Ryman League Division One North
Saturday 14th April 2007
	Bury Town	1 - 2	AFC Hornchurch
Tatham 89'		H/T 0-1 Att:257	K Lee 14', Gasper 59'

Match Highlights

Bury Town

AFC Hornchurch

	14	GOAL - K Lee
	50	OFF - R Lee ON - Tomlinson
Coe - OFF Steward - ON	56
Nunn - OFF Joel - ON	58
	59	GOAL - Gasper
	63	OFF - Fiddes ON - Foyewa
	68	OFF - K Lee ON - A Parker
S Reed - OFF Foster - ON	83
Tatham - GOAL	89

Match Report by Tony Middleton
 

Rape, rape, fields of rape all the way down, bright yellow, but the Urchins were here only for the pillaging of the three points. Buzzards circled overhead, all eagerly awaiting their share of the spoils. The Sat Nav, a new toy, almost took more than one Urchin into the local sugar beet factory, but the ground filled up into a sea of red and white, and it was a re-jigged line up for the longest journey of the season, with Ainsley Gasper coming into the starting line up. Big talking point before the match, was ‘where was Sir Gary?’. As the teams came out, the 40 seater miniscule wooden stand was packed to capacity, the seats surely being the most uncomfortable ever invented. The loudest tannoy in the world proudly welcomed the all-conquering Urchins onto the pitch, which was unfortunately bumpy, hard and dusty, with several bare patches along the flanks, but otherwise in good condition.

And what a start – for Bury – they raced upfield towards the pay and display car park end of the ground was forced a corner, thanks to a timely tackle by Fletcher, in the first few seconds. Smith floated the ball across from the left, and Styles hammered it away from the goal line to safety. Fletcher started the first attack of the match with a long low through pass to Gasper who chased well and saw his shot well saved by the ever-dependable Greygoose. But Bury were far better than their league standing indicated, and went close when Craig Parker turned sharply and fired in a low shot that skimmed the post. Back up field, and it was Gasper on to Cross, who turned and slotted the ball on to Kris Lee, who was just beaten by an alert Greygoose. A Janney free kick was headed back across goal by Southon, with Bullard, complete with state of the arts head bandage, clearing, whilst a free kick from Styles, who was covering so much of the field that he could have been running a marathon, saw Cornwell hook the ball to safety as Cross zoomed in.

Just as the update was going out over the Urchins forum, so the Urchins scored. Cross to Janney and in to KRIS LEE, whose lobbed chip shot eluded Greygoose, and despite a last ditch attempt by Tom Bullard to clear, he could only help the ball on its unstoppable progress into the net. And it could easily have been two a minute later when a long ball sent Gasper away and his cross cum shot was touched out for a corner. Janney took the kick and Cross saw his shot blocked by Cornwell. Fiddes played it back straight away and Southon turned the ball back into the middle where Cornwell again cleared.

Bury almost pulled themselves back level when Craig Parker neatly fed a ground pass through to Bugg who, with just Brightly to beat, calmly sidefooted his shot gently into Dale’s waiting arms. The home crowd were already turning on their team, hardly the ideal way to offer encouragement. The Hornchurch heron is famous, and the local heron had soared lazily overhead, enjoying the spectacle of the champions, but it drifted away, no doubt upset by the attitude of the home crowd towards their own team.

With the pitch looking as though it had never seen a drop of water in months, good football was difficult, but Bury adapted well, with a shot by Craig Parker headed away by Fiddes, and with Nunn then hitting the follow up shot well wide of the goal. Dale Brightly had to run out of his area three times within five minutes to head away, first from Bugg, and then from Reed and then from Craig Parker, and Dale then had to come out to punch away a long free kick from Summerscales. At the other end a promising run by Gasper was stopped, and with everyone moving up for the free kick, the referee awarded it the other way, and then spoke at length to Kris Lee, who was nowhere near the ball at the time. Bury came back strongly, Tatham finding Smith who put his cross behind the goal, where nearly twenty home supporters were gathered, whilst Reed missed a chance when he turned quickly but fired his shot over the bar and into the car park, where the ball was given a parking ticket from a passing traffic warden.

