BILLERICAY 1 HORNCHURCH 0
After 30 hours of continuous rain, the pitch was very heavy, thick sand in the lower half, and very boggy in the upper half.

Urchins kicked up the slope in the first half, and almost fell behind to a goal in the first twenty seconds, when a long ball stopped on the beach, allowing Woods-Garness to plough through the sandy wasteland, and his lobbed shot was tipped over the bar by Jason Willis, who then did well to hold on to Ferguson’s inswinging corner. John Purdie was then booked for an offence which the referee decided was bookable, though few had any idea what it was for.

Elliot Styles then played a good ball upfield to Andy Tomlinson, who laid the ball out to Billy Coyne on the left wing. Billy crossed the ball into the goalmouth where Semanshia headed out for a corner, which Tomlinson placed a little too close to keeper Tucker. An excellent run by Dean Green, starting on the beach and ending up at the other end of the pitch, saw him round Dumas and turn the ball back to Simon Parker, who hammered it home, only for the linesman to indicate a goal kick, a decision which did not go down at all well with the Urchins massed behind the home goal.

Simon Parker was then sent clear by Frankie Curley, and keeper Tucker rushed out to save at his feet, the ball slowing dramatically on the boggy surface. Kris Lee sent Parker away down the middle and Duncan did well to come across and shield the ball to prevent a shot on goal. A moment of controversy, almost farcical, came when Kris Lee was prevented from going for goal by a blatant hand ball by Duncan, which the referee ignored and allowed play to continue. The linesman said the ball had bounced up and hit his hand, but this was on a pitch where it was almost impossible for the ball to bounce anywhere.

The only goal of the match came when Jason Willis kicked the ball upfield, only for it to stick in the sand, and it was promptly played out to the right wing, where it was crossed into the goalmouth, the defence failed to cut the ball out and a grateful BRADLEY WOODS-GARNESS touched it into the net. Urchins stormed back and Dean Green won a corner. Tomlinson sent the ball into the goalmouth, Styles touched it on to Parker, and it was eventually scrambled away.

Remember the goal which won the game in the league? It was almost deja vu when Willis went to kick the ball upfield, only to see it cannon back off the back of Steven Ferguson, thirty yards out, and the ball bounced over the keeper, but this time dropped inches wide of the post.

The best move of the half came when Donny Barnard set off on a long run down the wing, then sent the ball across to Simon Parker, who played it out to Andy Tomlinson on the left, and Andy’s first time volley skimmed the bar, narrowly missing Annie, resplendent in a new red anorak. At the other end, Billy Bricknell cut in from the right and forced Willis into making an excellent save. Frankie Curley made a long run out of defence, beating two players, but was then booked for a mistimed tackle as he tried to take the ball around a third defender, a decision which did not go down at all well with the Hornchurch bench, and shortly before half time a Tomlinson free kick saw Mark Goodfellow crash his shot inches over the bar.

Billericay started the second half with a hard shot from Wareham which was well saved by Willis, after John Purdie had headed away Wareham’s first attempt, and Urchins now kicked towards the beach end of the ground, with a long throw from Billy Coyne being headed out for a corner, Billy took, and played the ball short to Tomlinson, whose shot was touched over the bar by Tucker. Andy took the second corner and Simon Parker tried a overhead kick which went inches wide of the post. Mark Janney came on for Frankie Curley, and Andy moved inside, with Mark playing on the left wing. Billericay broke clear and Billy Bricknell looked to be in a shooting position, until Mark Goodfellow came across to intercept. An excellent run by Dean Green resulted in a dangerous cross, which keeper Tucker just grabbed as Parker sped in. Back at the top end of the ground Donny Barnard headed Ferguson’s centre out for a corner, and Willis held the ball as it came over. Woods-Garness then just beat Purdie to the ball, and saw his lobbed shot drop on to the roof of the net.

Hornchurch pressed forward, but had difficulty in getting the ball to roll anywhere in the thick sand and mud, though a good pass from Janney sent Kris Lee away clear through the middle, but Cole ran back to intercept as the ball slowed in the clinging sand. Janney then made a good run through the centre but was pulled down and Parker took the free kick but hit his shot too high and over the bar. Simon was then replaced by Ross Wall, who almost got a touch when Willis sent a long pass up to Barnard, and Donny’s cross just eluded Wall. A long throw by Billy Coyne was played back to Billy and he hit in an excellent swerving shot which Tucker tipped over the bar. Tomlinson took the corner and Billericay survived a loud hand ball appeal. A minute later another similar move saw Coyne’s shot curl just over the bar.

Billericay broke clear when Wareham touched a short free kick to Ferguson whose cross was headed behind by Purdie for a corner, whilst a Purdie free kick was headed over his own cross bar by a defender to give Urchins a corner, which Billy Coyne took, and Tucker saved. With the referee indicating three minutes stoppage time, Willis turned a shot around the post for a corner, and Joe Flack reacted first as the ball came over, to flick his shot over Willis and onto the bar.