Saturday 15th December 2007
BILLERICAY   0  HORNCHURCH   2
BT -  Jack Buckfield – Dave McSweeney – Jordan Collins – Wayne Semanshia – Steve Heffer – Jamie Dormer © - Bradley Wood-Garness – Leon Hunter – Rikki Burbridge – Tony Boot – Neil Marron
Subs – Paul Shave for Marron 49 – Danny Kerrigan – George Lay – Alex Collins – Ronnie Worster

HFC – Dale Brightley – Donny Barnard – Elliot Styles – John Purdie © - Jim McFarlane – Andy Tomlinson – Des Boateng – Dean Green – Harry Elmes -Simon Parker - Frankie Curley
Subs – Leli Bajada – Jordan Bostock for Tomlinson 59 – Mark Janney for Green 65 – Amos Foyewa for Elmes 80 – Joe Keith

Scorers – Des Boateng 11 – Harry Elmes 45+2
Booking – Purdie 41 (H)
Duration – 47.20 + 47.05
Officials – C Francis with P Faithfull and G Bellingham
Weather – 5 degrees and sunny at start, zero degrees and clear at finish – spectacular sunset
Attendance estimated at 450 of which 300 Urchins

BILLERICAY   0  HORNCHURCH   2
Urchins many supporters were in a state of shock - £1 for a cup of tea – and it wasn’t even nice, but it did explain why only Urchins were lining up at the tea bar – Mentalist was in a state of high delight – a robin had hopped almost on his head. Home supporters were in a minority, and Urchins kicked off down the slope, with the brightly setting sun in their backs. And right from the start, this was going to be Urchins’ day, as they dominated the entire game, with the home side totally and utterly outplayed from start to finish. From the kick off, Simon Parker played a long pass back to Donny Barnard, and thence up to Dean Green, who raced in and hit his shot narrowly wide. Billericay were simply chasing shadows, mainly long ones cast by the setting sun, but they did win a free kick when Styles tackled Dormer, and Collins pumped the ball goalwards, where John Purdie headed powerfully away. It was all one way, with home defence just waiting to be toppled, and when Brightley sent a long ball deep into the danger zone Parker who neatly sidestepped Heffer and found Green whose hard first time shot skimmed the bar. The inevitable soon followed – Dale Brightley again sent a long kick right down the middle, and Frankie Curley gathered possession, weaved majestically past three defenders and sent Simon Parker away on the left. Back to Harry Elmes, who fired in a first time shot, and it rebounded to DES BOATENG whose volley almost lifted the goal net out of the ground. One nil – three hundred Urchins celebrated.

‘You’re a parks team from Havering ‘ chanted the home few – ‘You’re a suburb of Benfleet’ came roaring back – we think they meant Chelmsford, but the thought was there.

Tony Boot then broke clear down the middle, but any hint of a danger was thwarted when Purdie simply stepped across to tackle, and back to the other end where Boateng raced solo through the middle and Duckfield saved well. a brief rally by Billericay, Wood-Garness finding Marron, whose cross was caught by Brightley, and back up, to Green, a solo run and another good save by Duckfield. An ankle injury to Simon Parker was worrying, with Simon appearing to carry the knock throughout the match. McFarlane to Barnard, on to Styles, up to Parker, who turned and sent Harry Elmes away, but he was crowded out, and although he managed a left footed shot from the edge of the area, Duckworth saved comfortably.

Could Billericay hold out to half time and keep the score down to just one? Urchins stormed forward again and again, balls were booted anywhere and everywhere, and still they came forward. Green gained possession from a miskick in midfield,, and with Elmes free a first time pass was necessary, but it was under hit and Heffer got there first. A Tomlinson free kick found McFarlane, Duckworth again saving, but in the second minute of stoppage time, Brightley took a free kick midway inside the Urchins half, the ball dropped to Parker, who touched out to HARRY ELMES whose volley crashed into the net. The half time whistle followed almost immediately.

The tannoy, loud and clear, roared out its own message to the home following – Dazed and Confused by Led Zeppelin – the home supporters were in a state of shock, never before had they witnessed such superiority from a visiting team. Second half, and Tomlinson had two crosses in quick succession, both of which were bundled away the latter only as far as Harry Elmes, who returned the ball to Tomlinson, who promptly put it back into the goalmouth  where McSweeney managed to clear. A long run by Green saw the defence split wide open, the ball being turned out to Boateng, and then in to Parker, only for Collins to hammer the ball clear, but Barnard gained possession, made ground on the right and stormed through, hammering his shot inches wide.

Tomlinson, to Styles, to Boateng, whose shot was touched away for the first corner of the match, which Boateng took, but not before Jordan Bostock had come on to give Elliot Styles a midfield role. Styles moved up, and hit in a shot which Duckworth did well to save. A Green cross found Boateng, who went close and another Green centre was turned out for a corner. Boateng took the kick, received the ball back, and crossed back into the goalmouth where McFarlane’s shot – yes, shot, not a header – was saved by Duckworth.

A Purdie free kick was headed out by Semanshia, and a Bostock pass to Parker saw Simon set off on a long run, before he slotted the ball sideways to Green who fired his shot over the bar. Elmes came in from the left and won a corner, Boateng floated the b all over, and Janney, only just on the pitch for Green, saw Duckworth touch his shot out for another corner. Boateng swerved the ball over, and McFarlane went close. Boateng to Elmes, another dangerous cross, and Duckworth saved again.

And then Semanshia made ground on the right and crossed and Rikki Burbridge got in a header which Brightley saved easily – this was Billericay’s first shot on target – with just ten minutes left to play. The home supporters began to filter quietly out the ground – ‘we can see you sneaking out’ sang the EastSide.

But Burbridge’s header almost cost them dearly as Brightley hit the ball deep upfield to Simon Parker who cut in and crashed his shot just inches over the bar. Semanshia again tried a run on the right side of the field and McFarlane came across to put the ball out for Billericay’s one and only corner which Collins took, the ball crossing the goalmouth and running out of play near the far corner flag. A Burbridge shot was blocked by a defender, the ball being hit back upfield by Bostock for Foyewa to chase, with Duckworth just getting there first. The final whistle went – jubilation at the Urchins end of the ground – complete silence at the other end, which was not surprising – they had all gone home.

Weather Conditions: 5 Degs. C. & sunny at start, Zero Degs. C. and clear at finish

Match Officials: Referee - Mr. C. Francis, Assistants - Mr. P. Faithfull and Mr. G. Bellingham

Match duration: F/H 47 mins. 20 secs., S/H 47 mins. 05 secs.