HORNCHURCH 0 CARSHALTON ATHLETIC 2
Same line up as on Saturday, and Urchins played towards the windmill end in the fist half, A confident start, Goodfellow up to Dean Green, forcing Carpenter to concede a free kick, taken by Hodges, touched on by Simon Parker to Green, whose shot was cleared by Gonsalves. Frank Curley then missed a good chance, hitting his shot wide, and Carshalton, tipped for a play off place, came back strongly, Clark playing the ball low into the goalmouth where Brightly dived to save, and a few minutes later Hamid Barr found himself with a clear run at goal, and Brightly came out quickly to save at his feet. The ball rebounded to an unmarked Alimi, who screwed his shot wide of the post.

Lee Hodges went close with a good run followed by a hard drive from the edge of the area, which keeper Wilson did well to keep out, and although Kris Lee followed up quickly, he hit his shot over the bar. Tomlinson broke up a move on the right, played the ball to Curley and then on to Lee, who put Simon Parker clear. Simon carried on, cut inside but hit his shot wide of the far post. Lee Hodges was stopped by Gonsalves, a free kick being a poor reward for what was a clear run on goal. Hodges took the kick and Wilson saved.

With the rain making the surface slippery there was an escape for Hornchurch when Dale Brightly saved and then slid outside the area with the ball. A long wait followed until eventually the referee waved the yellow card. Clark took the free kick, and Goddard headed out for a corner, which Clark took, and Goddard headed away. When Carshalton were awarded a free kick just outside the area, Hamid Barr hit his shot over the wall, and also over the bar. Hodges was again brought down in full flight, this time by Alimi, and from the free kick, taken by Hodges, Wilson punched clear. Carshalton looked dangerous when Clark broke away along the left wing, but Purdie was able to intercept, and as the rain began to come down in torrents, Kris Lee broke through but hit his shot wide. At the other end Dean Green cleared from Barr, and then Styles played a long pass up to Parker, who sent Kris Lee racing away, to be stopped by a very questionable offside flag. Clark swerved a corner over, which Brightly held, and another Hodges free kick saw Wilson save well, the rebound being blocked by a mass of defenders.

Max handed out the £70 jackpot at half time, and when the teams came out for the second half, the rain had cleared, the wind had dropped, and Mark Janney was on for Dean Green. It was Janney’s run down the left which opened up the defence and he switched play with a long pass out to the left wing, where Hodges touched back to Styles and took the return pass, and then crossed into the goalmouth, where Lee’s header went narrowly wide of the post. Carshalton came back upfield and Honey’s run ended in a low cross which Goodfellow cleared. Carshalton, who had not looked particularly dangerous up front, took the lead following a corner on the right, taken by Clark, which eluded the defence and was flicked home by BASHIRA ALIMI. Urchins almost replied straight away, when Lee and Styles exchanged passes, but York tackled, and then Simon Parker needed lengthy treatment following a tackle, and was replaced by Steffan Ball, and Des Boateng came on for Curley shortly after. Hodges sent a good pass towards Ball, whose first time shot was blocked by York, and a swerving free kick from the left by Hodges went too close to keeper Wilson who saved confidently. Clark then sent over two successive corners, both of which were headed away by Richard Goddard, and Urchins were forced to leave gaps in defence as they came forward to try and get the equaliser. Boateng to Janney, who won a corner, and from the corner, the ball was booted upfield, to an unmarked Stevens, whose long pass found RICHARD JOLLY who promptly hit his shot low past Brightly, with the home defence caught up field.

Carshalton did not look like conceding their grip on the game from then on, and went content to defend. Tomlinson’s pass to Ball saw Steffan make a good run on the left but there was no one up far enough to get onto the end of his centre. Janney made ground on the right, but was fouled and Hodge’s free kick was well held by Wilson. When Ball touched on to Kris Lee it was Wilson again to the rescue with a good save at Lee’s feet, whilst in a breakaway Collins ran clear on the left but hit his shot across the face of the goal. Janney played over a low cross which Kris Lee could not reach, and a Hodges free kick was scrambled away for a corner, with Hodges taking the kick and Wilson catching the ball as it came over. Hodges almost sent Ball away, but York tackled, and the final chance fell to Hodges who took a pass from Tomlinson but hit his shot just wide of the post.