Tuesday 25th September 2007
HORNCHURCH   3   HASTINGS UTD   2
HFC - Dale Brightly – Jordon Bostock – Danny Glozier – John Purdie © - Richard Goddard – Andy Tomlinson – Garry Cross – Mark Janney – Kris Lee - Harry Elmes – David Lee
Subs – Simon Parker for Kris Lee at half time – Amos Foyewa – Shane Oakley – Elliot Styles for Bostock 21 – Joe Keith for Goddard 28

HU – Lee Worgan – Danny Spice – Jimmy Elford – Rhys Whyborne – Sean Ray © - Nima Cham – Sam Adams – Lee Carey – Ade Olorunda – Tom Poole – Russell Eldridge
Subs – Scott Kirkwood – Danny Ellis for Olorunda 90+1 – Danny Williams for Poole 65 – John Bradley – Kevin Rose

Scorers – Lee Carey 43 (HU) – Mark Janney 59p – Russell Eldridge 71 (HU) – Harry Elmes 90+4 – Mark Janney 90+5

Bookings – Sean Ray 58 (HU) OFF
Officials – G Evetts with K English and K Stone
Weather – damp and 14 degrees at start, bright moonlight and 8 degrees at finish – wind speed gusts up to 5 mph
Attendance 330
Duration – 49.09 + 51.49 (the first half was four minutes short)

HORNCHURCH   3   HASTINGS UTD   2
This was it – the return of Urchin the eagle owl. Booted unceremoniously into oblivion by a Cheshunt player, found dazed and confused by Unc, and restored to his normal perch for Staines, only for the referee to call it off. This was to be his first full game on his comeback. On the field – unchanged.

Surprise, there were some away supporters – more than Chelmsford, not quite as many as Billericay and certainly less than Hullbridge brought down – but supporters none the less and all the more welcome. Wivenhoe Urchin came into the shop and was almost tempted to buy the new strip. Max announced the changes loud and clear.

On a dull damp night, Urchins kicked towards the windmill end of the ground, starting well, a long ball finding Kris Lee, who was well tackled by Sean Ray. Hastings, one of the better teams in the league – not that there are any poor ones – looked dangerous on their first move, when Tom Poole made ground and Richard Goddard came across to intercept on the edge of the area. David Lee played an excellent ball up from midfield for Kris Lee to run on to, with Elford tackling to save the shot on goal. Olorunda went clear at the other end, and Bostock tackled well, and in their next move Poole laid the ball back to Spice whose centre cum shot was well saved by Brightly. Almost total farce at the other end when Elmes put Kris Lee through and a massive miskick by Worgan saw the ball gently rolling goalwards, with only a last ditch clearance by Whyborne keeping it out of the net.

Kris Lee then played a perfect through ball for Elmes, and Worgan rushed out of his area to head to safety. And then disaster struck when Jordan Bostock tackled Eldridge and stayed down. Lengthy treatment followed, over three minutes, and Jordan attempted to resume but could not do so, and was replaced by Elliot Styles. It got worse when Richard Goddard went down shortly afterwards, and again, after a very much prolonged stoppage, he was taken off with a nasty gash above his eye and straight to hospital, Joe Keith coming on. A quick revision, and Janney went to right back, then Garry Cross dropped back, with Janney back in midfield and Elliot went to centre half.

Urchins, with key defensive players now missing, tried to come forward, Janney’s cross being headed away by Ray, and a corner from David Lee being overhit so far that the ball went out for a throw on the other side. A Glozier cross was headed away for a corner by Spice but Janney’s kick was cleared comfortably. A Cross cross found Elmes homing in, the shot being cleared off the line by a packed defence, and another David Lee corner was headed away by Ray. But Hastings were controlling the midfield, and were coming forward, and they took the lead when LEE CAREY found himself unmarked just outside the area, and the turned and hit his shot neatly past Brightly. Hastings remained in control for the rest of the first half, the main surprise being that the referee only played four minutes for stoppages – far too little. We’re gonna win the league, chanted the Hastings supporters.

Main talk at half time was whether the referee not added enough time on, whilst many commented on the effectiveness of the tannoy. Sir Gary commented on the effectiveness of the 50-50 jackpot draw when he walked off with the £80 winnings. And for the half time quiz – which player has played for both Horchurch and for Hastings Town?

