Ryman League - Premier Division Saturday 5th April 2008
	East Thurrock United	1 - 2	AFC Hornchurch
Wareham 76		H/T 0 - 0 Att.: 278	Green 59, Janney 79

Match Synopsis
East Thurrock United		AFC Hornchurch
Booking: Williams	22
	33	Booking: Barnard
Sub: Martin for Lee	H/T
	57	Sub: Brothers for Barnard
	59	Goal: Green
	70	Sub: Lee for Parker
Goal: Wareham	76
Booking: Dumas	77
	79	Goal: Janney
Sub: Newby for Pashley	79	Sub: Boateng for Green
Sub: Holding for Wareham	89

Match Report by Tony Middleton

Saturday 5th April 2008 EAST THURROCK 1 HORNCHURCH 2 ETU – Shane Gore – Steve Pashley – Ashley Dumas – Max Cornhill – Rio Alderton – Ben Wood © –Lee Williams – Dave Lee – Steve Wareham – Ben Joyce – Steve Harrison Subs – Keith Martin for Dave Lee at half time – Jackson Ohakan – Scott Holding forWareham 89 – Bradley Stevens - Kris Newby for Pashley 79 HFC- Dale Brightly – Donny Barnard – Jim McFarlane – John Purdie © - Richard Goddard - Elliot Styles –Mark Janney - Dean Green - Harry Elmes – Simon Parker – Andy Tomlinson Subs –Kris Lee for Parker 70 - Jamie Richards – Danny Glozier – Michael Brothers for Barnard 57 – Des Boateng for Green 79 Scorers – Dean Green 59 (H) – Steve Wareham 76 (E) – Mark Janney 79 (H) Attendance 278 (all from Hornchurch) Weather – 6 degrees, cloudy, wind speed 30 mph Duration – 46.09 + 48.46 Officials – R Jaye with S Connor and M Cottee Bookings – Williams 22 (E) – Barnard 33 (H) – Dumas 77 (E) EAST THURROCK 1 HORNCHURCH 2 Nice clubhouse, six TVs showing two different matches, no wonder the clubhouse was packed – with Hornchurch supporters. The food proved popular with many, despite the high prices in the miniscule tea bar. On the field, a bumpy pitch, more suited to moto cross, steeply sloping, large bare patches interspaced with a few blades of grass, and a gale blowing down the pitch. East Thurrock were much changed from the side that had proved so unpopular at the Bridge, whilst Urchins were missing Frankie Curley, with Richard Goddard returning to the starting line up. No Unc, no Nette, no moon boots. Urchins kicked into the teeth of the raging gale at the start, and found it very difficult to adjust to the bumps and undulations of the rock hard pitch. Lee Williams, one of five ex-Urchins in the home side, went close with a speculative shot that drifted wide of the post, and Boyce did likewise a minute later. With Urchins struggling to find any sort of rhythm, Dave Lee – yes, the same David Lee who played for Harlow and of course for Urchins – sent over a high centre which eluded the defence and dropped in front of Boyce, whose shot went too close for comfort. Williams made ground and turned the ball inside to Cornhill, whose cross was headed out for a corner by McFarlane. Dumas swerved the ball over and the wind carried it out the other side. Dave Lee played a long ball upfield to Wareham, whose first time shot saw Brightly fingertip the ball over the bar. Dumas took the corner, and an unmarked Cornhill headed over the bar. Urchins moved up along the right and Goddard’s free kick just eluded McFarlane, the ball being played straight back upfield by another ex-Urchin, Rio Alderton, and Boyce swooped through the middle, but his weak shot was saved by Brightly. Urchins managed to ease the pressure when Janney, back in defence, made ground on the right and then fired over a centre which McFarlane nodded back to Green, whose first time shot brought a very good save from home keeper Gore. A Goddard free kick, near the half way line, saw McFarlane neatly head on to Parker, who was tackled by Dumas as he was about to shoot. At the other end, a Dumas free kick drifted wide of the goal, with no one getting a touch. Urchins, with almost the entire crowd behind them, began to get on top and Styles sent a good pass through to Green, who played the ball up to Elmes and then on to Parker, with Gore rushing out to save at Simon’s feet. Janney on the right picked out Parker and his cross found Green, whose shot was blocked and the ball rebounded to Elmes, whose shot was also blocked. The ball rebounded to Elmes and his goal bound shot was saved by Gore. Parker again, this time his cross finding Elmes, who completely missed the ball as it bobbled on the bumpy surface, and it ran harmlessly out of play. A scare for Urchins when Boyce’s shot was not held by Brightly, who had to move quickly to drop onto the ball as Wareham moved in. Urchins nearly took the lead when Harry Elmes dispossessed Dumas and raced in from the right, beating two further defenders and then hammering in his shot inches wide of the post. Elmes again, to Barnard, with Alderton