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Saturday 23rd July
	AFC Hornchurch	4 - 0	Biggleswade Town
Heale 22', Perry 57' N Cowley 58', Moore 73 (og)		H/T 1-0 Att: 229

Match Highlights

AFC Hornchurch

Biggleswade Town

Heale - GOAL	22
Perry - GOAL	57
N Cowley - GOAL	58
Bostock - OFF Ballard - ON King - OFF Thomas - ON	58	OFF - Maplecroft ON - Stevens OFF - Fontenelle ON - Moceredge
Heale - OFF Burbridge - ON	60
Burbridge - OFF Springer - ON	68
Pamplin - OFF Burbridge - ON	70
Moore (og) - GOAL	73
Bull - OFF Brewer - ON	75

On a hot and overcast day, Urchins paraded their new away strip for the first time during the pre-match warm up. Only minor problem was that at that point there was some doubt about the opposition, as the M25 was closed at junction 26 and Biggleswade were on the wrong side of the closure. Fortunately the motorway reopened and they made it in good time. The delay did not affect the visitors as Seeley dispossessed Danny Cowley near the half way line and tried a spectacular 40 yard shot within seconds of the start, which sailed over Collier and also over the bar. A minute later and it was Urchins turn, Nicky Cowley’s free kick finding King, whose header beat Walters and was cleared by Ade Maplecroft, who sliced the ball out for a corner. Biggleswade provided lively opposition, with Tiffin having to move quickly to tackle when Francis threatened to break through down the middle.

Urchins began to move the ball confidently around, with the two Cowleys prominent in many of the moves, whilst Asa Pamplin was causing some worrying moments up front, along with the non stop Danny Heale. Charlie Bull was making his debut, although he already featured in the historic Arlesey match, whilst on loan to them from Dagenham and Redbridge, and it was a neat move involving Bull and Dear which led to Pamplin cracking the ball narrowly wide of the post. Perry went close with a powerful shot, and then Bull’s attempt from the left touch line went agonisingly close.

With Biggleswade beginning to be overwhelmed, it was DANNY HEALE who opened the scoring, running through, past Blackburn, drawing Walters out and then firing the ball home. Time 22 minutes. Pamplin could have added a second when Nicky and Danny Cowley combined to set him up, and Asa twisted round Moore and fired the ball past Walters, just inches past the post.

Biggleswade came back strongly, Francis being stopped by a very alert Bostock and then Collier made his first save of the day, also from Francis. From Collier’s long upfield clearance, Nicky Cowley rounded Neil Maplecroft and fired over a swerving cross which beat the defence but no one could get onto the end of it. Seeley nearly managed to level the score with a good run, but Collier again saved well. It could easily have been two up at the interval, with Heale and Nicky Cowley both going close, whilst Pamplin hammered a hard drive past Walters and into the side netting.

Second half, Biggleswade started strongly, Furnace and Fontenelle both going close, whilst Sean Dear did very well to stop Ashnel who had taken advantage of a quick throw in to race away. But gradually the Waders were forced back, and Walters began to feature very prominently, making several good saves. A goal looked inevitable and it came after an excellent move started by Tiffin, who found Bull. Heale and Pamplin also featured and it was LEE PERRY who scored his first goal for the Urchins when he followed up to tuck the ball home after Walters had made an excellent save from Heale.

Sixty seconds later it was three, when NICKY COWLEY scored his first goal for the Urchins, from Heale’s cross, with Lee Perry also in close attendance. Waders were struggling, and Nicky Cowley nearly got another, this time set up by Bull, whilst Burbridge was causing all sorts of problems on the right. Too many in fact, and following an incident involving Moore, the referee appeared to request that they both be substituted. Two minutes later, Burbridge came back on and continued to play havoc with the Waders defence. The fourth goal came thanks to Gary Moore, who could do nothing to stop LEE SPRINGER’s hard drive and deflected it into his own net. With Urchins queuing up now to see who could have the next shot, it was Nicky Cowley who took a pass from Springer but hashed the ball over the bar in front of goal. Brewer came on, and his first touch saw him hammer in a ferocious shot which Walters tipped over, and then he teed the ball up for Nicky Cowley, who took a little too long to control the ball and Neil Maplecroft was on hand to block the shot. Springer again, this time racing past Ade Maplecroft, inside to Nicky Cowley, whose dive skimmed the bar. With the rain down coming down in force, Waders were chasing shadows, but over-elaboration in front of goal, plus a very able goalkeeper, kept the score down, in what was a very satisfying result, not so much for the score, but for the sheer enthusiasm shown by the entire team.

Video Highlights by Rob Monger

- 22mins. Danny Heale puts us in front (580KB)
- 57mins. Lee Perry doubles our lead (620KB)
- 58mins. Nicky Cowley makes it 3-0 (460KB)
- 73 mins. Lee Springers shot takes a deflection to give us our fourth (622KB)

Teams
 

AFC Hornchurch Michael Collier Greg Tiffin Sean Dear Jordan Bostock Steve King Danny Cowley Nicky Cowley Lee Perry Asa Pamplin Danny Heale Charlie Bull SUBS Ricky Burbridge Scott Ballard Nathan Philip Lee Springer Darren Brewer Gareth Thomas Nicky Wilson

- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 * 12 14 15 16 17 18 GK

Biggleswade Town Scott Walters Ade Maplecroft Neil Maplecroft Gary Moore Wayne Blackburn Nicki Randall Gareth Seeley Adrian Fontenelle Adam Furnace Tony Francis Carl Ashnel SUBS Lee Stevens Steve Moceredge

Match Officials: John Burdett, with Mark Lendon and Malcolm Jeffery

Weather Conditions:  25 degrees - sultry at start, 15 degrees - rain at finish

Match duration: First half - 45mins 10 secs. Second half - 44mins 19secs
 

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