HORNCHURCH 3 MARGATE 0
Today’s match was sponsored by The Margate Boys, and such was the interest that the entire match was broadcast live to the whole of Kent via Radio Margate, which included expert comm. In contrast to last Wednesday’s fog, the weather was bright and sunny. Also in contrast to last Wednesday the Hornchurch web site gave excellent and accurate directions and nobody was sent back down the A12 in the wrong direction.

Bradley Gray came in for his home debut, whilst Simon Parker was named in the squad after his hamstring injury. But Andy Tomlinson was out, following a disgraceful tackle at Colchester, and Dean Green is still having treatment on his back injury.

Urchins kicked towards the windmill end in the first half, which caused panic with the handful of away supporters, who went racing down to the other end, having wrongly guessed which way they would be kicking. And as soon as the away following settled at their end of the ground, Urchins took the lead. Donny Barnard played a long ball up the middle, and ROSS WALL raced forward, past Young, appeared to want to lob the keeper, but instead continued forward and fired the ball low into the net. Margate came back straight away, and Nathan Bailey was loudly cheered by the EastSide when his shot was skied high over the bar. It was Bailey again who went away on the left, with Barnard harassing all the way, but Bailey got his centre over and Dale Brightly punched away, with Mark Goodfellow completing the clearance.

Mark Janney outpaced the defence on the right and sent over a low cross which Gregory managed to turn out for a corner, which was taken by Bradley Gray, and headed away by Young. And a Janney free kick almost found Barnard, but the ball was a fraction too high and went out of play. Margate were awarded a free kick in midfield and Wayne Wilson header was well saved by Brightly. A long upfield ball by Elliott Styles saw Frankie Curley just beaten to the ball by Mullin, who had moved quickly out of his goal to gather, and a lengthy run from Kris Lee was stopped by an excellent tackle by Young.

The next Margate attack seemed to have ended with a very obvious hand ball by a Margate forward, but the referee allowed play to continue and Elliott Styles cleared off the line for a corner, which was cleared by Purdie. A long goal kick by Brightly then saw Kris Lee flick the ball on to Ross Wall, and Mullin did well to race off his line to save.. Ross Wall then returned the compliment, to set up Kris Lee, whose shot was deflected around the post for a corner, which again was taken by Bradley Gray, but Mullin comfortably caught the ball as it came over. Margate then won a corner and Wilson swung the ball over to Bailey whose header was saved by Brightly. Wilson was then booked for a wildly mistimed tackle on Styles, the referee taking a long time before eventually waving a yellow card, by which time the entire EastSide was chanting for the red card.

Urchins kicked towards the restaurant end of the ground in the second half, and should have gone two up when Kris Lee was well placed but he hit his shot over the bar from close range. This appeared to inspire the visitors who had their best spell of the match. They won a corner on the left which was cleared by Bradley Gray and then promptly won another corner, this time on the right, which was taken by Wilson. This time the ball was cleared to Morris whose shot was cleared off the line by Goodfellow for another corner. Wilson took the kick again and the ball fell to Stubbs whose lobbed shot was tipped over by Brightly for the fourth corner in succession. Wilson again with the kick, and Purdie headed out as far as Healy who hammered his shot into the side netting, earning the inevitable ‘how wide do you want the goal’ from the EastSide.. Urchins briefly weathered the storm when Gray made ground and crossed for Lee who lobbed the keeper but the ball was wide of the goal. Back again came Margate and Morris’ long throw was deflected out for a corner, which Wilson again took and Brightly saved.

This proved to be the end of Margate’s brief dominance, and Hornchurch had a corner of their own, which Mullin held as Gray swerved the ball over. And a minute later the ball was again returned on the right, Janney to Gray and the low cross was part cleared, but ROSS WALL reacted quickly to net his second goal of the match. It could have been three a minute later when Billy Coyne’s long throw found Kris Lee on the edge of the area, and Kris turned but lifted his shot inches over the bar. Bradley Gray almost scored when he ran in from the left, his shot skimming the post and then Elliot Styles saw his shot from the edge of the area rebound off the bar. Ross Wall raced clear but was stopped by an excellent tackle by Morris, who then made a not-quite-so-excellent tackle on Kris Lee and was fortunate to escape a yellow card. The third goal came when Mark Janney appeared to have been crowded out on the right, but still managed to get his centre over and KRIS LEE turned and hammered the ball home.

Margate briefly rallied when they again won a corner which Brightly punched away and the ball ran out to Purdie who sent a good pass up to Simon Parker, who touched the ball out to Gray, took the return but then played the ball too square across goal. Bradley Gray again went close, and Ryan Kirby and Mitchell Stuart-Evans both came on – this was Ryan’s home debut and Mitchell’s home league debut. In the final minute Simon Parker played a good ball through to Bradley Gray, who but through he defence but hit his shot just wide of the post. The match sponsors, The Margate Boys, named Kieran Morris and Mark Janney as players of the match, the first time ever that the award has been shared jointly. And also for the first time, Max was unable to find a winner for the 50-50 draw.