HORNCHURCH 1 TOOTING AND MITCHAM 0

The heron flew over. Urchins kicked towards the windmill end of the ground in the first half, but started slowly, and conceded a corner in the first minute, which was taken by Ellis Green and headed away by Elliot Styles. But that was Tooting’s sole contribution as an attacking force in the first half, which was totally dominated by Hornchurch, despite their failure to find the net. Purdie out to Janney and Mark raced along the wing, and Calum Crawley just managed to get in a tackle as the ball came over, diverting the ball out for a corner. Andy Tomlinson took the kick and Barnard played the ball back into the goalmouth where an on song Dave King made the first of many fine saves. Barnard then dispossessed Sullivan and sent Simon Parker away, and Simon’s shot forced keeper King into an excellent diving save to parry the shot, and the ball ran out to the left where Tomlinson fired it back and Hartburn deflected the goal bound shot away for a corner. Tomlinson swerved the ball inwards, and it was headed out by Vines as far as Janney, who crossed it back into the middle, where it went out for another corner. Tomlinson took the kick again and King pulled the ball down as it came over.

A long up field ball from Billy Coyne almost put Dean Green through but King sped off his line to reach the ball first. Frank Curley then sent Dean Green away and he slipped the ball out to Mark Janney on the right, but the centre was headed away by Vines, Tooting were growing desperate and Sullivan was fortunate not to receive a yellow card when he deliberately handled a Barnard throw. Incredibly both referee and linesman missed the incident, despite the entire East Side respectfully drawing their attention to it, and the referee gave another throw in about ten yards further forward. And then the entire match could have turned against the Urchins. Simon Parker chased a long ball down the middle, and just as he got into a shooting position, he pulled up suddenly, and had to leave the field with a hamstring injury, being replaced by Dave Sadler.

Dave Sadler was quickly involved, with a neat interception and a good pass out to Barnard, and on to Dean Green, whose high centre was well held by King. Then it was Mark Janney going along the right wing, and he sent over a cross field pass to Frank Curley, who put the ball across goal, and Sadler’s header was cleared off the line via the bar. Billy Coyne moved over to the right to take one of his long throws and found an extra ten yards, hurling the ball over to the far side of the goal where Tomlinson headed it back again and Dean Green’s header skimmed the bar. Jim McFarlane twice went up and twice saw his goal attempts go narrowly wide. Almost on half time Coyne found Sadler who crossed to Dean Green, who could not control the awkward bounce of the ball and could not get his shot in before being crowded out.

Half time and the shop was inundated with last minute Xmas buyers, all wanting HFC souvenirs, whilst all food was quickly snapped up and the tea urn needed constant refills. The air was full of optimism, not to mention steam, as someone had once again forgotten to turn the urn down. The wind had risen noticeably in the second half, but it made little difference as Urchins continued to dominate, and Tooting could do nothing but defend in numbers. Dave Sadler then limped off, to be replaced by Kris Lee, and shortly afterwards, Ross Wall came on for Frank Curley. Ross and Kris played up front with Dean dropping back into midfield. A spectacular run by Kris Lee on the left ended with a hard cross low into the goalmouth, and a defender almost scored an equally spectacular own goal as he attempted to clear. A Coyne long throw found Tomlinson on the other side of the field and from Andy’s cross Jim McFarlane fired wide.

Tooting then broke from defence and won a corner on the left. There are good corners and not so good corners, but this one surpassed everything, as the ball not only cleared the goal but the ball went sailing out into the general direction of the windmill. With the EastSide still laughing, and wondering which of the houses in Bridge Avenue would need to get their pitchfork out, Styles sent Janney away on the left wing, and his cross was well saved by King. Another break by Tooting, and Pitterson rounded McFarlane to produce Tooting’s first goal bound shot, which Brightly tipped over for a corner, and then again for a second corner, which was only partly cleared, and Brightly made his third save inside a minute to tip the ball over the bar again, with John Purdie eventually clearing the corner.

But from on it was one way traffic once again. Tomlinson sent a free kick across, and Dean Green fired the ball narrowly past he far post, and then Tomlinson sent Lee away, but Kris’ cross was too close to King who gathered comfortably. Jim McFarlane went close with a chip shot, but with pressure now constant, Tooting could do little against wave after wave of attacks, and when Kris Lee’s shot was blocked on the line, it was ROSS WALL who reacted first to crash the ball home, to send Sir Gary leaping four feet into the air, whilst Wayne, for the second match in succession, dived for cover. Ellis Green was shown the yellow card on 78 minutes, as Tooting grew desperate, and keeper King did well to hold on to an inswinging Tomlinson corner, whilst Dean Green raced in from the right and hammered his shot just over the abr.

Just as the referee indicated three minutes stoppage time, Dale Brightly comfortably caught a header, and was pushed and shoved by no fewer than five Tooting players, with almost the entire visiting team then piling in, with Purds and Macca desperately trying to protect Dale. The referee eventually booked just one Tooting player, along with Dale Brightly, who had done nothing at all to deserve the booking.In total the referee added on six minutes, and in the final minute, when Tooting were wrongly awarded a free kick in midfield, keeper King came up to boost his attack, but the ball went harmlessly out of play. Three points, and a very good performance, with only the visiting keeper standing between his team and a resounding defeat. The heron again flew over.