Following an even first half the Urchins upped the tempo after the break and finally broke the deadlock 6 minutes from time as an Abs Seymour corner was superbly headed in by Elliot Styles.

Saturday 08-April-2017
WALTHAM ABBEY 0 HORNCHURCH 1

WA – Pellin, Glasgow, Daniel, Sam West (Suddell 90+2), Benoit, Robbins, Retkoceri (Daveney 68), Holland ©, Russell (Jack West 72), Logon, Spencer
Subs – Carrington, Lockyer

HFC – Mott, Bentley, Nesbitt, Styles ©, Lee, Chouman, Bantick (Cohen 31), Seymour, McKenzie, Tuohy (Purcell 57), Wall (Pishvaie 82)
Subs – Hursit, Hussain

Officials – Joel Mannix with Stuart Smith and Neo Neophytou

Scorer – Styles 84
Bookings – Benoit 33 (WA) – Pellin 80 (WA) – Purcell 83 (H) – Bentley 90+1 (H)
Attendance 131
Duration 47.00 + 50.00

WALTHAM ABBEY 0 HORNCHURCH 1

Hornchurch were without Abs Thompson, Ozzie Adeniji, john Easterford, Nathan Cooper, and now Tobi Joseph has joined the ever-growing list, as he is sidelined for at least six months following an operation on his leg during the week.

And to add to the injuries, they lost Sam Bantick in the first half.

On a bright and sunny day, Abbey kicked down the slope in the first half.

Hornchurch had difficulty in settling down, and Maric Logon had the first chance of the match, with a good cross cum shot, which Elliot Styles deflected for a corner.

Michael Spencer then fired over, having worked himself into a shooting position,

Hornchurch had difficulty in controlling the ball on the bumpy surface, but went close when Leon McKenzie shot narrowly wide from an Abs Seymour corner.

Sam Mott saved a cross from Benjamin Glasgow, and it was not until 27 minutes that Hornchurch threatened, when James Pellin saved well from Leon McKenzie.

Hornchurch then lost Sam Bantick, who limped off, to be replaced by Gary Cohen, and shortly afterwards it was Cohen who won a corner on the right. Seymour sent the ball over and Kenzer Lee headed just wide at the far post.

Eli Benoit went into the book for a badly mistimed tackle and Seymour sent the free kick deep into the goalmouth, where Ross Wall headed wide at the far post.

Mott saved well from Spencer as the half drew to a close, and in stoppage time Wall found Martin Tuohy, and Pellin dived to save from close range.

Abbey spent much of the second half on defence, starting in the first few seconds, when Jed Chouman’s shot from the half way line just cleared the bar.

Six minutes into the second period, Seymour floated a free kick deep into the goalmouth, and the ball was played forward, for Leon McKenzie to hook it hard into the net, but the mass jubilation behind the goal was quickly stifled when the goal was disallowed for offside.

McKenzie went close a minute later, from a Gary Cohen pass, Pellin saving well at the expense of a corner.

George Purcell came on for Martin Tuohy, and when McKenzie played Purcell through, he was tackled inside the area, with appeals for a penalty being rejected.

With Abbey under constant pressure, a Bentley throw led to the first of two successive corners, from the second of which Styles placed his header wide of Pellin, only for the ball to drift wide of the post.

Purcell linked up with Cohen, the cross being deflected for a corner, which found Kenzer Lee, whose header was wide.

In a rare breakaway, Mott saved from Spencer, and normal service was resumed at the other end, where Chouman went close after running on to a Cohen pass.

Abbey were defending desperately, a little too desperately, for keeper Pellin rushed out of his goal to bring down Purcell. Many of the large following called loudly for a red card, but the referee, correctly, waved the yellow variety, and Purcell took the free kick, the ball hitting a defender and going just past the post for a corner. Seymour sent the ball into a packed goalmouth here it reached Purcell who beat the fullback and crossed to Lee whose header cannoned off the bar.

Before the corner was taken, Purcell was booked, presumably for disputing a decision, and Jim MacFarlane sent on Saam Pishvaie for Ross Wall. At last Seymour was able to take the corner, and Elliot Styles rose high to head home.

A minute later it could have been two, when Cohen burst through the defence, but he hit his shot wide on the bobbly surface.

Purcell then fed through to Pishvaie and Pellin saved well to keep the ball out of the net.

Abbey tried to get back into the game as the match entered stoppage time, but with Bentley and Lee standing firm in defence the home forwards could not manage a shot on target.

Three points in a match played on a difficult surface.

Saam Pishvaie has been with Hornchurch for some time, but was unable to play until his international clearance had been ratified by his previous club. Earlier this season he played for UD San Pedro (Málaga), before signing for Girona in January.