Saturday 10th November 2007

WIMBLEDON  1  HORNCHURCH  0
Wimbledon - Andy Little - Luke Garrard - Michael Haswell - Robert Quinn; Jason Goodliffe - Antony Howard - Steve Ferguson - Jake Leberl - Daniel Webb - Mark De Bolla - Anthony Finn. Subs: Samuel Hatton - Chris Hussey - Will Salmon for Little at half time - Karl Beckford -Reggie Savage for Ferguson 71

Hornchurch - Dale Brightley - Jordan Bostock - Danny Glozier - John Purdie - Ollie Adedeji - Donny Barnard - Garry Cross - Mark Janney - Kris Lee - Harry Elmes - Elliot Styles. Subs - Simon Parker for Elmes at half time - Andy Tomlinson - Shane Oakley  for Cross 37 - Richard Halle - Joe Keith for Barnard 81

Scorer – Tony Finn 16
Officials – T Lawrence with C Breakspear and I Kitchen
Attendance 2575
Weather 13 degrees and cloudy – wind speed 5 mph
Bookings – none
Duration 46.51 + 45.56

 WIMBLEDON  1  HORNCHURCH  0
An easy trundle of just one hour and fifteen minutes around the M25, whilst the team coach chose the tourist scenic route – a two and a half hour trawl past Tower Bridge and all points south. Outside massive traffic jams, caused by roadworks all the way in from the A3. A large and packed car park, and a special Wimbledon v HFC badge was on sale. Lots of activity outside, and a big match atmosphere. Programme an expensive glossy advert packed production selling at £2.50 – there were few takers.

Away supporters were allocated a small enclosure behind one of the goals, and had their own army of protective stewards. A good turn out from Hornchurch, well over 200. The crowd of 2575 for the most part were very quiet, whilst the away following were singing over and over and over again.

Garry Cross passed a fitness test and was able to start, and Mark Janney was also back. Ollie Adedeji received a loud and prolonged Urchins welcome on his come back match, having played 58 times in season 2003/04.

Urchins began well, a header from Harry Elmes being handled competently by Howard, the roars of protest from the Urchins end indicating that Howard was not in fact the goalkeeper but an outfield player. The referee, perhaps overawed by the size of the crowd, did not point to the spot. Urchins kept up a good pace, Bostock playing up to Elmes, who headed back to Kris Lee who hit his shot inches wide from a very narrow angle. Goodliffe did well to intercept a pass from Harry Elmes aimed at the unmarked Kris Lee, and keeper Little had to rush out of his area to kick away from Lee who was clear and going for goal. Dons first attempt was a hard long range shot from Webb which zoomed over the bar, and from the goal kick Glozier pumped the ball down the wing to Elmes whose cross was headed out for a corner by Howard. Janney took the kick and Little did well to hold on to the inswinging ball right under the bar.

Dons came back, Ferguson rounding Purdie and touching back to Garrard, whose shot went across the goalmouth and was returned into the middle where Ollie Adedeji made sure that no home forward got anywhere near as he watched it out of play.

Dons took the lead with the only goal of the match when slack midfield work allowed the home team to work the ball up the field, and De Bolla sidefooted a pass to TONY FINN, on the edge of the area, and his looping speculative shot eluded Brightley, hit the post, rolled along the line, and then went in just inside the other post. A quick reply was needed, but Glozier’s run was halted by Ferguson and from the free kick Little held the ball well under pressure from Lee. Dons, playing to a near silence home following, forced the pace, Finn finding Leberl whose shot went across the goal and out of play, and a corner from De Bolla, who took all the corners apart from those awarded to Hornchurch, was well held by Brightley, looking far more confident with Ollie Adedeji marshalling the defence in front of him. Disaster for Urchins when a high challenge of Garry Cross saw Garry taken off with a broken rib, Shane Oakley coming on, to give three players up front. With Urchins regrouping, a corner from De Bolla was blazed high over the bar, the ball joining the previous one on its way to the home of the New Dons, and Finn broke clear on the left and hit his shot into the side netting. Garrard then raced past Purdie, who recovered well to tackle and concede a corner, and De Bolla played it short to Ferguson, whose centre was headed wide by Quinn. Almost on half time, Oakley took a pass from Styles, Barnard having neatly touched on, and played through to Kris Lee, who raced clear towards goal, one on one – and the referee pulled play back to award a free kick to Hornchurch. Purdie pumped the ball into the goalmouth, Little dropped the ball, Lee shot, Little dropped it again, Elmes shot, and the ball was scrambled away, leaving Little shaking his hand.

