Hornchurch completed their home league programme with a convincing 3-0 win at home to bottom of the table Harlow Town, with Kenzer Lee scoring a brace and Sean Marks adding the third.
Monday 22-April-2019
HORNCHURCH 3 HARLOW TOWN 0
HFC – Chafer, Clark, Sutton, Winn G, Lee, Christou (Glenister 86), Saunders (Dutton 79), Spence ©, Marks, Purcell, Winn R
Subs – Stimson, Wilson
HT – Bexon, Udoji, Gregan, Urquhart, Hastings, Simms, Hitchcock, Davies, Foy, Adu Gyamfi (Hackney 66), Kissi
Subs – Moanda, Uade, Yorke
Scorer – Lee 42 – Lee 61 – Marks 64
Bookings – Marks 37 (H) – Simms 72 (HT) – Christou 76 (H)
Attendance 269
Duration 47.00 +
HORNCHURCH 3 HARLOW TOWN 0
A bright and sunny day, with the temperature at 24 degrees, and the final home match for AFC Hornchurch, soon to become Hornchurch FC once again.
Harlow had the better of the early possession, though without being able to penetrate the home defence.
A Saunders header and a volley from Lewwis Spence, captain for the day in the absence of Alex Bentley, both went wide of the target, as Hornchurch began to find their rhythm.
Josh Bexon, in the visiting goal, was called upon to make the first save, fielding a shot from George Saunders from 25 yards out, the ball going straight into the arms of the keeper.
George Purcell, cutting in from the right, had a good chance to open the score, but his shot was too high and over.
On 24 minutes Purcell played the ball wide to Ronnie Winn, who controlled the ball and glided it under Bexon, but Taylor Hastings came back to clear off the line.
Harlow had a chance to open the scoring on 34 minutes when a long throw into the goalmouth was only cleared as far as Tom Hitchcock, but his hurried shot was scooped over the bar.
Sean Marks was shown a yellow card on 37 minutes, and a minute later Harlow had a good chance, when a free kick was lobbed into the area, and the ball fell to Hitchcock, but he dragged his shot wide.
Harlow’s hopes of avoiding relegation took a massive blow on 42 minutes. Saunders won a corner, Purcell floated the ball into the middle, and Kenzer Lee sent a bullet-like header into the net, for his first goal for thirteen months. 1-0.
As the half drew to a close, Saunders again opened up the visiting defence with a speedy run, and he crossed to Purcell, who was just wide with the shot.
Half time – Hornchurch 1 Harlow Town 0
Harlow had the first attempt of the second half, with Matthew Foy going close, curling his shot over the bar.
On 50 minutes Callum Chafer, the only player to be ever-present, had played 5,000 minutes, and seven minutes later he saved well from Foy, who had fired his shot from a narrow angle.
On the hour mark, Purcell sent the ball over into the middle and Hastings headed over his own bar for a corner. Saunders sent the ball over, Marks headed goalwards, and Kenzer Lee, after waiting thirteen months to score, turned it into the net, for his second goal in twenty minutes. 2-0.
Three minutes later, Ronnie Winn won possession in the middle, and then played wide to Purcell, who crossed for Sean Marks to sidefoot home. 3-0.
Harlow made their first substitution, when Reece Hackney replacing Christian Adu Gyamfi.
On 70 minutes, a scuffed clearance by Bexon fell to Spence, 40 yards out. He tried to lob the keeper but the ball went narrowly wide. Purcell then collected a good pass from Saunders, but his shot went just over the bar as Hornchurch continued to dominate.
Fabian Simms became the first Harlow player to go into the book a minute later, and on 76 minutes Joe Christou was also yellow carded.
With just over ten minutes left, Sonny Dutton replaced George Saunders and on 86 minutes Jack Glenister made his first team debut, replacing Joe Christou.
There was no further scoring, with Harlow now unable to save themselves from relegation.
FULL TIME – HORNCHURCH 3 HARLOW TOWN 0
