HORNCHURCH 2 HARROW BOROUGH 0

It drifted over, slowly and majestically, heading towards the Thames. Was it an omen? No, it was a marsh harrier, and Mentalist went mental. A slow start, with Urchins kicking towards the windmill end of the ground. For fifteen minutes little happened, until Donny Barnard played a long low through pass down the wing to Dean Green, which was touched on to Mark Janney and then back to Simon Parker, whose centre was turned out for a corner by Watts. Andy Tomlinson floated the ball over and Elliot Styles’ well directed header was saved by Baptiste, Harrow rarely threatened, although when Mark Goodfellow headed out Hall’s corner, the ball fell invitingly in front of Highton whose first time lobbed shot dropped on to the roof of the net. Hall looked dangerous when he ran to meet a long ball from Frempong but Styles intercepted well on the edge of the area, and at the other end keeper Baptiste reacted quickly to hold on to a Parker chip that was heading for goal, Ross Wall started a good build up when he rounded ex-Urchin Tobi Jinadu, and sent Parker away. Simon played the ball across to Janney, whose cross was headed out for a corner. Tomlinson’s kick was punched clear by Baptiste, who then did well to hold on to a Wall centre from the left that was dipping under the bar. Almost on half time Clarke broke clear and John Purdie came across to tackle.

At half time the shop was under siege as bargain hunters swooped on everything they could find in the end of season sale, but although no one spotted the real collector’s item, an ancient Urchins scarf on the counter, the rattles and mugs were snapped up.

Urged on by the East Side and Urchins number one supporter, Peter Butcher, Urchins stormed forward in the second half, with the rain now falling. Janney raced down the right and centred, and keeper Baptiste mistimed his jump and only just managed to keep out Wall’s header, touching the ball out for a corner, which Tomlinson played short to Frank Curley who returned the ball to Andy, but his centre was over hit and was cleared. A Ross Wall cross was headed away by Watts, and another Tomlinson corner was cleared by Walters, but the pressure mounted and a free kick saw Simon Parker get on to the ball, and his shot was blocked, only for DEAN GREEN to follow up to hit the ball home, for his fourth goal in three matches. Wayne Walters, in his haste to retrieve the ball, went sliding several feet along the running track, as Harrow tried hard to get back into the match, but they almost conceded a second goal when Ross Wall chased a long ball down the left and cut inside, where Leech tackled to concede a corner. Tomlinson took the kick and Baptiste made a good catch.

Although Darren Behcet was not troubled in the home goal, the pressure was beginning to mount, until Colin McBride sent on Billy Coyne, a move which allowed Elliot Styles to move up to midfield from left back, and Dean Green went further forward, giving a completely fresh dimension to the line up. Parker took a pass from Purdie, and found Tomlinson whose run and shot brought a good save from Baptiste, and a Janney run ended when he fired the ball wide of the post. A free kick was awarded about twenty yards out from the area, and Billy Coyne almost caught the visitors by surprise with a hard drive which skimmed the post.

Simon Parker then beat Baptiste to a long ball and screwed it back to Green, but keeper Baptiste reacted quickly to save the goal bound shot. The three minute board – why is it always three minutes added on to the second half? – was held up, and this was the cue for Parker to slide the ball in front of KRIS LEE who ran on powerfully to hit a right footed shot past Baptiste to seal the three points. Mitchell Stuart-Evans came on for the last couple of minutes, and Urchins are now on the verge of the play offs.