AFC Hornchurch

Friday 27-December-2014
BILLERICAY TOWN 3 HORNCHURCH 1

BT – Billy Lumley – Steve Sheehan – Teddy Nesbitt – Jack Edwards – Richard Halle – Ryan Scott – Harry Baker – Glenn Poole – Ricky Sappleton – Rowan Liburd (Afalobi Obafemi 77) – Ryan Melaugh
Subs – Kamce Shehaj – Louis Godwin-Green – Glenn O’Hanlon – George Beavan

HFC – Sam Mott – Billy Coyne – Chris Bourne -– Elliot Styles © – Billy Roast - Frankie Curley – Tobi Joseph – Danny Johnson (Joey May 68) – Martin Tuohy (Junior Luke 25) – George Purcell – Joe Christou (Thomas Gogo 60)
Subs – Elyon Marshall-Katung – Courtney Homans

Officials – previous matches involving Hornchurch -
Elliott Kaye – 11/11/09 at Waltham Forest – 26/1/10 v Billericay – 3/4/10 v Ashford Town – 5/10/10 v Folkestone – 12/2/11 at Billericay – 18/3/14 v Cray Wanderers - on line 23/12/06 v Ware
Callum Chittendon - debut
Stephen Tate – on line 14/10/08 v Tpnbridge – 29/11/08 v Sutton Utd – 18/4/09 v Horsham – 31/8/09 v Dartford – 2/1/10 v Aveley – 17/4/10 v Waltham Abbey – 14/8/10 at Great Wakering – 26/2/11 at Concord – 26/11/11 at Thurrock – 12/11/13 v Harrow

Scorers – Nesbitt 48 (BT)
Liburd 63 (BT)
Luke 67 (H)
Halle 68 (BT)

Bookings
Luke 43 (H)
Nesbitt 75 (BT)
Ryan Scott 80 (BT)
Sappleton 87 (BT)

Attendance 419
Duration 46.30 + 49.00
Weather – overcast – 4 degrees

BILLERICAY TOWN 3 HORNCHURCH 1

The pitch was very heavy, and was perhaps only just playable.

Hornchurch made one change in the starting line up, Tobi Joseph coming in for Michael Malcolm who has left the club.

Hornchurch started well when Tobi Joseph made a good run before placing the ball inside to George Purcell, but his shot was blocked and cleared upfield.

Billericay frequently gave the ball away on the difficult playing surface, but they nearly scored with their first attacking move, when Harry Baker fired in a first time drive from thirty yards, and Sam Mott made an excellent save, diving to turn the ball out for a corner.

Ricky Sappleton almost got onto the end of a through pass but was stopped by a timely interception by Billy Roast. And when Frankie Curley conceded a free kick ten yards outside the area, Elliot Styles did well to head away the dangerous free kick from Glenn Poole.

At the other end, a good run by Danny Johnson set up Martin Tuohy, whose shot was diverted around the post for a corner. And it was Johnson who had the next chance, receiving the ball from Tobi Joseph but directing his shot over the bar.

A George Purcell shot was turned around the post, and this led to two corners in succession, both taken by Joe Christou, before the ball was finally booted away, and when Chris Bourne won a corner on the left, the ball nearly ended up in the net after a goalmouth scramble. A Billy Coyne cross led to another corner, but Martin Tuohy was limping badly and was replaced by Junior Luke, shortly after Purcell had fired wide from a Christou corner.

Close to half time a Poole free kick was tipped over by Sam Mott, who then punched away the corner, the ball falling ideally for Baker, whose first time shot was deflected out for yet another corner.

Hornchurch nearly took the lead two minutes into the second half when Christou combined with Bourne, whose cross was almost headed into his own net by a defender, but it was Billericay who took the lead within a minute when Elliot Styles gave the ball away with a mistimed pass, and it was played out to the left where Teddy Nesbitt volleyed home.

Thomas Gogo came on for Joe Christou and immediately made an impact with a fine pass inside to Joseph, but it was Billericay who came back again when a long ball was played out of defence, to Rowan Liburd, who was allowed to make ground through the middle, and he then scored with a well directed shot from ten yards outside the area.

Hornchurch withstood a short spell of pressure from the home side, before reducing the arrears when Tobi Joseph made an excellent solo run through the defence, before slotting the ball out to Junior Luke whose first time shot beat Lumley and went into the net.

Within a minute Billericay had regained their two goal lead, when a free kick was conceded out on the left, Baker sent the ball into the goalmouth, where Richard Halle was ideally placed to touch home.

Joey May came on for Johnson, and Hornchurch continued to force the pace though the closest they came was when a Purcell shot narrowly went wide of the far post.

And a word of praise for the match officials, who were subjected to a barrage of abuse from the home bench and from the supporters in the main stand.