Saturday 25th August 2007
HORNCHURCH   3   HARROW BOROUGH   1
HFC – Dale Brightly – Jordon Bostock – Danny Glozier – John Purdie © - Richard Goddard – Joe Keith – Garry Cross – Mark Janney – Kris Lee – Harry Elmes – David Lee
Subs – Shane Oakley – Richard Halle for David Lee 67 – Andy Tomlinson – Michael Brothers for Joe Keith 67 – Elliot Styles for Purdie 81

HB – Josh Lennie – Steve Dell – Nathan Simpson – Wayne Walters © - Nick Burton – Rickey Browne – Gary Meakin – Jamie Lawrence – Neville Roach – Bobby Highton – Elliot Onochie
Subs – Kieran Jimmy – Danny Leech for Browne 77 – Kyle Matthews for Simpson 67 – Albert Adomah for Dell 61 – Danny McGonigle.

Scorers – Goddard 53 – Brothers 71 – Elmes 80 – Highton 85 (HB)
Bookings – none
Match duration – 47.20 + 45.40
Weather – 33 degrees, sunny, wind speed zero
Officials – S Essex with M Ergun and M Barnes
Attendance 385

HORNCHURCH   3   HARROW BOROUGH   1
The temperature was threatening to hit the one hundred degree mark, in marked contrast to the monsoon conditions of last Saturday. The only change in the starting line up was Harry Elmes coming in for Simon Parker, who is on holiday. With Jim McFarlane out for at least eight weeks, Richard Goddard remained in the centre half role.

Harrow Borough brought with them a large and very noisy set of officials, whose banter certainly livened up the East Side. Hornchurch kicked towards the restaurant end of the ground, but had difficulty in breaking down a packed Harrow defence. Bostock started the first dangerous move when he fired a long pass up to Kris Lee who in turn switched play to the left for Glozier, whose run for goal was stopped by a timely tackle by Dell. Kris Lee almost created an early goal with a neat touch to Joe Keith, whose first time shot brought an excellent save by Lennie in the visiting goal. Elmes almost opened up the defence with a long pass out to Glozier, with Burton intercepting well, and Elmes again nearly broke through but was fouled by Burton, David Lee’s free kick finding Goddard, whose header was stopped by Simpson on the line. A perfect through pass by Cross found Kris Lee streaking through the middle and his shot crashed into the net, but was ruled out for offside, to the delight of the visiting officials and their supporter.

Onochie brought the away officials to their collective feet with a spectacular run on the left, but Bostock tackled to give away a corner, which Goddard headed away for a second corner. Meakin, who took all the set pieces, trotted over to the right and sent over a good swerving corner, and Bostock headed to safety. Kris Lee created a good opening when he teed the ball up for Cross, and Garry’s hard drive screamed inches past he post. Another corner by Meakin drifted out of play at the other side of the goal and a Keith free kick floated across goal with no one able to get a touch. Janney won a corner, which Keith took, but he over hit the ball and it went out of play. As pressure mounted, Harrow pulled ten players back. But they were opened up when Cross sent Janney away and from his centre, Elmes controlled the ball well, turned and fired in a great shot which Rennie saved, diving to push the ball around the post. From David Lee’s corner, the ball was played back and David Lee played a short pass to Kris Lee, who turned and hit in an unstoppable shot which was saved by Rennie, who fingertipped the ball around the post. David Lee again took the corner and the ball was played back to David Lee, whose shot hit the side netting.

Onochie made a long run on the left which ended when Bostock tackled to concede a corner, and it was Jordan who headed clear as Meakin swirled the ball goalwards. With pressure now mounting, with Harrow committed to defence, Kris Lee was brought down and David Lee’s free kick was punched out by Rennie, the ball being returned quickly to Janney whose cross was headed home by RICHARD GOODARD to open the score, to send the East Side into raptures and even the Riverside applauded politely.

