Westview Essex Senior League
Tuesday 6th September
	Sawbridgeworth Town	1 - 3	AFC Hornchurch
Sontag 85'		H/T 0-2 Att:165	Tiffin 16', Heale 38', Gill 76'

Match Highlights

Sawbridgeworth Town

AFC Hornchurch

	16	GOAL - Tiffin
	38	GOAL - Heale
Don Watters (manager) - SENT OFF	38
	45	OFF - Roberts ON - Gill
King - OFF Robinson - ON	63
	63	BOOKED - Holland
Hammick - SENT OFF	68
	70	OFF - Holland ON - Drake
Dorian - BOOKED	71
	73	OFF - Heale ON - Pamplin
	76	GOAL - Gill
? - OFF ? - ON	79
? - OFF ? - ON	80
Sontag - GOAL	85

Match Report by Tony Middleton

With a 9:30 pm curfew for the floodlights, the early kick off was essential, though most of the hundred strong away following made it in time for the start. Danny Cowley was absent due to suspension, having accumulated bookings from last season, and he will also miss Saturday’s match. On arrival at the ground Guns ‘n’ Roses were singing Paradise City, and we were entertained by the full cd of Use your Illusion.

Urchins were however under no illusions, with the bumpy sloping pitch, long grass and floodlights which were very low and shadowy, but they started strongly with Lee Perry sending Holland clear in the first minute, forcing O’Neill to race way out of the penalty area to kick clear. King followed up but Watters cleared with the keeper off his line. Tiffin, playing as a right winger, rounded Szajewski and squared the ball to Holland, only for Pearcey to intercept and hammer the first ball of the night out of the ground. A long Golby throw in found Heale who in turn nodded on to Holland but O’Neill saved well and then, when Hooper fouled Heale as he raced through the middle, Nicky Cowley powered the free kick high over the bar, over the trees, and into oblivion. Thomas, Cowley, Perry all combined but O’Neill once again raced out to kick away.

Sawbridgeworth had little to offer, though a break away by Greg King through the middle was only thwarted by a rapid reaction from Steve King. A goal looked likely at any time, and it came on 16:37 when a long free kick sailed over the home defence, and GREG TIFFIN neatly touched the ball over O’Neill and into the net. Collier then dropped the ball from a Sawbridgeworth corner, Roberts clearing, and then from another corner the entire Urchins defence seemed to lose the ball in the gloom of the floodlights, but Robins miskicked and King was on hand to clear. Golby did well to take the ball off of McAteer and he promptly played it upfield to Holland, who crossed into the middle, but Adam Sontag was first to the ball, and hammered it out, this time into the cricket pitch. McAteer was again in action, this time beating Bostock but King quickly cleared the danger. A Bostock free kick was grabbed by O’Neill and King homed in, and another Bostock free kick eluded everyone and went out of play. Tiffin and Heale exchanged passes to set Holland up, but he had moved too far forward and his simple touch into the net was disallowed for offside. Urchins continued to pressure the home defence, and a Cowley corner was headed out by Adam Sontag, only for Bostock to play it straight back into the middle, where Watters was well placed to prevent Perry from getting a goalbound touch.

Sawbridgeworth looked dangerous in the few breaks they got, and Greg King headed wide when a goal seemed likely, but Urchins were well in command, and increased their lead in the 38th minute. The move started when King played a long ball through the middle, Tiffin, Holland and Perry all threatened but Szajewski cleared the ball upfield. With the home defence running out, Bostock played it straight back, and DANNY HEALE found himself free, with no defender anywhere near him, and slotted the ball home. This led to a Borg-style outburst from the home bench, a lengthy consultation with the linesman, and a red card was waved at manager Don Watters. The home side were very disorganised in the following few minutes, and Holland was allowed a free header, the ball coming back off the post, whilst another shot ended up in the net, but offside was again given.

Second half and Urchins slackened the pace. Danny Gill came on and was immediately in the action, when he ran on to through pass from Heale from a long upfield kick from Collier, and though he netted, once again offside was given. Urchins were dictating the play, though the home side’s tackling was becoming increasingly wild, and several free kicks were awarded. O’Neill again raced out of goal to kick away from Gill, and a King header from Tiffin’s corner went the wrong side of the post. Heale and Tiffin combined on the right, and from Tiffin’s cross, Pearcey headed narrowly wide of his own goal, whilst Cowley placed a free kick tantalisingly across the goalmouth with no takers. Perry touched the ball home from Gill’s neat pass, but offside was given, and in a desperate attempt to stem the flow, Dave Robinson came on to play an old fashioned centre forward up front - it did little good however, although they certainly looked more dangerous after his appearance. Holland broke clear, and Watters turned the shot out for a corner, which Cowley played short to Gill, whose shot swerved over the bar. And then Paul Hammick was shown a red card following an off the ball incident. When he had left the pitch, Danny Heale was all set to take the resultant penalty, when it suddenly dawned on the match officials that the incident, although inside the penalty area, had occurred whilst Glen Golby was about to take a throw in. Result, no penalty after all, but a throw in - (this was the correct decision). Billy Drake came on to create his own brand of havoc in the middle, and he certainly made his presence felt, giving the home defence a hard time. Captain Chris Dorrian then went into the book as frustration set in, and when Asa Pamplin came on for Heale, his first touch was only inches away from a goal.

And then, no balls, and play was briefly halted whilst the remaining balls were retrieved from the cricket pitch. With Sawbridgeworth wilting, DANNY GILL converted a right wing cross for the third goal, and Nicky Cowley set up Gill just seconds later, but Hooper and O’Neill between them kept the ball out of the net. Urchins eased up, and Sontag powered through the middle, but hit the ball over the bar. Then Billy Drake rounded the keeper, but Szajewski came back quickly to tackle, and Sawbridgeworth then got a consolation goal when Collier appeared to lose the ball in the low floodlights, and ADAM SONTAG followed up to score. The remaining few minutes saw Urchins control the play, and King went close, whilst a long lob from Gareth Thomas had O’Neill back peddling to clutch the ball under the bar.

The floodlights on the near side of the ground were extinguished within ten seconds of the final whistle, and the many Urchins fans stood in the gloom to applause their side off the field.
 

Video Highlights by Rob Monger

- 16mins. Greg Tiffin scores his first of the season - on his birthday ! (495KB)
- 38mins. Danny Heale gets our second (570KB)
- 76mins. Danny Gill thunders the ball home for our third (630KB)
- 85mins. Sawbridgeworth grab a late consolation (660KB)
- Shall we sing a song for you ? (1.1MB)

  Teams

Sawbridgeworth Town Shaun O'Neill Mark Pearcey Stefan Szajewski Richard Hooper Mark Watters Adam Sontag Chris Dorrian (c) Dan McAteer Greg King Paul Hammick Steve Robbins SUBS David Robinson Greg Hughes Tony Smith Danny Crook Ryan Jessey

- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 * 12 14 15 16 17

AFC Hornchurch Michael Collier Gareth Thomas Paul Golby Nicky Cowley Steve King Jordan Bostock (c) Greg Tiffin Lee Perru Billy Holland Danny Heale Stuart Roberts SUBS Asa Pamplin Charlie Bull Danny Gill Billy Drake Lee Ward (GK)

Man of the Match Nominated by ...

Match Officials: Rob Ellis with Stuart Brown and Harry Paffett
Weather Conditions:  20 degrees at start, 16 degrees at finish
Match duration: First half 45mins 49secs, Second half 47mins 38secs
 

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