clearing. Towards half time, two successive long throws by Pashley came to nothing, and a slightly relieved Urchins went in level, in the knowledge that the gale would be in their favour in the second half. Needless to say, the gale subsided noticeably, whilst the bumps on the surface seemed to grow larger. Tomlinson led the charge after half time, as Urchins stormed forward, and his pass to Elmes saw Harry place the ball in front of Green, only for Gore to make an excellent save. Tomlinson again to Elmes, and back to Tomlinson, and once again Gore saved. Two long stoppages, lasting over six minutes, saw Donny Barnard having to leave the field, and Michael Brothers came on, causing a reshuffle in defence. But with 59 minutes gone, came the goal which sent the 300 away following into raptures. Purdie started it all off, playing a short ball out of defence to McFarlane, whose pass upfield found Green, who quickly opened up the play with a first time pass on to Brothers, who made ground on the left, and fired the ball over for Elmes to nod on and DEAN GREEN crashed the ball hard into the net from an incredibly narrow angle. Cue delirium on the terraces. Rocks came back, Pashley’s long throw being scrambled away, with Purdie, McFarlane and Styles all getting in good tackles to keep out the home forwards. Alderton then played a long ball up the middle to ex-Urchin Keith Martin, and Dale Brightly raced yards out of his area to clear the danger, the ball being played promptly back to Boyce whose centre was headed away by Purdie. Elmes and Brothers combined well, and Michael’s shot skimmed the bar, and a long pass from McFarlane up to Parker saw Simon hammer his shot inches over the bar, with the entire EastSide already shouting Goal. At the other end, Keith Martin was played through by Harrison but put his shot high over the bar. Kris Lee came on for Parker, and straight away sent Brothers clear, with Cornhill doing well to tackle. With Urchins seemingly well in command the defence perhaps grew too confident and a long pass out of defence reached Boyce whose shot was parried by Brightly and STEVE WAREHAM followed up to force the ball over the line – to total silence on the terraces. Urchins quickly took charge once again and Janney was scythed down in full flight by Dumas, and Janney took the free kick himself, the ball just eluding McFarlane. But the pressure was now intense, and Michael Brothers took a throw on the left, took the return pass, made ground on the wing and centred. Harry Elmes nodded on and the ball ran out to MARK JANNEY, thirty yards out towards the right wing, and the first time thunderbolt of a shot crashed into the roof of the net, to send the entire ground into raptures – what a pity that there were no home supporters to witness the best goal ever seen at Rookery Hill. Such was the noise that the roof of the stand lifted six feet into the air, and the sirens were set off at the nearby oil terminals. Boateng, on for Dean Green, sent a good pass on to Harry Elmes, whose first time shot almost removed the bar from the rest of the goal. Rocks tried hard to get back into the game but rarely managed a threat on goal, although a corner by Dumas swerved behind, and a good run from Cornhill brought an excellent saved from Dale Brightly. Styles then found Kris Lee, who was just beaten to the ball by Gore. At the other end a Dumas free kick was punched clear by Brightly, the ball being hit hard upfield to Harry Elmes, whose shot left a scorch mark on the bar. A Kris Lee centre was turned out by Wood for a corner, Janney floated the ball over, and Elmes saw Gore save yet again. The referee surprisingly only played four minutes stoppage time, but the result was never in any doubt as Urchins, applauded off the field by their 300 followers, march onwards.

Video Clips by Rob Monger
Sorry, no video clips availabe for this game.

Team Line Ups
East Thurrock United		AFC Hornchurch
Shane Gore	1	Dale Brightly
Steve Pashley	2	Donny Barnard
Ashley Dumas	3	Jim McFarlane
Max Cornhill	4	John Purdie (c)
Rio Alderton	5	Richard Goddard
Ben Wood (c)	6	Elliot Styles
Lee Williams	7	Mark Janney
David Lee	8	Dean Green
Steve Wareham	9	Harry Elmes
Ben Boyce	10	Simon Parker
Steve Harrison	11	Andy Tomlinson
Subs.		Subs.
Keith Martin	12	Kris Lee
Jackson Ohakan	14	Jamie Richards
Scott Holding	15	Danny Glozier
Bradley Stevens	16	Michael Brothers
Kris Newby	17	Des Boateng

Weather Conditions: 6 Degs. C., Cloudy, Wind Speed = 30 mph

Match Officials: Referee - Mr. R. Jaye, Assistants - Mr. S. M. O'Connor and Mr. M. Cottee

Match duration: F/H 46 mins. 09 secs., S/H 48 mins. 46 secs.