SAFFRON WALDEN TOWN 0 HORNCHURCH 2
Saffron Walden are oldest football club in Essex, formed in 1872. They are also the youngest senior club in Essex, as they dropped out of competitive football in 2003 in order to cross over pyramid between the Essex Senior League and the higher standard Eastern Counties League. Whether they are the oldest or the youngest does not deflect from one fact – the ground is certainly the oldest, dating also from 1872. And it has little changed, apart from the acorns now being full grown oaks – poplars in fact. Tree lined, and sloping, with some interesting grassy mounds along the side. The town is quaint and worth a visit in its own right. Saffron Walden is in Essex, but they have played in the Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, and Essex senior leagues. And they are called the Bloods because they play in blood red.

Almost the entire town turned out for the match, giving the Town their highest gate for many years, some no doubt amazed at the entrance fee, of £3.50, plus £1 for the programme. Urchins made only one change from Margate, Simon Parker failing a fitness test, and Kris Lee moved into the starting line up, with Dave Sadler and Fiston Manuella coming in to the squad.

A slow start, confronted by an exuberant home side, who clearly felt that this was their big day, but Town rarely managed to penetrate the Urchins defence. Matthew Danbury came to the rescue to head away Janney’s cross after Lee has opened up the defence, and Janney then sent Ross Wall away on the right, with Peter Flack conceding a corner. Hodges found Wall and on to Lee, with Danbury again clearing.

Town set their supporters howling with delight when the raced upfield, but Tommy Butchart mis-hit his shot, the ball eventually going out for a throw on the right side. Janney then made along run on the right and centred, with Strong heading out for another corner. Hodges touched the ball to Billy Coyne, whose shot was blocked, the ball running out to Hodges, whose follow up shot also cannoned back out for another corner. This time it was Tomlinson whose shot that went out for a corner, and Hodges then found Kris Lee who was pulled down, and from the free kick the ball bounced all around the goalmouth before trickling out for a goal kick.

Tomlinson sent a long pass through to Lee, whose lobbed shot went wide, and in a rare breakaway, Tommy Butchart’s long throw caused a good deal of confusion before Purdie headed out to safety. Styles, Lee and Curley all combined to give Hodges an opening and Ryan conceded the corner, which was well held by keeper Choat.

Urchins stepped up the pace, and Curley sent Ross Wall away on the left. Ross was scythed down in full flight, and from the free kick the ball went out for a corner, Hodges as usual the taker, Goodfellow came up and Choat made an excellent save to touch the ball around for another corner. This time the ball reached Tomlinson whose cross again was turned out by Ryan for a corner, taken by a somewhat overworked Lee Hodges. With pressure mounting, Janney went away on the wing and was chopped down, the referee eventually reaching for a yellow card for the offender, for what was the only booking of the match. Hodges took the free kick, Danbury headed out and ELLIOT STYLES powered the ball back and into the net. One nil and the banana skins no longer looked quite so slippery.

Curley to Wall, but Ross was brought down, the appeals for a penalty being ignored, whilst a Hodges cross was punched away by Choat, the falling to Janney, whose attempt at East-Thurrocking the ball into the net saw it rise over the bar and out of the ground. Hodges twisted and turned in all directions before sending over a good cross, which Wall just failed to reach, and almost on half time Lee raced clear, only for the referee to blow for a free kick in Urchins’ favour on the half way line – hardly an advantage – and from Hodges kick, the ball fell to Kris Lee whose goal bound header was saved an excellent dive by keeper Choat.

Half time and the steep slope no longer looked so steep. Dean Green came on to Mark Janney and Fiston Manuella replaced Frank Curley to make his Urchins debut. Green was quickly in action on the right, playing the ball past Strong and then finding Kris Lee, and in to Hodges, who was fouled, Hodges took the free kick and Lee’s header went over the bar. Manuella found Wall whose cross went out for a corner , taken by Hodges, and Green’s header hit the post before being cleared. With Urchins totally in command, Dean Green sent a pass through to ROSS WALL, in the inside left position, and Ross ran on and calmly fired home his first competitive goal for the Urchins. The one way traffic continued, Dean Green hitting the bar, and ball then being turned out for a corner, from which Manuella met Hodges’ centre with a diving header which hit the side netting.

A long throw by Billy Coyne saw Ross Wall almost back head the ball into the net, and a loud cheer when Dale Brightly gathered up a long clearance, to touch the ball for the first time in the half. Dale punted the ball deep and Green cut inside, his shot going out for the almost inevitable corner. Manuella touched the cross back to Lee, whose shot went over. Tomlinson sent Lee away on the left and Ryan tackled to give away another corner, the twelfth of the match. In the next move the ball went out just short of the flag, and Coyne’s long throw found Lee, who headed over.

Town briefly rallied, and had their best moment when the won two corners in succession, taken by Strong, with Goodfellow dealing with the first and Brightly with the second, and then it was back to the other end, for the thirteenth corner, which found Tomlinson whose shot went out for yet another corner, and this time the ball was played to Elliot Styles who was chopped, scythed and hacked down, well inside the area, for the most blatant penalty ever in the history of Saffron Walden, which dates back 126 years. After lengthy attention, Elliot was helped to his feet, and then came the big question – who would take the kick? Answer was – no one, as the referee decided to restart play with a dropped ball. Inspired by this let off, Mitchell Das tried a long range shot which Brightly held, and Strong then took a free kick which Brightly quickly sent back down the slope and Coyne touched on to Lee, whose shot forced an excellent save from Choat. Town won a corner, Ryan sent the ball over, and Brightly quickly sent the ball up to Dave Sadler, who found Green, Choat turning the ball around the post, and then doing the same again, this time from Coyne, and the sixteenth corner of the match came over, a defender handled the ball away to safety, and the referee decided it was better to blow for full time than to give a penalty.

A comfortable win, against a Saffron Walden side who look a good deal better than their league position indicates.