Half time, and confirmation of the broken rib for Garry Cross, whilst keeper Little was replaced by Luke Garrard in goal. The floodlights were switched on, and proved to be very poor, leaving large areas of shadow and gloom all over the pitch. The stewards were using their walkie talkies to try and locate the missing balls – a searchlight might have been better. The food kiosk in the away end was given the seal of approval, and was said to be the best so far in the league. Service was speedy as well, and friendly.

Simon Parker on for Harry Elmes at half time, but it was the home side who made the pace first of all, Ferguson running on and cutting in, but firing his shot wide. Urchins began to force the pace, Janney’s dangerous cross being headed powerfully away, and Glozier’s return into the middle being held by Garrard. A Glozier corner was dropped by Garrard and Parker’s shot was blocked on the line by a massed defence, whilst at the other end Howard played Finn through and Brightley saved well. Garrard held another Janney corner, whilst Webb almost put De Bolla through, Adedeji tackling on the edge of the area. A good build up with Elliot Styles leading the way saw the ball played to Glozier who fired over.

Styles then emerged out of the gloom, passing the ball to Barnard, and on to Oakley who raced in from the shadows on the left wing and hammered in his shot which Haswell managed to deflect for a corner. Janney’s inswinging kick was held by Garrard, to the only real loud cheer of the day from the home support. Brightley was called into action to save a hard shot from Finn, and the ball ran back to Webb, whose shot from just five yards out was touched around the post by an inspired Brightley, who then held De Bolla’s corner as it came out of the gloom. A run by De Bolla was halted by the immaculate Adedeji – what an incredible signing – who tackled to concede the corner, which De Bolla again took, Brightley saving well.

Urchins failed to put pressure onto a somewhat nervous keeper, who struggled with some of the crosses, but Urchins won a corner when Janney made a good run, Ollie Adedeji going up and creating chaos, and Garrard dropped the ball, which was scrambled off the line. Another corner, Adedeji up again, and two good saves in a row from Garrard, and with time running out a Joe Keith lobbed pass on to Kris Lee saw Kris hammer his shot home, only for the flag to be raised for offside, to the delight of the home supporters, Brightley played a long ball down the pitch, which Garrard raced out of goal to kick away, and Adedeji, under pressure, turned a pass back neatly to Brightley whose long kick found Lee, with Garrard saving. In the stoppage time, Janney sent Simon Parker away, and despite being held back by the defender, Simon got in his shot which went into the side netting, the loud and prolonged appeals for a penalty being ignored by the referee. Three points lost, and what could be a long period out for Garry Cross, but some good signs – Dale Brightley outstanding, Ollie Adedeji in a class of his own, and good displays from Jordan Bostock and Shane Oakley. And – team coach driver please note – a nice easy run back along the M25 – the charge for coaches to go through the tolls is only £3.90 – and the QE Bridge is much nicer than Tower Bridge.

Weather Conditions: 13 Degs. C., Cloudy, Wind Speed = 5 mph

Match Officials: Referee - Mr. T. Lawrence, Assistants - Mr. C. Breakspeare and Mr. I. Kitchen

Match duration: F/H 46 mins. 51 secs., S/H 45 mins. 56 secs.