And more bad news for the second half – Kris Lee is injured. Good news is that Simon gets to come on. And it was Parker’s touch that almost put Harry Elmes through, the keeper dropping the ball and having to chase wildly after it, with Elmes closing rapidly. A Glozier cross saw Parker glide in and his touch sent the ball inches wide of the post. Then it was Tomlinson making the play, to David Lee, back to Glozier and back again to Tomlinson, who played a low ball to Harry Elmes, with Whyborne tackling to concede a corner, which David Lee took and Worgan held well. Styles up to Cross and on to Janney on the right and his low cross into the goalmouth saw Worgan save at the feet of Elmes. Tomlinson, looking very much in charge in the left half position, played through to David Lee and Worgan rushed out to kick away, and then controversy when a long punt upfield by Brightly saw Simon Parker racing goalwards, and being held back time and again – the referee took no action, and Simon got his shot in but it lacked enough power to beat Worgan. Elmes again, back to Tomlinson, back to Danny Glozier and his centre was well held by Worgan, who looked dominant in goal.

Glozier once again, playing the perfect ball right to Simon Parker’s feet, and Simon’s goalbound run was halted by Sean Ray – off off off chanted the EastSide, off off off hooted Urchin the eagle . The referee runs up, flashes the red, and the ground erupts. Penalty. Up steps MARK JANNEY and the scores are level. Urchins the eagle owl zooms around the pitch, the EastSide go berserk – yes, Urchin Mentalist was there – and the Hastings supporters stand silent and forlorn.

Joe Keith now took command in midfield, and his cross was headed away by Spice . A Janney free kick reached Parker whose shot hit the post and was scrambled away, and in a rare breakaway the referee awarded a free kick to Hastings, when it appeared to have been the other way. RUSSELL ELDRIDGE took the kick and the ball curved towards Dale Brightly, who fumbled it and it ended up in the net. We gonna win the league chanted the Hastings supporters – the EastSide’s reply cannot be printed.

Things got even worst when Elliot Styles was stretchered off,  leaving Urchins a player short, and also of course a goal down – the referee took no action. Urchins continued to press forward, but Tomlinson’s centre went too close to Worgan, whilst a Keith centre was deflected out for a corner, which David Lee took, and the keeper punched away, the ball coming back to David Lee, whose first time shot skimmed the post. A low cross from Janney went begging in front of goal, and a David Lee free kick went narrowly over the bar. And it was now well into stoppage time, with the knowledge that the referee had not added enough time on in the first half – would be blow up early again, despite the many hold ups?

For Hastings, it was slowly slowly – no need to run if you can walk for a throw in, now need to walk if you can get away with standing still. Simon Parker looked to have broken through on the left, his cross finding Janney, whose hard drive was blocked on the line, and David Lee, following up, hit his shot over the top. Three minutes into stoppage time, and Hastings pull everyone back. Four minutes into stoppage time and the ball flies over the bar. Last chance gone?

No, back they come again, five minutes into stoppage time, Purdie surged forward, the attack gained momentum, Simon Parker received the ball on the edge of the area and glanced his pass out to the left wing for Andy Tomlinson, who crossed to the far post where Mark Janney eluded a mass of defenders to slot the ball in front of HARRY ELMES, who calmly finished it off. Uproar on the terraces, and 48 seconds later the uproar becomes pandemonium, when the ball is played along the right wing, the visiting defence cannot do anything about it, the first shot is blocked on the line by keeper Worgan, and MARK JANNEY gets to the rebound and it’s in the net, about thirty Eastsiders leap the barrier, Mark races over to the corner flag and slides a full ten yards, followed by Tomlinson, Parker and the rest of the team. All over. Three points. But five injuries. Kris Lee, Jordan, Elliot, Harry and Richard Goddard.

And which player played for both teams? Sam Bass

Man of the Match: The Whole Team Sponsored by: The Riverside

Weather Conditions: Damp and 14 degs C. at start - Bright moonlight and 8 degs. C. at finish

Match Officials: Referee - Mr. G. Evetts, Assistants - Mr. K. English and Mr. K. Stone

Match duration: F/H 49 mins. 09 secs., S/H 51 mins. 49 secs.