the less won the free kick, which Rydeheard dummied and Tekell hit wide. Janney up to Lee, and thence onward and outwards to Parker , with McElroy tackling and Southon immediately switching play to the left to Glozier, whose centre found Lee but McElroy managed to deflect the shot out for a corner. Collins swerved the ball in and Rashid punched out from under the bar. In an excellent build up, Lee found Parker, who backheeled the ball to Janney, whose low and accurate shot was parried for a corner by Rashid. Collins floated the ball over, Rashid saved well, and then saved the follow up from Cross. Parker almost levelled when he raced around Rashid, but the ball ran out of play before he could screw it back. A Cross cross was headed away by Becket and then the visitors broke clear and Townsend saw his shot touched over by Brightly. The corner was played back to Mills, who hit his shot well wide. Less than two minutes were added on, surprisingly since in addition to the time wasting, the trainers had been on for several minutes, but it was everyone into the shop at the interval, where the newly arrived Essex Senior Cup flags were in hot demand, as was the food. One totally unbiased Eastsider was heard to say that this was the worst referee he had ever seen at a Hornchurch match – however, he says that every week. Max tried valiantly to convince someone to collect the £100 jackpot prize, but it remained unclaimed as the teams started the second half.

The wind dropped noticeably in the second half, and Arlesey set the pace when Brightly had to race out of goal to kick away from Hay, who found himself clear. But Urchins began to step up the pace, Janney touching back to Fiddes who put his cross cum shot onto the roof of the net, and Cross volleying a long shot over the bar. There was almost a goal when a long Brightly upfield kick bounced once and almost caught Rashid out at the other end, and then Southon found Glozier whose pass to Parker almost opened up the defence, only for Reed to tackle as Simon raced goalwards. A good throw from Fiddes reached Parker, who turned quickly and hammered in a shot which Rashid just managed to save right under the bar. And then it was Southon through to Cross, who was tackled by Beckett. A Janney corner almost caught the visitors out, but Rashid punched away from under the bar.

A massive shock then stunned the stadium into silence – a long ball in from the left, Brightly did not gather and in the ensuing scramble WAYNE MILLS poked the ball over the line. Two nil. From then on it was one way, but over eagerness meant too many wasted chances, as witnessed when Glozier over hit his free kick and the ball went out of play. McFarlane moved up to join in the attack , and he headed on from Glozier’s throw to Gasper, whose shot was blocked by Reed. Then it was McFarlane to Foyewa whose run ended with a goal kick. Amos was beginning to become a substantial force on the left and he won a free kick, which Glozier fired across and Reed cleared. Gasper to Southon and Jamie’s shot was over the bar. A goal began to look remote, but a long clearance from Brightly saw Parker take up the running and from the resultant ball into the middle, Gasper was tripped up in full flight and the ground fell into silence as MARK JANNEY stepped up to hit the ball low past the keeper to pull one goal back. ‘Get into them, sort them out’ chanted the Eastside (modified version) and loud booing echoed across the ground as apparent time wasting went unchecked. Amos, around three defenders, in full flight and out to Parker, who turned and saw his drive saved by Rashid, and then Amos again, on to Parker and through to Gasper, the offside flag being greeted with loud disagreement from the terraces. A goal now looked on with every move, and it came in spectacular fashion, with a good build up, before Southon found Gasper and thence on to GARRY CROSS who hammered the ball home from way out.

Cue bedlam, which was almost stunned into silence when Townsend ran clear on a break away and hit the ball over the bar, too close for comfort. For a short time Arlesey came back, two corners from Tekell plus a free kick from the same player being cleared, and then Brightly hit another of his notorious long kicks up field and Rashid raced out of his area to kick away from Parker, and a minute later did exactly the same, only this time he headed the ball away. Despite several minutes of stoppages and time wasting only two minutes were added on, and almost on the stroke of full time a Gasper cross from the right was touched into the net, the goal being disallowed by a waving flag, which did not go down at all well with the home supporters, so two two, 23 matches unbeaten, but two points lost none the less.

Video clips by Rob Monger
- 8mins. The visitors take the lead through Ashley Townsend
- 62mins. Arlesey go further ahead through Wayne Mills
- 80mins. Mark Janney pulls a goal back from the spot
- 85mins. Garry Cross equalises
Post match interview with coach Ron Handley
Post mach interview with former players Tim & Chris Harris

  Teams

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

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

Arlesey Town Jack Rashid Andy Reed Dean McElroy Richard Becket Steve Dogbe James Gray (c) Wayne Mills Lee Tekell Darren Hay Ashley Townsend Craig Rdyeheard SUBS Michael Leon Alexis Charalabous Arin Fehmi Matthew Clark Luke Bliss

Man of the Match Nominated by Chequers Old Boys Jamie Southon

Weather Conditions:  Sunny 13 degrees. Wind speed 20mph reducing to 5mph during the second half

Match Officials: Andrew Parker with Michael Barnes and David Woolf

Match duration: First half 46mins 48secs. Second half 47mins 53secs
 

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