HORNCHURCH 1 ENFIELD TOWN 2
HFC – Sid Miller – Bob Moorton – Billy Cahill – Joe Bilton © - Simon Sutton – Elliot Vile – Lee Thompson – Ed O’Neill – Sam Bantick (Lew Moore 75) – Jonathan Smith (Joe Scott 55) – Ryan Smith (Billy Pearce 73)
ET – Charlie Crawley © - Daniel Laurent – Rhys Hunt – Aandrew Faion – Ciaran Dolan – Cem Aytec – Kieron Pearce (Darren Sarpung 65) – Scott Hayes – Jamie Smyth – Connor Bolton – Izgi Erku (Fraz Kashmiri 85)
Scorers – Hayes 54 (E) – Billy Pearce 90+1 (H) – Smyth 90+3 (E)
Bookings – none
Officials – D Axcell with N Burston and J Mott
Attendance 51
Duration – 45.00 + 49.00
Weather – overcast after heavy rain, 18 degrees, wind speed 10 mph
Just three months after resigning from the Capital League, Hornchurch opened their competitive season with a Capital League match against Enfield Town. Thirty minutes before the start, heavy rain and a thunderstorm left the pitch under water, which necessitated a pitch inspection. The match went ahead, but just how much damage has been done to the pitch, which had £7,000 spent on it during the close season?
Hornchurch kicked towards a very soggy windmill end in the first half, and only an excellent display from visiting keeper Charlie Crawley kept them out, when he saved goal bound shots from Lee Thompson and Sam Bentick and a header from Elliot Vile
Enfield struggled to get into the game as an attacking force, though Sid Miller did well to save from Jamie Smyth and Scott Hayes. Rhys Hunt tackled to keep Lee Thompson out when he threatened to break through the defence, and Enfield slowly grew in confidence against an eager home side, which consisted of the majority of last season’s youth team.
A goalless first half however left the pitch in a very waterlogged state, but in the second half Enfield began to take control of the midfield, and they took the lead when SCOTT HAYES was first to react after Sid Miller had initially saved from JAMIE SMYTH.
For a time play was confined to midfield, but the introduction of Lew Moore and Billy Pearce allowed Hornchurch to regain the ascendency. Billy Cahill swerved a shot narrowly wide, and two dangerous free kicks from Sam Bantick curved around the far post. In the first minute of stoppage time a Hornchurch attack was thwarted when Sam Bentick was pulled back when going for goal. Referee Dave Axcell awarded a free kick just outside the area, and BILLY PEARCE stepped up to fire the ball around the wall and into the net. Hornchurch came forward strongly, searching for the winning goal, but it was the visitors who scored, when, in the third minute of stoppage time, JAMIE SMYTH fired home with a spectacular first time volley from 35 yards.
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