Saturday 5th January 2008
HORNCHURCH  0  HARLOW  1
HFC – Dale Brightley – Donny Barnard – Elliot Styles – John Purdie © - Jim McFarlane  – Joe Keith - Richard Goddard – Frankie Curley –Kris Lee – Simon Parker – Andy Tomlinson
Subs – Dean Green for Kris Lee 59 – Amos Foyewa - Shane Oakley for Curley 73 – Richard Halle for Keith 73 – Danny Glozier

HT – James Hassel – Kenny Davis – Mark Taylor – Becket Hollenbach – Ryan Kirby – Lee Miles – Leon Lalite – Danny Hill – James Bunn © - David Lee – Raphael Sylvester
Subs – Dean Williams for Sylvester 79 – Jordan Fowler for Lalite 70 – Clark Akers for Taylor 81 – Shaun Gliddon – Michael Dumolin

Scorer – Sylvester 75
Bookings – Keith 47 (H) – Styles 51 (H) – Miles 51 (HT) – Goddard 89 (H)
Weather – 5 degrees, cloudy, wind speed 15 mph
Officials – M Patterson with S Gillman and J Gibbons
Duration – 45.21 + 50.01
Attendance 364

HORNCHURCH  0  HARLOW  1
John Purdie back, but Des Boateng and Mark Janney both out injured. A pitch that was very soft and not condusive to good football, whilst a downfield wind meant far too many over hit passes. The match quickly turned into a midfield stalemate, although Urchins could have taken the lead early on when Curley sent Parker away on the left, only for Simon to be chopped down on the edge of the area. Joe Keith, making a rare appearance in the starting line up, saw his hard hit free kick well saved by keeper Hessel. Purdie became the next victim of a mistimed tackle, with Leon Lalite being fortunate to walk away without any action by the referee, and from Purdie’s free kick Kris Lee’s header went straight at Hessel. Harlow looked dangerous when Danny Hill went clear on the left side, took the ball past Barnard and then cut inside,, his low cross being well cut out by Richard Goddard. Urchins had a great chance when McFarlane’s long upfield ball found Tomlinson whose flick on sent Simon Parker clear, but was forced wide and he turned the ball back to Joe Keith whose first time volley was parried by Hessel, the ball running out to Kris Lee, whose return shot was saved by Hessel.

A good run by Frankie Curley saw him make ground, before slipping the ball inside to Parker, whose shot was again well saved by the visiting keeper. then Barnard needed lengthy attention following a disgraceful follow through tackle by Hollenbach, but with the EastSide screaming for the red card, the referee decided that nothing had happened. With Harlow content to boot the ball high and wide, Tomlinson started a good move on the left side, finding Styles, who in turn sent the ball on to Lee, whose flick put Parker clear, only for the linesman to infuriate the crowd by flagging for offside. A high upfield kick by Curley found Lee, who could only manage a weakly hit shot which Hessel saved easily. Then Styles won the ball in midfield and made a good run, but his shot went just wide of the post. Harlow came more into the match when a wind assisted free kick from David Lee caught out Dale Brightley and hit the bar, with Brightley then saving Bunn’s follow up shot. Bunn then gained possession and found Lalite on the wing, from whose cross an unmarked Kenny Davis shot wide, having came up from defence almost unnoticed.

A Purdie free kick saw McFarlane’s header saved by Hessel, but it was Harlow who finished the half strongest, Bunn holding off a challenge as he cut in from the left, and shooting narrowly wide, and David Lee making a solo run, with the defence backing off yet again, and hitting his shot wide. Despite the three minute stoppage when Barnard was having treatment, only 21 seconds were added on by the referee.

Half time talking point was not about the match but about the report from last week which appeared in a local paper, where the reporter claimed the Urchins were playing a 8-0-2 formation. Annie got her usual big one – half hot chocolate, half milk – which boosted the sales of hot chocolate as everyone else wanted to grab a piece of the action, whilst Mentalist proudly claimed to have found his first Kittiwake at the marshes in the morning. Max was trying without success for find the winner of the jackpot, which meant that no one came forward to claim the £100 prize. Whilst Urchinette was anxiously waiting for the result from Chasetown, at home to Cardiff in the FA Cup.

Second half saw another midfield stalemate, with the visitors booting everything promptly back upfield. David Lee, who took all the set pieces, hit in a good free kick which Purdie cleared, and it was from a long clearance by Brightley that Barnard touched on to Parker who sped clear, only for keeper Hessel to dash off his line to clear. Sylvester looked very dangerous when he made a long run, with the defence backing off, and his excellent shot was well saved by Brightley, whilst Kris Lee sent Parker clear on the right and he touched the ball back to Curley who curled his shot over the bar from the edge of the area. A free kick conceded by Tomlinson saw David Lee try yet another shot, which Brightley saved, whilst a David Lee corner ended in farce when Bunn appeared to fling headlong when he lost control of the ball, the entire away support, both of them, shouting loudly for a penalty. The referee rightly gave a goal kick but why no yellow card for diving?

