Ryman League Division One North
Saturday 17th March 2007
	Potters Bar Town	0 - 1	AFC Hornchurch
		H/T 0-1 Att: 127	K Lee 8'

Match Highlights

Potters Bar Town

AFC Hornchurch

	8	GOAL - Lee
Talbot - BOOKED	45+1
	60	BOOKED - Purdie
Winger - OFF Toner - ON	66
Charman - OFF Turner - ON	79
Black - OFF Moxom - ON	82
	90+1	OFF - S Parker ON - Gasper

Match Report by Tony Middleton

Fluffy white clouds, strong wind, sunshine, very bumpy pitch, and what was once the ground of Mount Grace Old Scholars and Arsenal Ladies is now the home of Potters Bar. The car park is greatly reduced and outside is wall to wall residents zones. Arguably the most basic ground in the league, with no terracing and only a miniscule stand, but a good social club and excellent tea bar.

Unchanged, but a surprise when Urchins appeared in red and white stripes, whilst the home side were in red and blue stripes, although no colour clash. A quick start by the Urchins, playing down the slope towards the church, saw Fiddes cross to Janney whose header looped over the bar. Bar had few chances, their best being a weak long range shot by Dickie which Brightly calmly gathered. Cross won a throw in and Glozier tossed the ball to Parker whose cross cum shot was carried out of play by the increasing wind. The goal came after three successive home corners, the first coming when Fanibuyan won the ball and Glozier conceded the corner. The ball was floated over and went out of play, the referee annoying the large away following by awarding another corner, when no one had got anywhere near to the ball. Black trotted across to the other side and floated another cross over, McFarlane powering it out for a third corner which Black sent over once again, and Brightly punched away, and then caught the rebound and punted the ball upfield, where Simon Parker beat two players on the left side and slipped the ball ahead of KRIS LEE who powered it home, the sheet volume of noise sending the bats swirling up from the belfry in the church. This was what the bulk of the crowd wanted – another Urchins win, and from then on they never looked like losing the three points, as they totally dominated the match. Southon put Lee clear but he was pulled up for offside, to a great roar of disagreement from Unbiased Bob behind the goal. Lee again, this time providing the opening for Cross, who was well tackled by Ledger as he was about to shoot. A Fletcher throw was backheaded goalwards by Lee, Hayward saving well, and in a rare attack for the home side, Talbot placed the ball ahead of Fanibuyan who was immediately tackled by Purdie.

A long through ball by Southon was gathered by Hayward with Lee homing in, and from Hayward’s clearance came Brightly’s one and only save of the match, when he had to backstep to catch the ball as it bounced high off the bumpy turf. Southon was floored when powering down the left and Janney’s swerving free kick was headed away by Black. Fiddes then slid a through pass to Lee who was thwarted by the offside flag, which did not meet with total approval from the one hundred away supporters in the crowd. A Janney corner swerved past keeper Hayward but landed on the roof of the net, and a good build up involving Lee and Parker, Cross and Southon, ended with Janney’s centre swirling behind. Another Janney cross was carried out of Lee’s reach and then Potters Bar were awarded two successive free kicks, the first of which Purdie conceded, a somewhat dubious decision, and Talbot fired the ball into the wall, and a minute later it was Southon who conceded the free kick, this time on Fanibuyan, and Talbot’s kick was easily blocked by the wall.

Fletcher then found Lee who backheaded on to Parker with the overworked Hayward saving well. a Cross flick forced an excellent save from Hayward, and then it was Parker on a long 40 yard run which ended with Simon being scythed down on the edge of the area, Talbot being fortunate to escape with a yellow card only. From Janney’s free kick Southon prodded the ball through the defence and Hayward held it right on the line.

Talking point at half time was whether the pitch was sloping, bumpy, or just wonky – on the assumption that wonky is a real word, then that is how to describe the pitch. The ‘affordable housing’ along the side must have taken a few thousand depreciation, given the number of times the ball had been booted therein. No subs at half time, and every player was wearing moulded studs on the hard surface. Second half was much the same as the first, with total dominance, and the home goal had a charmed life. Cross through to Lee, and a certain goal was stopped by Hayward who rushed out of his area to kick clear. Then Fletcher sent Parker away on the right but his centre swirling behind the goal, the wind sweeping across the pitch and causing havoc. Potters Bar won a corner and Black played it short, and pumped the return pass over, with Glozier heading up to Kris Lee made ground and then cracked his shot wide.

Southon through to Lee who was pulled back, and Janney floated the free kick over for McFarlane, whose goalward header then swerved wide of the post. Winger managed to hit in a long shot which made the church duck, whilst two mallards took, fright and flew away into the distance. Lee then touched a short pass to Fiddes whose shot was turned around the post by the alert Hayward, and Janney’s corner reached Cross whose first time drive was parried by Hayward. Parker almost broke through from a long pass by Purdie but Ledger covered well to prevent a goal. A Janney corner was headed wide by McFarlane and then Lee won the ball and won another corner, which Janney hit so long that the ball went out the other side for a throw in. Parker then made a good back headed to Lee whose shot was narrowly wide, and a four player move involving Parker, Lee, Fiddes and Janney ended when McFarlane missed his kick as he was about to thunder the ball home, with Cross being tackled as he followed up at speed.

Then an amazing move started with Fletcher, on to Parker, then to Janney, then to Lee, and on to Fiddes who was scythed down – no penalty said the referee. Biased Bob did not agree, nor did anyone else in the ground. Scarcely had the noise died down, when Lee burst through, Hayward hurled himself at his feet and failed to gather, the ball running on to Fiddes, who decided to tee up Parker instead of shooting, and as Parker went to shoot, the ball bobbled, and the shot went wide. Lee through, and Hayward out of goal to head away, Fiddes playing the ball back out to Parker, and then in again to Lee who rounded Hayward but screwed the ball into the side net from a narrow angle. Parker then raced clear and was forced wide. A Janney corner was headed over by McFarlane, and almost on time, Gasper’s run on the right ended with a timely tackle by Ledger. Three more points, 25 matches undefeated, and only one defeat in 19 months away from home in the league – and already three coaches booked for the Senior Cup Final.
 

Video clips by Rob Monger
- 8mins. Kris Lee, as usual, puts us in front
Post match interview with defender Danny Glozier

 Teams

Potters Bar Town Richard Hayward Andy Keepence Sam Ledger (c) Michael Sharman Michael Black Daniel Talbot Gabriel Fanibuyan Nicky Winger Ian Hilaire John Christian James Dickie SUBS Phil Turner Michael Toner Charlie Moxom Ian Beddington Rob Small

- 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 Alex Fiddes Garry Cross Mark Janney Kris Lee Simon Parker Jamie Southon SUBS Amos Foyewa Adam Parker Ainsley Gasper Elliot Styles Ryan Lee

Man of the Match Nominated by ...

Weather Conditions:  14 degrees - fluffy white clouds. Wind speed 20mph

Match Duration: First half 47mins 1sec. Second half 46mins 44secs.
 

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