Saturday 12th April 2008
HORNCHURCH 1 WEALDSTONE 0
HFC- Dale Brightly – Jim McFarlane – Danny Glozier - John Purdie © - Richard Goddard - Andy Tomlinson – Mark Janney – Scott Curley - Harry Elmes – Simon Parker – Des Boateng
Subs –Kris Lee for Parker 72 – Dean Green for Scott Curley 63 - Jamie Richards – Ross Wall for Elmes 78 – Michael Brothers

WFC – Keith Karamoko - Jomo Faal-Thomas – Lee Chappell – Rob Paris – Aaron Goode – Ryan Ashe © – Carl Martin – Dean Cracknell – Dean Papali – Peter Dean -Graeme Montgomery
Subs – Stephen Hughes for Montgomery 81 – Jon Nichols – Ben Clarke for Faal-Thomas 81 – John SOnuga – Andre Delisser

Scorer – Simon Parker 67
Attendance 441
Officials – G Atkins with I Hogg and C Mackrow
Booking – Ashe 69 (W)
Duration – 48.14 + 47.52
Weather – heavy rain first half, 8 degrees, sunny second half, 12 degrees, wind speed variable up to 15 mph

HORNCHURCH 1 WEALDSTONE 0
With three key players out, all in midfield, Jim McFarlane moved to right back, and Scott Curley came in for his debut. Urchins kicked towards the windmill end of the ground, and started well, Dale Brightly’s long kick finding Harry Elmes, who headed on for Des Boateng, who was just beaten to the ball by keeper Karamoko, who raced out of his area to clear. Wealdstone, on the fringe of the relegation zone, came forward strongly, Cracknell’s long throw causing concern and forcing Purdie to head out for a corner. Ashe took the kick and Brightly punched the ball away for another corner. Ashe took the kick again, and Brightly punched away again, for another corner. Ashe again, and once more it was Brightly who punched clear, with Curley completing the clearance, just as the rain began to come down in monsoon proportions. Wealdstone looked commanding in midfield but rarely threatened up front again. Boateng picked up a loose ball inside his own half and slotted through for Elmes who carried on and his hard shot was blocked by Goode, the ball running back to Elmes, whose follow up shot was saved by Karamoko. Janney began to take command in the midfield and it was his free kick which saw Simon Parker’s header tipped over the bar by the inspired Karamoko, who then outjumped everyone to hold on to Janney’s corner. Scott Curley came forward to fire in a shot which went narrowly wide of the goal, and a Tomlinson cross was deflected out by Faal-Thomas for a corner, Karamoko again holding on to Janney’s swerving corner. It was Janney who again took up the running, playing a neat pass ahead of Parker, whose shot was well saved by the now overworked Karamoko.

McFarlane was winning just about every ball which came along the left side, and it was McFarlane’s pass which found Boateng in a dangerous position and Des played on to Parker whose cross was deflected out by Chappel for another corner, which Janney took again, and which was again held by Karamoko. Janney up to Parker who was promptly brought down, and Tomlinson’s free kick found Richard Goddard, whose header skimmed the bar, McFarlane electing to remain back in defence. Karamoko caught another Janney corner, and then a good spell of interpassing between Tomlinson and Janney ended when Tomlinson’s hard shot swerved wide of the post. Paris conceded a free kick close to the half way line, Boateng being the victim, and Tomlinson pumped the ball into the goalmouth, where Goddard’s header was cleared off the line. Glozier took up the running on the left, and sent Elmes away, and Harry’s pass through to Parker saw Simon home in and send his shot crashing again the post. Purdie to Elmes, on to Parker once more, and this time Simon was crowded out and could not get his shot in.

Half time, the shop was swamped with souvenir hunters, leaving the stock of badges very depleted. Scarves are now completely sold out and only a few of this season’s home strip remain. Within seconds of the restart Des Boateng hit the bar, and signalled an almost constant onslaught on the visiting goal. Scott Curley’s shot was turned around the post for a corner, and Janney sent the ball over, took the return pass and centred the ball back across goal, where Tomlinson’s diving header hit the side netting. Parker played a neat pass in to Janney who in turn touched on for Glozier who could not reach the ball before it ran out of play.

