AFC Hornchurch

Thursday 01-January-2015
HORNCHURCH 2 GRAYS ATHLETIC 0

HORNCHURCH
1 - Sam Mott
2 - Billy Coyne
3 - Chris Bourne
4 - Elliot Styles
5 - Billy Roast
6 - Frankie Curley
7 - Junior Luke
8 - Thomas Gogo (Danny Johnson 76)
9 - Dominic Smith (Joey May 61)
10 - George Purcell
11 - Tobi Joseph
subs
12 - Elyon Marshall Katung
14 - Courtney Homans
18 - Joe Christou

GRAYS ATHLETIC
1 - Conor Gough
2 -Luis Morrison-Derbyshire
3 - Jey Siva
4 - Jay Leader
5 - Manny Parry
6 - James Stevens (Arron Wickham 63)
7 - Joseph Zerafa (Daniel Fry 87)
8 - Kenny Beaney
9 - Bradley Fortnam-Tomlinson (Dumebi GB-Dumaka 61)
10 - Freddie Ladapo
11 - Joao Carlos
Subs
Lamar Johnson
Aaron Best-Riley

Officials – previous matches involving Hornchurch
Stephen Bates – 24/7/14 at Bishop’s Stortford - 13/11/10 on line v Tonbridge – 22/1/11 on line at Carshalton – 30/7/11 on line at Harlow – 15/10/11 on line v Kingstonian – 27/12/111 on line at Billericay – 17/3/12 on line v Cray
Val Anekwe – 9/11/10 on line at Folkestone – 5/11/11 on line at Harrow - 4/4/14 on line at Lowestoft – 9/8/14 on line at East Thurrock – 27/9/14 on line v Hampton
Chris McGovern – 9/11/13 on line v Bognor – 14/1/14 on line v Dagenham & Redbridge

Scorers
Luke 75
Purcell 79

Bookings -
Curley 15 (H)
Roast 17 (H)
Zerafa 34 (G)
Stevens 45+2 (G)
Leader 51 (G)
Bourne 77 (H)
Johnson 90+2 (H)

Duration 47.55 + 49.00
Weather – 10 degrees, cloudy, wind speed 22 mph with gusts to 54 mph
Attendance 246

HORNCHURCH 2 GRAYS ATHLETIC 0

On a day when the wind speed reached over 50 mph, playing conditions proved very difficult.

With Martin Tuohy unable to play due to his injury at Billericay, Dominic Smith was signed on loan from Colchester. Junior Luke and Thomas Gogo also came into the starting line up.

Referee Stephen Bates has appeared plenty of times on the line in Hornchurch matches, and once as referee in the pre-season match at Bishop’s Stortford, but this was his first competitive game in charge, and he turned out to be one of the best officials we have had at the Bridge this season.

Hornchurch kicked towards the windmill end, and could have taken the lead in the sixth minute when George Purcell combined with Chris Bourne, whose cross went untouched across the face of the goal, although Dominic Smith was just inches short of getting a touch.

James Stevens was fortunate to escape a booking with a mistimed tackle on Purcell, and the free kick drifted harmlessly wide.

Sam Mott had his first touch of the ball when he saved comfortably from Bradley Fortnam-Tomlinson, and Frankie Curley was booked for a mistimed tackle. The free kick reached Freddie Ladapo, but his shot went over the bar.

Billy Roast hen followed Curley into the book for a similar tackle, and again the free kick went harmlessly wide.

Hornchurch won several corners, and when Tom Gogo played a short corner to Purcell, his shot cannoned back off of a defender. Shortly afterwards Joseph Zafara was booked for a foul on Tobi Joseph and Smith sent a good pass to Curley whose went high over the bar.

Gogo again set up Purcell, who cut inside and sent in a good cross which went invitingly across the face of the goal.

Connor Gough saved well from Purcell but Hornchurch could not manage another shot on target, although Purcell again went close with a shot which skimmed the post.

In stoppage time James Stevens was booked for a foul on Tom Gogo.

Hornchurch had a let-off early in the second half when a long range wind-assisted centre-cum-shot came back off the crossbar, whilst at the other end Jay Leader was booked when conceding a free kick ten yards out, and Billy Coyne hit the free kick hard into the wall.

Chris Bourne made a good run on the left and sent over an excellent low ball into the middle but once again there was no one able to touch to send it over the line.

Dumebi GB-Dumaka came on as substitute for Grays and almost opened the scoring with a good run, but Mott came out to narrow the angle and the ball went over the bar.

Purcell was causing problems in the visiting defence, and he went close with a good shot which lifted a fraction too high, and Joey May, on for Smith, sent over a free kick which was eventually scrambled off the line.

It was Purcell who set up the opening goal with an excellent pass through to Junior Luke, to ran on, resisted a challenge from a defender, and then calmly stroked the ball past Gough.

The Grays team did themselves no favours when they rushed en bloc to the referee after Chris Bourne had conceded a free kick, in what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to influence the match official to send Bourne off, but the referee correctly showed a yellow card and the free kick was directed high and wide.

George Purcell then received an excellent pass from Tobi Joseph, and ran through, again holding off a defensive challenge, and calmly slid the ball wide of keeper Gough for the second goal.

Grays could offer nothing in return, and Hornchurch went close to adding a further goal when Purcell’s free kick was deflected for a corner.

In stoppage time Danny Johnson became the fourth Hornchurch player to go into the book.

Hornchurch have now gone nine matches unbeaten at the Bridge – and yet the local paper still does not print a report of our matches in its weekly edition.