A Keith free kick found McFarlane, whose header was saved by Hessel, and Simon Parker raced away when the ball came out of defence from Barnard, making fifty yards before firing in a shot which Hessel tipped over the bar, Keith’s corner being scrambled away by Lalite, who was injured in the process and had to leave the field. Dean Green came on from Kris Lee and made a good run down the right, hitting his cross into the middle, where the ball was scrambled out and then saved by Hessel. With Urchins piling on the pressure, Shane Oakley’s centre found Parker, whose spectacular overhead kick was parried by Hessel, on the line, and the ball was then punted upfield where David Lee ran fully 60 yards unchallenged, only to mis-hit his shot, the ball appearing to be running out until RAPHAEL SYLVESYTER came in completely unmarked to touch the ball into the net. With Urchins pushing forward, and playing with five up front they were almost caught out at the back when Fowler found himself unmarked and his shot was tipped around by Brightley who then touched David Lee’s corner over for another corner, before catching the ball as it came over and sending Halle away. Halle in turn played the ball on to Oakley whose pace took him way clear of his marker, but his shot cannoned out off of Davis. In the fifth minute of stoppage time Halle found Parker with a free kick, and Simon raced away, with Hessel making an excellent save from the resulting shot, touching the ball out for a corner, which Green took, and although McFarlane got to the ball, his header was saved by Hessel, as the whistle went for full time.

 

HORNCHURCH  0  HARLOW  1 – by Tony Middleton
A bumpy pitch did not help ball control and for the majority of the match both defences were on top, with the visitors having the edge in the first half. Danny Hill looked dangerous with a good run in from the left, Richard Goddard tackling to prevent a shot at goal, whilst shots from Kris Lee and Simon Parker were saved by Harlow keeper James Hassel. Closest anyone came to scoring in the first half was when a David Lee free kick was caught by the wind and hit the bar. Parker was put clear by Andy Tomlinson but was pulled up for offside, a decision which was not popular with the crowd. Harlow started strongly in the second half, a David Lee free kick cannoning off the wall of defenders, and Dale Brightley saving well from Sylvester. At the other end, Frankie Curley hit a shot narrowly over and Hessel saved well from Keith’s free kick. With Hornchurch piling on he pressure, Hessel tipped a Parker shot over the bar and then saved a spectacular overhead kick from Parker on the goal line. The ball was played long upfield, and David Lee raced clear on the left, but his mis-timed shot appeared to be running out for a goal kick until RAPHAEL SYLVESTER came in late to prod the ball into the bet for the only goal of the match. Heavy Urchins pressure almost brought the equaliser when Shane Oakley had a shot blocked  and Simon Parker ran clear only for Hessel to make the save of the match, right on full time. Player of the match was visiting keeper James Hassel, whose fine saves earned Harlow the three points. E/V 2/5

 

NL Daily report
HORNCHURCH  0  HARLOW  1 – by Jay Middleton
In a match where both defences were on top, there were few goal scoring chances, although the visitors looked dangerous when Danny Hill made a good run in from the left, Richard Goddard tackling to prevent a shot at goal, whilst shots from Kris Lee and Simon Parker were saved by Harlow keeper James Hassel. A David Lee free kick was caught by the wind and hit the bar, and Simon Parker was twice put clear only to be pulled up for offside. Harlow started strongly in the second half, a David Lee free kick cannoning off the wall of defenders, and Dale Brightley saving well from Sylvester. At the other end, Frankie Curley hit a shot narrowly over and Hessel saved well from Keith’s free kick. Hornchurch came forward and keeper James Hessel tipped a Parker shot over the bar and then saved a spectacular overhead kick from Parker on the goal line. The only goal came when David Lee chased a long clearance, and his mis-timed shot appeared to be running out for a goal kick until RAPHAEL SYLVESTER came in late to prod the ball into the bet for the only goal of the match. Right on time, Simon Parker saw hit goal bound shot tipped over by Hessel and Harlow held out to take the three points.

Man of the Match: Dale Brightly Sponsored by: The Eastside

Match Sponsor: Haart / Spicer McColl

Weather Conditions: 5 Degs. C, Cloudy, Wind Speed = 15 mph

Match Officials: Referee - Mr. Mark Patterson, Assistants - Mr. Stuart Gillman and Mr. Julian Gibbons

Match duration: F/H 45 mins. 21 secs., S/H 50 mins. 01 secs.