Then it was Janney, to Styles, to Foyewa, with Nunn tackling, and Brightly had to get down quickly to save a shot from Tatham as play went back and forth. Kris Lee was played in by Ryan Lee, with Greygoose coming out quickly to gather, and the keeper then made another good save, this time from a low shot from Cross. Ryan Lee then ran on to a long kick by Brightly and Darren Coe, 40 yards from his own goal, saw his wild attempt at a clearance beat Greygoose and land on the roof of the net. Janney took the corner, and McFarlane headed back to Fiddes whose shot was turned out for a corner, which Ryan Lee floated over, and the home side survived a loud hand ball appeal, with every one of the East Side firmly convinced a penalty was the only possible decision. Almost on half time a corner from Smith was headed powerfully to safety by McFarlane.

Talking point at half time – where was Sir Gary? A tip for the burger van on how to sell more burgers – try opening up earlier. And the winning raffle ticket was announced, the prize being an incredible £10. Many asked what month it was and had to be reassured that it was April – the programme cover claimed it was March.

Urchins started the second half well, Styles hitting a shot narrowly over from Fiddes’ cross, but Bury could have levelled when Bugg chipped over to Reed, who but inside but then hit his shot wide of the goal. Then Reed broke clear on the right, looking well offside, but play continued and he screwed the ball back across goal where there was no one to take advantage, and Fletcher cleared upfield. Tomlinson made a good tackle to stop Cornwell, and then Tatham fired the ball over, with Cross clearing well. Tomlinson to Kris Lee and Bullard tackled, with Tomlinson regaining possession and finding Cross who ran on to score but was given offside.

Goal number two followed when Fletcher sent a good pass up to AINSLEY GASPER who chested the ball down, raced past Coe, and ran goalwards where he slotted the ball past Greygoose. All over now. Not quite, for on came Amos, and within seconds Janney played him through, Foyewa raced goalwards, and Greygoose made an excellent save, diving to the right and kicking the ball clear as it went to his left. Reed volleyed inches over the bar, and then we found out where Sir Gary was – he had just arrived at Dover on the Eurostar – his first words – what’s the score, who scored, and how’s it going.

Janney to Cross, and Bullard managed to get in a good tackle, but Foyewa took advantage of a quick flick from Adam Parker to run on and Greygoose saved again.

Janney to Foyewa, clean through, and Greygoose saved yet again, to concede a corner, Foyewa taking the kick and Nunn clearing wildly, the ball disappearing in the direction of Mildenhall. Foyewa again, and it seemed he must score this time, a long run leaving defenders trailing, but he cracked his shot wide of the goal, with the entire EastSide shouting goal. And a minute later it was Amos yet again, powering through but this time lobbing the ball over Greygoose and also over the bar. Three great chances which on a normal day would have seen a five minute hattrick.

Brightly made an excellent save from Craig Parker, whilst Amos went close once again, this time being crowded out for a corner, which Foyewa took and McFarlane just failed to reach. A long ball from Brightly was back headed by Adam Parker, Greygoose saving, and then, almost on time, JAMES TATHAM was first to react to a low cross from the right, hitting the shot low and hard into the net. And there was almost time for Bury to get another, when Tatham ran clear from Smith, and his cross was headed over by McFarlane. Smith took the corner, and the whistle went to signal 32 matches unbeaten.
 

Video clips by Rob Monger
- 14mins. Kris Lee puts us a goal up
- 59mins. Ainsley Gasper scores our second
- 89mins. Bury's James Tatham pulls a goal back
Post match interview with Jamie Southon

  Teams

Bury Town Dean Greygoose Sam Nunn Lee Summerscales Danny Cornwell Darren Coe Tom Bullard (c) Lee Smith Craig Parker Steve Bugg Sam Reed James Tatham SUBS Michael Steward Ryan Foster Tom Joel Lee Reed -

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

AFC Hornchurch Dale Brightly Ron Fletcher Elliot Styles Jamie Southon Jim McFarlane (c) Garry Cross Mark Janney Alex Fiddes Kris Lee Ainsley Gasper Ryan Lee SUBS Simon Parker Adam Parker Dave Sadler Amos Foyewa Andy Tomlinson

Man of the Match Nominated by ...

Weather Conditions:  20 degrees and suuny. Wind speed 5mph.

Match Duration: First half 45mins 3secs

Match Officials: N Blackledge with J Marin and G Sprague
 

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