It was one way for the rest of the half, Kris Lee sending Glozier away on the left, where he was brought down and Rennie again saved well from David Lee’s free kick. Goddard needed treatment for a head injury, and resumed heavily bandaged. Almost on half time, Elmes took a pass from Kris Lee, but hit his shot wide.

Half time and the main topic was the tropical conditions, and whether Urchins could turn their superiority into goals. Harrow began the second half well, the ever dangerous Meakin running through and Bostock once again came to the rescue with a timely interception. Goddard, avec bandage, headed powerfully up to Elmes, to made ground and squared the ball to Kris Lee, who beat Browne to the ball, prodded it past Rennie, only to see the ball creep wide of the post, with the East Side already shouting GOA…….Oh dear, it has gone wide. Intense pressure, Janney brought down by Highton, and Elmes plays Keith’s free kick on to Goddard, and Dell manages to deflect the ball out for a corner. David Lee floated the kick over, Goddard rose well, and Rennie tipped over for another corner, which Keith took and Rennie again tipped over. David Lee this time with the kick, and Walters cleared, with Dell playing the ball deep upfield to Roach, who raced away and hit his shot narrowly wide. A David Lee free kick almost reached Janney, but Simpson hammered the ball away towards Bridge Avenue, and Janney then found Kris Lee, whose shot was well saved by Rennie.

A long upfield ball had Brightly racing out of goal to head away from Roach, whilst Rennie did likewise at the other end, to kick away from Kris Lee, the ball joining the other one in Bridge Avenue. Elmes won the ball in midfield and found Kris Lee, whose shot was parried by Rennie, and then followed a frantic scramble in front of goal before the ball was hammered out, to join the growing collection on Bridge Avenue. Rennie did well yet again to save from Elmes, after Kris Lee had put him trhough, and a Meakin corner at the other end was wasted, the ball running out for a throw. All changed and on came Richard Halle and Michael Brothers, whilst Kyle Matthews replaced Dell and Albert Adomah came on for Simpson. Could the new look midfield make any penetration? Penetration commenced right away, Elmes running on to Halle’s pass, Burton tackling well. and the second goal soon followed. Goddard out to Glozier, a quick touch on to Janney, a first time touch on to Kris Lee, and then on to Elmes, who ran on and pulled the ball back from the right for MICHAEL BROTHERS to slot home with his first touch of the ball.

Harrow came back strongly, Roach going through the middle and Brightly saving well, but for the most part it was a one way onslaught as Harrow tired in the one hundred plus temperatures in the micro climate that is Bridge Avenue. Bostock to Cross, then to Elmes, and from his cross, Brothers hit in a magnificent shot which screamed over the bar, and the ball disappeared into the lush green forest behind the goal. Janney then touched a free kick sideways to Halle, whose shot swerved wide of the ghoal, whilst Adomah broke clear at the other end to force a good save from Dale Brightly.

‘We want three’ chanted the East Side, ‘We want three’ mimed the Riverside, and Danny Glozier was only too happy to oblige with a perfect pass to HARRY ELMES, who ran on and on, past defender after defender, and the shot crashed into the net. Harrow to their credit did not collapse, and they pulled a goal back with an equally spectacular shot, form BOBBY HIGHTON, whose 35 yard first time drive beat the diving Brightly, who got a hand to the ball but could not prevent the goal. There was almost a fourth Urchins goal when Janney’s free kick found Elmes, who returned the ball to Janney, who touched to Halle, who sidefooted to Brothers, whose shot rose a fraction too high and over the bar.

Man of the Match: Garry Cross Sponsored by: Sir Gary Hall

Match Sponsor: Spicer Haart

Match Mascots: tba

Weather Conditions: 33 Degs. C., Sunny, Wind Speed - Zero

Match Officials: Referee - Mr. Simon Essex, Assistants - Mr. M. Ergun & Mr. M. Barnes

Match duration: F/H 47 mins. 20 secs. S/H 45 mins. 40 secs.