Tuesday 30th October 2007
HORNCHURCH  2  TONBRIDGE  1
HFC - Dale Brightly – Jordon Bostock – Danny Glozier – John Purdie © – Elliot Styles –Donny Barnard – Garry Cross – Joe Keith – Kris Lee – Harry Elmes – Andy Tomlinson
Subs – Amos Foyewa for Cross 84 – Richard Halle for Tomlinson 61 – Shane Oakley for Lee 79 – Richard McKinney – no fifth sub

TA – Matt Reed – Robbie Kember – Matt Lovell – Scott Kinch – Scott Gooding © - Richard Harris – Tommy Tyne – Anthony Storey – Hamid Barr – Jon Main – Fraser Logan
Subs – James Donovan – Ryan Martin for Barr 72 – Kirk Husnu – John Beales – Ashley Dann for Logan 84

Scorers – Kris Lee 5 – Jon Main 7p (T) – Kris Lee 61
Bookings – Kember 50 (T) – Glozier 59 (H) – Kinch 64 (T) - Kember 75 (T) OFF
Attendance 341
Weather – 4 degrees and clear, wind speed zero.
Officials – G Jerden with M Ergun and K Stone

HORNCHURCH  2  TONBRIDGE  1
Hornchurch were missing Mark Janney, Simon Parker and Richard Goddard, and were also made to kick towards the restaurant end of the ground. They started strongly and could have taken the lead in the first minute when they opened up the Angels defence on the right side and the ball came in low to Kris Lee, who turned and hit his shot narrowly wide of the post. Tonbridge came back straight away when Main, looking well offside, broke clear from near the half way line, and Brightly had to rush out of goal to the edge of the area to save at his feet. It quickly became apparent that Tonbridge looked uncertain at the back, but relied heavily on Main and Barr up front to create the openings.

Urchins went close again when Elmes broke through, Lovell tackling to concede a corner, which Keith took, and Tomlinson headed goalwards and Gooding headed away. Urchins took the lead when Harry Elmes crossed from the right, and KRIS LEE turned and neatly placed his shot wide of Reed. Tonbridge looked capable of conceding more, but drew level two minutes later when Barr played the ball into the middle and Purdie mistimed his tackle on Tyne and a penalty was awarded, which JON MAIN hammered home hard to the left of the diving Brightly.

And they could have taken the lead when the ball was played deep upfield by Kinch to Main, who raced clear, only to hit his shot wide of the goal as Brightly came out quickly to narrow the angle. Urchins had most of the territorial play, a curving Bostock free kick being turned out for a corner which was taken by Keith and headed away by Gooding. Styles moved up, and sent over a good centre which was eventually scrambled out for another corner, which Reed held as Keith floated the ball over. A long kick upfield by Brightly then saw Harry Elmes run on, and neatly chip the keeper, the ball landing on the roof of the net. As six balls had been booted into oblivion, nearly as many as Team Bath managed to put out the ground in the previous match, it was beginning to look a bit dangerous, if only for the family of badgers on behind the river side, who were constantly being bombarded with balls.

Elmes again, picking out Lee with his centre and Kris’ header was well saved by Reed. Tonbridge came back when Tomlinson lost the ball in midfield and it was played up to Barr, who turned and tried to lob Brightly who made an excellent save to tip the ball over the bar, although the referee inexplicably awarded a goal kick. Urchins attacked strongly, Lee making ground on the left before setting up Joe Keith, who skied his shot high over the bar when well placed. Tomlinson took a throw and found Glozier who touched back to Tomlinson whose first time centre was touched over by Reed, Keith’s corner coming to nothing against a packed defence. Lee to Elmes and back to Tomlinson, who played a perfect ball into the middle to Cross, who fired his shot wide.

One one at half time, and the £75 jackpot went to Neil, who held ticket number 721, whilst the handful of away supporters present came into the shop to buy badges, which are rapidly selling out. The bitch was not amongst them, but a search party located her in the bar area.

The second half saw Tonbridge again relying heavily on their dangerous strike force of Barr and Main, but neither looked likely to get within shooting range, and Urchins began to win the midfield battle and force their way forward. Keith made a series of good runs on the right side, with Barnard backing up and Elmes proving a handful up front. Lee went close with a first time shot, and a loud penalty appeal was rejected when a defender appeared to handle an Elmes shot. Pressure built up and Tonbridge looked very vulnerable at the back.

Purdie sent a good pass along to Keith who in turn found Lee, who was crowded out by the joint efforts of Gooding and Harris, whilst the dual Tonbridge threat up front began to diminish rapidly. The goal finally came thanks to a piece of individual brilliance by KRIS LEE who finished off an excellent build up by cutting in and hammering home an unstoppable shot. Richard Halle came on for Tomlinson who had been prominent on the left, and Urchins dominated for long spells, and Tonbridge then lost the dangerous Barr with an injury and followed up by being reduced to ten when Kember was sent off for a badly mistimed tackle and received his second yellow card of the night. This was the chance for Urchins to press home their advantage and a Keith free kick was touched to Barnard and back to Bostock, whose cross found Lee who was tackled by Kinch as he was about to shoot. A hard shot from Barnard was heading towards goal until Reed dived to turn the ball around the post, and Keith’s corner bobbled around the goalmouth before being hit upfield.

Shane Oakley and Amos Foyewa came on, but Amos was the first in action, but acting as a defender when he chased back to dispossess Logan on the left wing, and then promptly sped away upfield to gain 60 yards before being tackled by Lovell. Oakley had a half chance, which he hit wide, and with Urchins comfortably in control things looked ominous when Tonbridge were awarded a disputed free kick on the edge of the area. The wall lined up, and Main lurked, but it was Storey who stepped up to take the kick and he curled the ball high over the bar. This was Tonbridge’s only real chance, and they were forced to defend when Elmes took Halle’s pass and ran on strongly, winning a corner, which was over hit and cleared upfield. Foyewa threatened when he took Purdie’s pass inside his own half and raced away on the right, turning inside and then hitting a hard shot goalwards, which Reed parried out only as far as Keith, who played the ball back into the goal mouth where Kinch cleared. Tonbridge rarely threatened and the two one win was perhaps more comfortable than the scoreline appeared.

Man of the Match: Kris Lee Sponsored by: Sir Gary Hall

Match Sponsor: Spicer Haart

Weather Conditions: 4 degs. C., Clear, Wind Speed = Zero

Match Officials: Referee - Mr. G. Jerden, Assistants - Mr. M. Ergun and Mr. K. Stone

Match duration: F/H 45 mins. 33 secs., S/H 47 mins. 00 secs.