Tuesday 18th December 2007 – League Cup
HORNCHURCH  3  MAIDSTONE UTD  0
HFC – Dale Brightley – Donny Barnard – Andy Tomlinson – John Purdie © - Jim McFarlane –– Richard Halle – Joe Keith – Mark Janney – Harry Elmes –Amos Foyewa - Elliot Styles
Subs - Simon Parker for Foyewa 56 – Danny Glozier for Tomlinson 80 – Jordan Bostock for Purdie 80 – Grant Lee

MU – Adam Harris – Jim Bodie – Ashley Ulph – James Peacock – Rob Lyall – Errison Arwan © - Ray Freeman – Aaron Lacy – Mo Takalobigashi – Alex Tiesse – Nick Hegley
Subs – Stefan Gaisie for Tiesse 68 – Anthony Bodie for Ulph 53 – Rob Owen for Hegley 64 – Shannon O’Donovan – Lloyd Hume

Scorers – Joe Keith 58 – Simon Parker 71 – Simon Parker 76
Attendance 225
Weather – 2 degrees, clear, wind speed 5 mph
Officials – D Margetts with S Connor and M Jarvis
Duration – 47.01 + 44.38
Bookings – Lyall 19 (M) - Peacock 34 (M) – Takalobigashi 41 (M) – Peacock 48  OFF (M)

HORNCHURCH  3  MAIDSTONE UTD  0
With several players cup tied, it was changes all round for both sides from the teams which played at Maidstone only three weeks ago, and when Simon Parker was held up in heavy traffic, a further very late change saw Amos Foyewa move into the starting line up. A change off the field as well, as the EastSide tea bar was replaced by the Riverside tea bar, due to a burst pipe.

Urchins kicked towards the windmill end of the ground in the first half, and could have taken a first minute lead when Amos Foyewa’s hard shot on the edge of the area was well saved by keeper Harris. Urchins dominated the first quarter of the match, Halle sending over a good cross from the left for Mark Janney, whose shot rebounded off the post and was then played back across the goal to Foyewa, who hit his shot narrowly wide of the post.

The first of many corners followed, which Richard Halle took, and Lyall outjumped everyone to head the ball high into the air, with Harris clutching it as it came down. Maidstone came more into the game, Takalobigashi finding space through the middle but hitting his shot wide of the goal, whilst at the other end Purdie put Janney away on the right and he flicked on to Foyewa who set off on a long run, past Ulph and then Amos turned the ball inside to Elmes who fired over. An excellent interchange of passes between Janney and Elmes ended when Elmes hit in a good shot which Harris saved well. A short free kick by Keith saw McFarlane get on the end of the resultant centre and head down to Janney who put his shot just a fraction too high. Lyall was then booked for a foul and from the free kick McFarlane went close with a header.

Janney, in full stride, made a long run before touching the ball back to the overlapping Barnard, whose centre was headed out by Ahwan for a corner, which Halle swerved over and Harris punched out, Peacock clearing his lines as the ball dropped down. Janney once again, through to Foyewa, and Lyall came across to concede a corner, taken by Halle, and finding Keith, who hit a good shot just over the bar.

Maidstone then had their best spell of the match, Tiesse running clear in the centre and Brightley rushing way out of goal to head clear, which Brightley was again quickly in action, making two saves in succession, the first from Takalobigashi, and then from Lacy’s follow up, with Tiesse then following up, his shot deflecting out for the first of two corners, with Brightley doing well to touch a shot from Lacy onto the post, and out for a third corner. Maidstone continued to press, Ahwan slotting the ball through to Takalobigashi, who ran forward a little too soon and was pulled back for offside.

Urchins regained control, a free kick finding Janney and on to Amos, whose shot was wide, and then followed a 60 yard run by Mark Janney, past four defenders, before he was crowded out by two more defenders. Purdie to McFarlane and then up to Janney and on to Elmes, who cut inside but saw his shot saved by Harris, almost on half time.

With the EastSide tea bar out of action, the club shop was packed, and quickly ran out of the very popular Harrods steak pies, purchased from their Gallows Corner branch, whilst Matt and Minty decided to do their DelBoy act in the shop because it was too cold for them to stand outside. Max gave away the £80 prize in the 50-50 draw. But main attraction was the new club badges, on sale for the first time, and these were quickly being snapped up.

Second half started sensationally, when James Peacock was red carded for appearing to speak out of turn, and Maidstone spent the rest of the match on defence, against waves of home attacks. Foyewa took advantage of the gap on the left side by slotting the ball over to Elmes, who then shot wide from in front of goal, and Elmes then went close with another shot which Jim Bodie turned out for a corner. From Halle’s kick, a goalmouth scramble ended with Anthony Bodie clearing. But the goal which looked increasingly likely followed when Parker played the ball in from the right side, a huge scramble resulted with three Maidstone players blocked Elmes shot, but JOE KEITH followed up to slot home.

It was almost two when Halle sent Parker through, but Harris raced out to kick clear. A free kick, and Simon Parker raced on to lob the ball over Harris and into the net, the goal being disallowed for a foul, when it appeared to most that the defender had tripped himself up as he chased after Simon. Another Parker run saw him turn the ball into the middle for Halle, whose shot brought a good save out of Harris. Tomlinson to Keith and in to Parker, but this time the shot lacked power and Harris saved easily. The second goal came when Janney made the running, before turning his pass inside to SIMON PARKER, who turned and fired the ball home. It was beginning to look like shooting practice as the home side swarmed all around the Maidstone goal, a Tomlinson centre ending with another corner, which Halle took, and the ball went right across the goal. With shots raining in, it was no surprise when the third goal followed, Purdie starting the move, and a high ball was nodded on by Elmes to SIMON PARKER to calmly lob the ball over the keeper. Harris made two saves from two successive corners, the latter seeing the keeper hold on to the ball right under the bar. Tomlinson then found Parker who went close with another shot on the run. Bostock and Glozier came on to force the pace up front, with Styles dominant in midfield, and it was Glozier who sent a good ball forward to Halle, who found Simon Parker again, with Parker’s shot hitting the post and coming back out. Three nil, a most convincing win, and one much appreciated by the crowd who had turned out in near zero temperatures. And a word for the Maidstone supporters who managed to make it past the chaos that masquerades as Dartford Tunnel.

Match Sponsor: Haart / Spicer McColl

Weather Conditions: 2 degs. C., Clear, Wind Speed 5 mph

Match Officials: Referee - Mr. D. Margetts, Assistants - Mr. S. Connor and Mr. M. Jarvis

Match duration: F/H 47 mins. 01 secs., S/H 44 mins. 38 secs.