Tuesday 6th November 2007 – FA Trophy
NORTHWOOD  2  HORNCHURCH  1
NFC – Mitch Swain – Ryan Tackley – Jazz Rose – Simieon Howell – Bradley Hewitt – Adam Theo © - Danny Hart – Dwaine Williams – Adrian Abramian – Elliott Buchanan – Abdul Yoki
Subs – Simon Dean - Dean Clark – Jerome Hall for Abramian 81 – Terry Hogan – Danny Brown

HFC - Dale Brightley – Jordon Bostock – Danny Glozier – John Purdie © – Elliot Styles –Donny Barnard – Andy Tomlinson – Joe Keith – Kris Lee – Harry Elmes – Shane Oakley
Subs – Richard Halle for Keith 69 – Michael Ramkin for Barnard 69 – Tony Fraser – Max Holt – Richard McKinney

Scorers – Abdul Yoki 59 – Elliott Buchanan 65 – Kris Lee 77
Bookings – Howell 22 (N) – Rose 47 (N) – Theo 69 (N) – Styles 90 (H)
Penalty – Joe Keith 29 – saved
Duration – 46.07 + 50.23
Weather – clear and five degrees, wind speed zero.
Officials – Gavin Muge with Isaac Jempeji and Ricky Deller
Attendance – estimated at 200 – fifty from Hornchurch

NORTHWOOD  2  HORNCHURCH  1
The team picked itself – no choice with so many injuries. Three youth team players were in the squad. A sloping pitch, with leaves down one corner almost six inches deep. Urchins kicked down the slope in the first half, and completely dominated proceedings. Northwood kicked off and Buchanan tried a speculative shot from the left which Brightley held comfortably. Up the field came the ball, Barnard to Keith and his shot was blocked, rebounding to Lee whose shot was also blocked – but Kris limped away having been half tackled as he shot, and he was nursing the injury for the rest of the match. Purdie to Barnard, and up to Elmes, with Tackley tackling. Any attempt at a run on the right was doomed to a leafy failure, so Brightley pumped a long ball down the middle for Kris Lee to head on to Shane Oakley who hammered his shot across the goal and wide of the far post. The first corner of the night was taken by Joe Keith, the ball coming back to Glozier and then into the middle where keeper Swain made a good save in the goalmouth scramble which resulted, the ball eventually being cleared, and was last seen disappearing into the pile of leaves.

Tomlinson then found Lee who ran on but put his shot wide, and Northwood came back with a rare breakaway, Buchanan’s cross being touched out by Styles for a corner, which ex-Urchin Yoki took, and then Styles put the ball out again for a second corner, also taken by Yoki, with Barnard clearing. A good run on the left by Oakley saw him turn the ball on to Keith, ideally placed, but Keith took far too long to set himself up for a shot and was crowded out, the ball rebounding off of Rose for a corner. Bostock made ground on the right, and turned the ball inside to Elmes, who put it back out to Keith on the leafy right, and the centre was headed out by Howell for yet another corner. Once the deep pile of leaves were cleared, Keith took the kick and Hewitt headed away. Tomlinson was fouled but Keith’s free kick was high and over the bar, and then Keith was given another chance, this time from Glozier’s pass, but he hit the shot over the bar from thirty yards.

The pressure continued, Oakley setting the pace on the left, and in to Tomlinson, on again to Elmes, and his shot was tipped over for a corner, which Keith, having cleared the three foot pile of leaves away, floated over, and Lee back headed the ball to force yet another save out of Swain. And then came the turning point. Kris Lee raced past two defenders, and was then scythed down by the last defender – a penalty, but why no red card, why no card of any sort? Up stepped Joe Keith, to hit his shot low and to the left of Swain, who dived sideways and palmed the ball away. It was returned into the middle and put out for a corner. Keith took the kick, and it went out for another corner, and once the pile of leaves were cleared, Keith took this one as well, but Swain held the ball comfortably. Towards half time, Northwood rallied, and a long range shot from Yoki was wide, although a corner was given, which Yoki took and which was headed back to Williams whose shot went high over the bar and out of the ground. Oakley then won a corner at the other end, which Keith took and which was over hit, and back came Northwood to win a corner of their own, which Yoki took, and Abramian’s header was saved by Brightley.

Half time and the main talking point was whether the limping Kris Lee would come out for the second half. The leaves in the far corner had now grown to a depth of four feet, looking like a autumnal snowman. Kris Lee limped back onto the field, but was very down on pace. Bostock sent Oakley away with a good cross field pass and he found Elmes whose centre was played back by Keith to Elmes, whose shot hit a defender. Shane Oakley need lengthy treatment following a very mistimed tackle by Rose but was able to continue. A Glozier inspired move on the left ended with another corner, which Keith took, and played the ball back to Glozier whose shot was deflected out for a corner. Keith this time to Tomlinson and back to Keith, whose shot was saved by Swain at the foot of the post. Oakley to Elmes to the limping Lee, whose shot was saved by Swain, and then Northwood came forward, Howell’s solo run and shot being put wide, although a corner was given. And then the goal. Very slack defending allowed ex-Urchin ADBUL YOKI yards of room, and his weakly hit shot eluded Brightley who could not get down in time, and the ball ended up in the net, to send the mere handful of home supporters wild with delight.

Urchins came back strongly, Lee winning a free kick, and Keith picking out Elmes, whose header was parried and then booted away by Hewitt. Glozier won a corner but Keith over hit the ball and it was cleared. Another corner, Keith again, and Glozier hit in a shot from the left which Swain did well to save. And then it happened again. A complete mix up in defence allowed Northwood to regain possession, and ELLIOTT BUCHANAN touched home. Two nil, and it was all over. Or was it?

On came Richard Halle, on came Michael Ramkin for his debut. Halle won a corner, Glozier took the kick, and Lee skied the shot over the bar. Northwood broke out of defence and Yoki ran clear, Brightley turning the ball out for a corner, but it was all Urchins, although without any real rhythm, but Glozier worked the ball along the left, and crossed, Hewitt heading out for a corner, which Glozier took and Elmes headed powerfully goalwards, and the ball was going into the net as a defender punched it off the line – Wealdstone revisited – and the referee missed it. Fifty Urchins behind the goal went berserk, and the referee was swamped in a sea of blue and white, but play continued, and once again a blatant penalty, a blatant red card, was missed at the very same end of the ground as Wealdstone – a disgraceful decision. Bostock to Ramkin, into the middle and out to the left, where KRIS LEE found enough pace to hammer the shot into the net.

Northwood won a corner, but this proved to be their last attack for some time as Urchins swarmed forward. Halle in to Ramkin, whose shot rebounded off the referee, and a Bostock free kick went for a corner, which Glozier took and then received the return pass but fired wide of the goal. A Purdie free kick found Glozier and yet another corner, which resulted in a massive goalmouth scramble, with Elmes and Styles both almost forcing the ball over the line, before the referee took the easy way out and awarded a free kick, booking Styles for no obvious reason. Another goalmouth scramble and again the ball was booted away, and in the fifth minute of stoppage time a break by Northwood saw Brightley tip a shot from Buchanan around the post.

So Urchins go out – a missed penalty, a blatant hand ball on the line, a first minute injury to Kris Lee, did they deserve to go out? Northwood scored twice from their handful of shots, home keeper Swain was outstanding, Northwood took their chances.

Weather Conditions: 5 Degs. C., Clear, Wind Speed = Zero

Match Officials: Referee - Mr. Gavin Muge, Assistants - Mr. Isaac Jempeji and Mr. Ricky Deller

Match duration: F/H 46 mins. 07 secs., S/H 50 mins. 23 secs.