Tuesday 4th September 2007
HENDON  3  HORNCHURCH  1
Hen – Richard Wilmot – Casey Maclaren – Craig Vargas – Marc Leach – James Parker © - Jamie Busby – Davis Haule – Rakatahr Hudson – Brian Haule – Wayne O’Sullivan – Belel Aitequakrim
Subs – James Burgess for O’Sullivan 39 – Ben Hudell for Brian Haule 82 – Darach Duffy – Luke Blackmore – Lubomir Guentchev

HFC - Dale Brightly – Jordon Bostock – Danny Glozier – Elliot Styles - Richard Goddard – Richard Halle – Garry Cross – Mark Janney – Kris Lee – Simon Parker – David Lee
Subs – Harry Elmes - Joe Keith – Amos Foyewa for Janney 73 – Andy Tomlinson – Michael Brothers for Halle 55

Scorers – O’Sullivan 1, 27p – Brian Haule 30 for Hendon
Simon Parker 14

Attendance – 211 – about 50 from HFC
Weather – 18 degrees, cloudy
Officials Richard Jaye with John Taverner and Graeme Thorley

Bookings –
Maclaren 25 (Hen)
Styles 27
Halle 27
Brothers 61
Maclaren 63 (Hen) – off
Brian Haule 65 (Hen)
Bostock 67
Davis Haule 77 (Hen)
Burgess 78 (Hen)

HENDON  3  HORNCHURCH  1
Solid traffic, massive jams, and the SatNav took me into Toys r Us instead of Hendon FC – Hendon’s car park was packed solid with camera crews filming something called Wake the Dead. Film stars all over the place, waving their arms around – sorry, they were the parking attendants. And disaster for Unc and Jen – no smoking allowed. I managed to find a parking space next to a film star in a big massive four by four. No idea who he was, but he was sitting there reading his lines. Gates open at 7.16, fifty Urchins inside, but at 7.44 no floodlights. One pylon flickers on, and in the crepusculdinal conditions the match starts, with Urchins kicking up the slope. Hendon scored after 59 seconds, Goddard and Styles mixing up a clearance in the gloom and WAYNE O’SULLIVAN popping up to slot home. The match should not have been allowed to start with only one quarter of the floodlights on, but when the rest did condescend to come on, they made little difference. With Simon Parker back in the line up, Urchins looked sharper at the front, but struggled at times at the back without John Purdie. Danny Glozier created the first chance with an excellent through pass to Parker, who hooked his shot narrowly wide. David Lee made ground on the left and screwed the ball back to Kris Lee who in turn touched back to Richard Halle, whose shot flashed past the post. Aitequakrim tried a solo run at the other end, speeding down the ski slope, but Glozier covered well.

It was now all Urchins, as they threatened to dominate proceedings, and a Halle centre saw Wilmot do well to save from Kris Lee. A goal was always likely and it came when Glozier found Kris Lee who played the ball over and SIMON PARKER sent the fifty Urchins fans into raptures. A minute later Kris Lee was played through and was scythed down – a penalty, a red card – no, the referee allowed play to continue. Worst was to follow for Parker raced clear and squared the ball to Janney, who, with the goal in front of him, somehow managed to hit the bar instead of the back of the net, the ball being scrambled out for a corner, which David Lee curled over, and Maclaran cleared off the line.

A free kick by Aitequakrim was cleared upfield to Parker who ran on, and provided an opening for Janney, who played the ball in to David Lee, and James Parker just got in this tackle to prevent a goal. And then the entire game turned in the space of two minutes. An excellent tackle by Elliot Styles saw the Hendon player crashing to the ground, and with everyone shouting dive, the referee awarded a free kick outside the area, and was then dragged over to the linesmen and then awarded a penalty, flashing a series of yellow cards in the process – difficult to be certain who was booked, but Styles and Halle were both close to the referee as was Hendon’s WAYNE O’SULLIVAN, who then .stepped up to ram the penalty home. And two minutes later, with the away support still seething at the decision, and with the Urchins defence in disarray, a corner from Busby was touched home by BRIAN HAULE to give the home side a surprise three one lead.

Urchins came back strongly and a David Lee free kick was headed on by Kris Lee with Wilmot making a good save, whilst a Cross pass to Janney saw Wilmot again pluck the resulting centre out of the air with Kris Lee homing in. Janney took a pass from Bostock and set off on a long 60 yard run, opening up the home defence, and then playing the ball up to Parker, who promptly played the ball low into the middle for the totally unmarked Kris Lee, who somehow managed to sky his shot over the bar right in front of the open goal. Right on half time, Brightly save well from Brian Haule, and Urchins went in two goals down.

No changes at half time and Urchins are now kicking down the Eiger, which looked a lot less steep in the shadowy gloom of the floodlights. David Lee started proceedings off with a neat lob which Wilmot did well to tip around the post, and the corner was played short to Glozier who was chopped down. From the free kick David Lee hammered the ball past Wilmot but it curled around the post, and a minute later Kris Lee turned and hit his shot wide from Bostock’s pass.

Davis Haule went clear at the other end, Goddard turning his cross out for a corner, which Busby curled goalwards and the ball was cleared off the line, back to Brian Haule, who hooked his shot high over the bar. Michael Brothers came on for Richard Halle, and took just about every throw in thereafter, hurling the ball into the panelty area every time, but for the most part James Parker and the rest of the defence had little difficulty in dealing with them. Wilmot fumbled one of Brothers’ throws but Leach got there first to hammer the ball to safety, and Maclaren did the same shortly afterwards. Garry Cross almost reached a long upfield ball by Brightly but Leach again got there just in time.

At the other end, Aitequakrim twice broke down the left wing and Brightly saved well on each occasion, but the second half was punctuated by free kick after free kick as the home team defended desperately, urged on by the ever-vocal manager. The booking piled up and Urchins were denied what looked like a clear cut penalty for the second time in the match. Maclaren made one foul too many and was shown his second yellow card of the night, perhaps harshly as it was more of a mistimed tackle than anything deliberate, and several home players followed into the book, with the home manager getting a long lecture from the referee as well – not that it made a bit of difference.

Parker found Janney whose cross was headed away by James Parker, whilst Stules did well to tackle when Brian Haule broke away down the middle. A Busby corner was quickly returned into the middle by Aitequakrim, and the ball skimmed the bar, whilst a long clearance by Brightly gave Cross an opening, and he touched on to Parker, with Wilmot saving well. Brothers was hauled down when clear, which brought a booking for Davis Haule, and David Lee hit the free kick inches wide of the goal. It was looking more and more likely that the Urchins were not going to find a way through, despite playing four up front, including Goddard. Kris Lee hooked his shot wide, Foyewa was pulled back then racing down the left wing, and then Amos won two corners in succession, both of which were cleared easily. Parker his shot over the bar, and two long throws from Brothers both ended with the ball being scrambled out for corners. Despite the lengthy time wasting only four minutes were added on, but Urchins did not look like pulling back the deficit, and Hendon hung on to win and to go top of the table.

Weather Conditions: 18 Degs. C., Cloudy

Match Officials: Referee - Mr. Richard Jaye, Assistants - Mr. John Taverner and Mr. Graeme Thorley

Match duration: tba