AFC Hornchurch

A - A

Staines Town

0

Abandoned

Saturday 22nd September 2007
HORNCHURCH   0  STAINES   0 – abandoned 34 minutes
HFC - Dale Brightly – Jordon Bostock – Danny Glozier – John Purdie © - Richard Goddard – Andy Tomlinson – Garry Cross – Mark Janney – Kris Lee - Harry Elmes – David Lee
Subs – Simon Parker – Shane Oakley – Richard Halle - Amos Foyewa – Elliot Styles

ST – Shaun Allaway – Adam Thompson – Dave Sargent – Danny Gordon – Matt Fitter © - Andre Scarlett – Lewis Cook – Adrian Toppin – Marc Charles-Smith – Victor Asombang – Dwain Clark
Subs – Leigh Mason – Howard Newton – Gareth Risbridger – Mark Nwokeji – James Courtnage

Bookings – none
Weather 22 degrees, sunny
Officials – G Atkins with I Hogg and D Cook
Duration – 68.16 (of which 34.21 was played)
Attendance 286

HORNCHURCH   0  STAINES   0 – abandoned 34 minutes
Urchin the eagle owl made its welcome reappearance on the roof of the East Side, having returned from warmer climes to its usual haunts. Harry Elmes was in the starting line up, and Andy Tomlinson came in for Joe Keith in midfield. In bright sunshine, in near tropical conditions, Urchins kicked towards the windmill end of the ground. Surprisingly Dale Brightly was allowed to wear a strip that was almost identical to that of the away side, and surely this will have been noticed by the referee’s assessor in the stand.

Staines started well, winning a corner in the first minute, which Clark floated over a centre and Bostock headed it out for a corner, which Clark took and the ball was punched away by a yellow clad arm belonging to Dale Brightly. Staines came back again, and a Scarlett header was sent straight at Brightly who saved easily. Urchins’ first attack came when Janney on the right sent Cross away on a long run, which was halted by a free kick, with the East Side calling for the yellow card, which never came. David Lee took the kick, with Tomlinson lurking nearby, and the shot curled inches wide of the far post.

A good run by Cook was ended when Purdie tackled well to concede a corner, which Clark took and Brightly punched away, with many now being very critical of the referee for not insisting on a change of goalkeeper strip. Urchins stepped up the pace, Elmes finding David Lee who promptly switched the ball out to the left to Kris Lee, whose first time centre was headed narrowly wide by Goddard, up with the attack. A corner by Clark was cleared by Glozier, and then Janney, in full flight, was fouled by Cook, who escaped a yellow card thanks to a generous referee. David Lee took the free kick, with Tomlinson again close by, and the ball fell to Harry Elmes who cut in and hammered his shot against the foot of the post. The ball was only part cleared and Richard Goddard sent in a screaming shot which cannoned back off the cross bar. Goddard then was in action at the other end, when he headed away Clark’s corner.

A long goal kick by Dale Brightly found Kris Lee who made ground and centred for Harry Elmes, whose shot rolled just inches wide of the post, with the home defence in total disarray. Elmes again, this time with a back header on to Cross, who was stopped by an offside flag. Then the roles were reversed when Cross sent Elmes away and keeper Shaun Allaway made an excellent save from Elmes shot. Garry Cross then gained possession on the edge of his own penalty area, made 60 yards ground upfield, and slotted the ball on to Janney, who was stopped when Allaway dived at his feet to prevent a goal. A Clark cross was headed out by Goddard for a corner and Scarlett took the kick which was held by Brightly. Up the field surged Hornchurch and Elmes did well to wriggle through on the right wing, close to the corner flag, only for play to be halted when the linesmen fell, having twisted his knee.

Time 34 minutes and 21 seconds.
Play was halted and the linesmen taken off on a stretcher, acknowledging the applause for the East Side as he went past them. Max called for a replacement qualified linesman in the crowd – he should of course have called for a replacement assistant referee – but all seemed resolved when Jamie Southon came out. This was found to be unacceptable, and another volunteer came forward, Bob Glozier, who is a qualified coach. After an almost surreal conversation with the referee’s assessor, (the gist of which was that it was up to the referee), Bob went over to the referee, and then followed another long discussion, with at least one manager apparently unhappy. A third volunteer came on and was also rejected. Biased Bob was also suggested.

After a delay of 27 minutes the referee’s assessor went onto the pitch and the referee used a mobile phone to telephone – who knows to whom? It was then announced that the original linesman would resume after all, but he was unable to continue following a fitness test. A Staines official appeared to volunteer – Staines linesman good, HFC linesman bad – but after another long delay it was announced that the match was abandoned.
Time 68 minutes and 16 seconds.

Please note – if any match is abandoned before half time, pies and sausage rolls are still available from the club shop at bargain prices.

NLP report
On a bright sunny day, Staines began well, Dwain Clark’s corner being punched away by Dale Brightly, whose strip was the same colour as that of the visitors. An Andre Scarlett header was saved well by Brightly, and a timely tackle by John Purdie halted a dangerous run by Lewis Cook. Urchins came back strongly, and from a David Ryan free kick, after Mark Janney had been brought down in full flight, Harry Elmes saw his low shot from a narrow angle cannon off the post, and a minute later Richard Goddard saw his first time shot rebound from the crossbar, with the visitor’s defence in disarray. Urchins pressed forward, and Elmes got onto the end of a Kris Lee centre, only for the ball to skim the wrong side of the post. Jordan Bostock sent Garry Cross clear with an excellent pass but he was pulled back for offside, and a 60 yard run by Cross took him deep into the Staines half, before he slotted the ball sideways to Mark Janney, and keeper Shaun Allaway raced out to save at his feet. Goddard joined in the attack and headed over from Kris Lee’s cross, and the same player then headed away a corner from Dwain Clark at the other end. With the home side now increasing the pressure, Cross found Elmes on the left and he cut inside and his shot was again well saved by Allaway. Elmes threatened again on the right, but play was halted when a linesmen twisted his knee and could not continue. After a delay of 27 minutes, during which two possible substitute linesmen were rejected, it was announced that the original linesman could now continue, but after a further delay of seven minutes, the match was officially abandoned, as a replacement official could not be found

AFC Hornchurc

Staines Town