Wealdstone briefly got back into the match as an attacking force, when Dean’s shot was blocked by Purdie, for a corner from which the ball was headed over the bar by Papali. But this was only a lull and play soon swung back to the other end, where Parker ran forward and played a neat sideways pass out to Dean Green, who had come on for Scott Curley, and Green’s hard drive was saved by Karamoko at the second attempt. Something had to give and it gave when Brightly’s high upfield ball dropped seemingly harmlessly towards Karamoko, who was surprised by SIMON PARKER’s pace and Simon just managed to get the touch on the ball, which bounced slowly goalwards, almost stopped, hit the post, and then carried on slowly and into the net. Cue mass jubilation on the EastSide, and it was almost two a minute later when Harry Elmes broke through, controlled the awkwardly bouncing ball and his drive just skimmed over the bar. Kris Lee on for Simon, and a free kick, which Goddard headed on for Lee, whose shot was turned around for a corner. A fine Janney run and shot saw Karamoko turn the ball out for yet another corner, and he then clawed down Janney’s swerving kick into the goalmouth. Home debut time, and Ross Wall came on for Harry Elmes, and within seconds it could have been another goal, Kris Lee moving inside and finding Ross Wall, whose shot was blocked by Paris. What appeared to be a mis-hit pass by Lee then saw Wall race on to the ball and cut inside, Karamoko saving well.

At the other end a free kick was awarded just inside the Urchins half and Hughes wind assisted drive from 40 yards out brought an excellent save from Brightly. Boateng took up the running in midfield, finding Green, whose shot rose inches over the bar. A Wealdstone rally right at the end ended when Cracknell’s long throw was turned out for a corner, and the three points were safe – six wins in a row, eighteen goals scored, only one conceded.

Ten past five, ground deserted – almost, apart from a lone fox, which came in from the gardens in Bridge Avenue, walked boldly up to the refreshment kiosk, continued onwards, and on to the pitch. It strolled on, and then stopped right at the stop where Simon Parker had scored from, looked towards the goal, then continued onwards, over the dug out and onto the terracing, stopping at the very spot where Unc usually stands.


12th April 2008 - NLP report
HORNCHURCH 1 WEALDSTONE 0

By Tony Middleton

Wealdstone delighted their large following with a pulsating start, when they forced three successive corners, all of which were punched clear by Dale Brightly. In torrential rain, Urchins took time to settle against the visitors who made good use of the open spaces on the wings. Urchins, with two key defenders missing, had given Scott Curley his debut, and he almost put them ahead midway through the first half with a fine shot which beat keeper Keith Karamoko but sailed narrowly over the bar. But it was some time before Urchins began to exert any real pressure on the visiting goal. Richard Goddard went close with a header from Mark Janney’s free kick, and a Simon Parker shot was tipped around for a corner, from which Goddard again headed over. Goddard went close once again, also from a corner, and Jim McFarlane, playing in the unaccustomed position of right back, went up for a free kick and powered a header just wide of the post. Simon Parker hit the post with a fierce drive and the half ended with Wealdstone defending in depth. The sun came out for the second half, and Urchins almost took the lead in the first minute when Des Boateng burst through, and crashed his shot against the bar. Andy Tomlinson was unlucky when his diving header, from Danny Glozier’s cross, hit the side netting, and Wealdstone, in a rare breakaway, saw Peter Dean create space for himself, only to lift his shot over the bar. The only goal of the match came when SIMON PARKER ran on to a long kick from Dale Brightly, and although Karamoko came out sharply, Parker just won the race to the ball and prodded the ball goalwards, and it hit the post before slowly rolling across the line. Urchins then gave Ross Wall his home debut and he nearly found the net with his first touch of the ball, when he ran on to Kris Lee’s pass and saw his goal bound shot well saved by Karamoko. Wealdstone made two late substitutions but they could do nothing to prevent Hornchurch running up their sixth win in a row. Player of the match – Jim McFarlane of Hornchurch. E.V 3/5 – attendance 441