WEALDSTONE 2 HORNCHURCH 3
The pitch was passed fit after an early morning inspection, but quickly
cut up, with thick clinging mud. Urchins were without Jonathan Hunt, who
is likely to be out for two weeks, and Ross Wall came into the starting
line up. In front of a very hostile crowd, Urchins started well, when
Jamie Dormer sent Mark Janney away on the right, and Louis Lavers did
well to cut out the centre. Wealdstone, who now play at the old Ruislip
Manor ground, came forward when Charlie Mpi moved along the wing and his
centre was deflected for a corner by Ronnie Fletcher, who then cleared
Danny Spendlove’s inswinging corner. Billy Coyne sent a long ball through to Elliot Styles, but Darren Locke came across quickly to make up several yards to intercept. Fletcher then played a good pass to Jo Flack and Rob Fitzgerald covered well to clear. The ball was played back by Dormer and Michael Spencer’s shot was deflected for a corner. Andy Tomlinson took the kick and keeper Sean Thomas gathered comfortably.
Fitzgerald then tackled well when Dormer and Tomlinson combined to give Janney an opening, whilst at the other end Callum Martin won a free kick which Ryan Ashe took and his shot curved wide of the post. Rickie Hayles was booked for a perfectly legitimate tackle, and. Spencer won a free kick in midfield and although Thomas caught Tomlinson’ free kick, the ball was returned to Ross Wall, who was thwarted by Fitzgerald’s timely tackle.
A long ball from Hayles found Jo Flack, whose first time lobbed shot landed on the roof of the net. Elliot Styles was then shown a yellow card for what seemed an excellent tackle, with a very biased home crowd screaming off-off-off. Hornchurch almost took the lead when Wall played a short pass back to Dormer who switched the play to the left with a long pass out to Tomlinson, and Andy sent Flack racing in from the left, but Jo’s shot hit the side netting. A Janney centre led to a corner, and Tomlinson floated the ball over for Fletcher, whose header landed on the roof of the net, whilst Spencer hit a first time shot narrowly past the post. Hornchurch went ahead when Dormer again switched play with a long pass out to Tomlinson on the left, and his cross was turned around the post by Locke. Tomlinson took the kick, Ronnie Fletcher headed goalwards, and ROSS WALL touched the ball over the line. Michael Spencer again went close, from a Dormer pass, and at the other end Hayles neatly intercepted to prevent Mpi breaking through.
Martin made a good run to set Mpi up but Hayles tackled to concede a corner. This again set the howling mob behind the goal into overdrive, and their pathetic attempts to influence the match officials was no credit to non-league football. Ashe took the kick and Mpi headed over. Hayles made a magnificent tackle to thwart a goalbound Danny Spendlove, but Wealdstone levelled when Tomlinson’s perfect tackle brought the anticipated loud appeals for a penalty from behind the goal, and the linesman bowed to their better judgement and signalled a penalty, for which Spencer was booked. Up stepped ROB FITGERALD to fire the ball home, and the ululation reached record levels.
Hornchurch stormed up the field and Jo Flack was scythed down on the edge of the area and Tomlinson played a short free kick to Dormer, who hit his shot inches wide. Almost on half time Darren Behcet made a magnificent save from Mark E’Bayer. Andy Tomlinson became the fourth Hornchurch player to be carded, with the referee ignoring loud chants of off-off-off from the home crowd.
The pitch had deteriorated badly after the interval, and Urchins had a great chance to go ahead in the first minute of the second half when Michael Spencer raced through, but he was scythed down on the edge of the area, but no action was taken. A minute later Jo Flack broke through but was stopped by a tackle from Ashe right on the edge of the area. Flack then shot wide from Billy Coyne’s long throw, and Urchins took the lead when Billy Coyne took a long throw, which was headed on into the path of MICHAEL SPENCER who hammered the ball into the net. Wealdstone stormed back and won a corner, Ashe taking the kick and picking out Logie, whose header cannoned out off the bar, and the ball was promptly played back upfield where Coyne and Janney exchanged passes before Mark centred into the goalmouth. A massive scrambled ensued and the ball ran out to JAMIE DORMER who crashed his shot into the net for the third goal.
Behcet caught a dipping corner from Ashe who then fired a free kick wide. Tomlinson won the ball in midfield and found Ross Wall who shielded the ball well before gliding it into the path of Jo Flack, whose vicious shot was touched around the post by Thomas, who then caught Tomlinson’s corner. Coyne almost put Janney through but Louis Lavers tackled to give away a corner, which Tomlinson took and Styles headed onto the roof of the net. Tomlinson to Wall and another corner resulted, which Thomas gathered as Ronnie Fletcher homed in. Flack almost scored, but was stopped by a good tackle by Lavers, whilst Marvin McCoy did well to stop Ross Wall from breaking through. Ben Boyce came on for Ross Wall and almost broke clear, only for David King to get in a saving tackle.
Wealdstone pulled a goal back when McCoy made a good run which ended with Tomlinson conceding a corner, and the kick was only half cleared and the ball dropped invitingly in front of CALLUM MARTIN who hammered the ball home from the edge of the area. Soz Yao came on, and played up front alongside Ben Boyce, but Wealdstone forced two corners in succession, with Behcet catching the ball to ease the stoppage time pressure. Mitchell Stuart-Evans came on for Mark Janney to boost the defence, but Wealdstone did not look like breaking through, and Urchins deservedly took the three points.
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