HORNCHURCH 2 BOREHAM WOOD 1
Mark Janney and Paul Shave returned after injury, and newly signed Sam Higgins, who has played twice for Hornchurch last season, in before joining Brentwood, came in up front. Urchins kicked towards the windmill end of the ground on a very warm night, and started powerfully, when Soz Yao hard free kick forced Tony Tucker into an excellent save, but Wood came back quickly when Reynolds neatly chipped the ball over the defence, although the danger was immediately prevented by a timely Billy Coyne interception. A corner from Mario Noto – he took all the visitor’s corners – was played to an unmarked Allinson, and his well hit shot was saved by Darren Behcet. A free kick by Joe Stevens went begging as the ball drifted wide of the far post with Higgins and Shave just failing to reach the ball. Wood continued to look dangerous and when Stephens played the ball through to Allinson, his first time shot was turned around the post by the diving Behcet. Noto’s corner kick was touched short to Allinson who played the ball back to Stephens, and his hard drive was deflected out for another corner by John Purdie. Noto took the corner and it was comfortably cleared, but Purdie had to go off, with concussion and he was replaced by Ronnie Fletcher, who returned to Hornchurch after a gap of one season when he did not play in senior football.

A long throw bv Coyne was backheaded across goal and Kirby, one of three ex-Urchins in the Wood line up, cleared. A long ball out to Morgan on the left saw a well flighted centre which Mark Goodfellow headed out for a corner. Noto again played a short corner to Allinson, and this time his centre was punched clear by Behcet, and up to Soz Yao, whose fifty yard run ended when he was tackled by Reynolds.

Urchins took the lead when Billy Coyne intercepted a high pass out to the left, and he made ground and played a high ball into the goalmouth, where Braithwaite failed to clear and PAUL SHAVE neatly fired the ball home. Paul is in his second spell with the Urchins, having scored four goals in eight appearances last season, including a goal on his debut league appearance at Hastings, and he therefore becomes the first player to have scored on both his league debuts for the Urchins.

Wood came back in force. A Noto corner, conceded by a neat Fletcher tackle, was headed out for another corner by Soz Yao, and this time Styles cleared from Noto’s corner. Morgan went streaking down the wing, to be tackled by Billy Coyne, but it was Urchins who went close to scoring when a long Janney through ball sent Soz Yao away, and he appeared to be badly impeded by two defenders as he raced towards goal, although no whistle came. And it was Soz once again who raced away, this time running on to a long Behcet kick, and he appeared to be pulled down when clear through and en route to goal. Again no whistle. Joe Stevens needed a long spell of treatment and had to leave the field and it was some time before he reappeared, whilst Paul Shave also needed treatment following a tackle by Noto, and from the free kick there was a massive scramble in front of goal before the ball fell to Yao, whose shot was blocked.

Half time and the other two ex-Urchins, Dean Green and Jamie Richards, had been contained well by the home defence and had not threatened. This almost changed in the first minute of the second half when Green touched on Stephens’ long pass to Richards, and his hard drive from the edge of the area clipped the bar. A long throw from Billy Coyne was cleared for another throw, and again Billy hurled the ball into the goalmouth, where JOE STEVENS headed home on his home debut, thereby becoming the first Urchin to score on both this home and away debuts.

Urchins looked confident and the East Side began to relax, but this all changed just six minutes later when LEE ALLINSON was allowed to make ground through the middle and he scored with a hard drive from well outside the area, the ball screaming into the net. This inspired Wood to power forward, and a Noto corner was played short to Braithwaite whose centre was headed away by Fletcher. Lee Blackburn came on for his home debut in place of Sam Higgins, who had created quite a few problems up front and Paul Shave moved forward, with Blackburn dropping into midfield. Wood continued to press and Darren Behcet made an incredible diving save to turn a close range shot around the post. Noto played the corner short to Stephens and Behcet caught the cross as it came over. An Allinson shot was turned around the post by Behcet who then dealt with Noto’s inswinging corner, and then a centre from the left was headed wide by Richards. Spencer played a high ball down the middle and Paul Shave was just beaten to the ball by Tucker.

Steve Butterworth came on for Joe Stevens, who had started off with the number six shirt, then the number 16 and finally one with no number on it. A Soz Yao corner led to a free kick which Lee Blackburn took and Tucker saved well, and a long run by Mark Janney opened up the defence, before he slotted the ball to Shave, and Paul’s dipping shot from the edge of the area was turned over the bar by Tucker. Soz took the corner and the ball was neatly played to Janney, but his shot was wide of the post. Soz was then booked for a tackle and in a brief flurry of yellow cards, and Paul Shave soon followed, a booking which did not please the East Side, as there did not appear to be anything wrong with the tackle.

A long build up involving Yao, Butterworth, Blackburn and Janney saw the ball played into the middle for Janney, but his shot was high and over the bar. Elliot Styles became the third Urchin to be booked, again for what seemed an innocuous tackle, and Noto took the free kick, and Behcet earned loud applause with an excellent diving
Save. A cross by Morgan went out via Spencer for a corner, and the centre was glanced wide of the goal. A free kick by Stephens was turned out by Goodfellow and Noto’s corner was cleared off the line. But Hornchurch came back strongly and Soz Yao was scythed down when in full flight, for what appeared a certain penalty and red card, but no action was taken. Four minutes stoppage time saw Wood coming forward but they did not threaten and Urchins earned their second win of the season.