Horsham penalty farce

[Dagger03]

Tuesday 23^rd March 2010

 

HORSHAM 2 HORNCHURCH 1

 

 

 

H – Josh Pelling – Delando Smith – Ian Payne – Ben Andrew – Sam Page © - Hassan Nyang – Steve Sergent – Jack Page - Steve Davies – Pat Harding – Tony Nwachukwu

 

Subs – Pat O’Sullivan – Eddie Francis –Adam Hutchings - Claude Seanla for Davies 68 – Mark Zawadski (GK) for Nwachukwu 83

 

 

 

HFC – Darren Behcet – Mitchell Stuart-Evans – Billy Coyne – Ronnie Fletcher – Rickie Hayles - Andy Tomlinson - Elliot Styles © - Tambesong Eyong –Soz Yao – Mervin Abraham - Michael Spencer

 

Subs –Herve Botshebe – Ross Wall for Stuart-Evans 76 – Ronsard Kehi for Styles 64 -

 

Jonathan Spencer for Yao 90+2

 

 

 

Scorers – Harding 49p (Hors) – Harding 53 (Hors) – Tomlinson 84p (H)

 

 

 

Bookings – Harding 3 (Hors) – Stuart-Evans 48 (H) – Fletcher 65 (H) – Eyong 68 (H) - Pelling 82 (Hors) OFF – n/k 82 (Hors) – n/k 82 (Hors) – Mark Hawthorne 89 (Hors asst manager) OFF

 

 

 

Attendance 164

 

Duration 45.39 + 48.26

 

Officials – P Harris with K Welsh and M Peck

 

Weather – 12 degrees, dull, wind speed 5 mph

 

Colours – Hors – green and yellow halves / green / yellow

 

H – blue and white stripes / blue / blue

 

 

 

HORSHAM 2 HORNCHURCH 1

 

 

 

News on injuries is that Jamie Dormer is almost ready to return, whilst the news on Jo Flack is not so good, as he is likely to be out for several weeks with a hamstring injury.

 

 

 

Horsham sold their old ground a couple of years ago and now ground share with Horsham YMCA, which is at right angles to the old ground, which is now a nice new housing estate. A knock on effect is that the newly arrived locals immediately complained about the floodlighting, with the result that all evening matches now have a 9.45pm curfew. Hence the 7.30 pm kick off. All roads are now residents parking only, though this is easily overcome as the parking restrictions only apply for two hours each morning.

 

 

 

On a very heavy pitch Urchins had a great chance to take a first minute lead when a through ball found Soz Yao racing clear, with just Josh Pelling barring his way, but the home keeper dived to his right to stop the goal bound shot. A minute later Pat Harding was shown the yellow card for a foul, and Hornchurch began to settle down and press forward. A good pass from Billy Coyne to Andy Tomlinson resulted in a good cross into the centre for Marvin Abraham, and Mervin’s shot was well saved by Pelling who dived to his right to turn the ball away from the goal. A long throw from Billy Coyne found Elliot Styles, who turned quickly and hit his shot narrowly wide of the post, whilst Soz Yao won a free kick which Tomlinson took and Styles came in at the far post to head the ball just over the bar.

 

 

 

Horsham survived a loud hand ball appeal when a defender handled inside the area from a Spencer cross, and they replied with a good run by Tony Nwachukwu who was tackled by Coyne to concede a corner, which was cleared by Mitchell Stuart-Evans. Tambeson Eyong made a good interception in midfield and he set off on a long run before playing the ball into the path of Tomlinson, and thence on to Soz Yao, who was tackled by Hassan Nyang. Soz then took a pass from Rickie Hayles and set off on a weaving run which ended with an excellent shot that Pelling turned around the post for a corner. Tomlinson took the kick and Eliot Styles was about to head goalwards when the whistle went for a free kick to Horsham. A good run by Eyong saw the ball played out to Michael Spencer who was causing havoc on the left, and Michael’s centre went untouched across goal.

 

 

 

Coyne to Spencer, whose 35 yard shot skimmed the bar, and then Darren Behcet made a good save from Nwachukwu, with Ronnie Fletcher reacting quickly as the ball rolled loose to tackle as Steve Davies moved in. Eyong to Coyne, whose shot was wide and almost on half time Hayles got in a good tackle to prevent Davies from breaking through. Richard Harper had been called on three times to deal with injuries, all of which resulted in lengthy stoppages, yet only 39 seconds were added on to the first half.

 

 

 

Hornchurch started the second half well when Soz Yao ran through and his shot was deflected for a corner, but it all fell apart when Tomlinson’s corner was caught by Pelling, who pumped the ball up the field, and Steve Davies took a pass inside the area, and was tackled by Mitchell Stuart-Evans. Down he went and a penalty was promptly awarded, with Mitchell being booking and the referee waved away the protests. Up stepped PAT HARDING to neatly slot the ball home. Hornchurch were unsettled by this decision and eight minutes later Davies made a solo run through the middle before playing the ball sideways to PAT HARDING who scored with a well placed shot.

 

 

 

Soz Yao almost broke through but was tackled by Ian Payne who conceded a corner and Tomlinson’s kick was well held by Pelling. Ronsard Kehi came on for Elliot Styles and Hornchurch began to press forward, with Mervin Abraham winning a corner, which Tomlinson took, and keeper Pelling punched away. The ball was played deep upfield for Nwachukwu who was tackled by Eyong, which resulted in a free kick for Horsham and a booking for Tambeson. From the free kick Behcet made an excellent save, the ball rebounding to Ben Andrews whose shot was turned away for a corner.

 

 

 

Michael Spencer opened up the play on the left to give Abraham an opening and his shot was deflected for a corner, which Tomlinson sent across goal with no one able to get a touch. Ross Wall came on for Stuart-Evans to add more force to the attack, and Ronsard Kehi played an excellent through ball to Abraham who was tackled by Sam Page. With Hornchurch now forcing the pace and Horsham defending in depth, Ross Wall slotted a good pass to Mervin Abraham who raced goalwards and was upended by keeper Pelling, who, although he grabbed the ball, also pulled Mervin down, and the result was instant chaos, as the home side over-reacted and swarmed all around the referee. The result was a red card for Josh Pelling, which was quickly followed by two yellow cards, though it could have been to any of the massed ranks of green and yellow who swarmed all around the referee, with the referee’s assessor writing furiously. The home bench, from which a steady flow of advice had ensued throughout the match, went almost berserk, and it was fully five minutes before ANDY TOMLINSON was able to take the penalty, which led to more arguments from a home team that had totally lost the plot.

 

 

 

When play eventually restarted, with the home side somewhat reluctantly kicking off, Ross Wall played the ball through to Soz Yao who was tackled by Nyang, but the linesman was flagging animatedly to the referee, and assistant manager Mark Hawthorne, who seemed to want to referee the match on his own, was sent off. Into stoppage time, with Horsham now defending wildly, Soz Yao stormed into the area and headed towards goal and was scythed down. It had to be a penalty, only the referee decided to wave play on. Soz was replaced by Jonathan Spencer, but incredibly, the referee blew for full time after only three minutes being added on for stoppages, when there should have been at least eight minutes.

 

 

 

The floodlights went out at precisely 9.45pm.

 

 

[Baron of Black Fen]

Dare i ask what happens to this 9.45pm curfew when a cup tie is played and goes into extra time with the possiblity of penalties ?

[Hornchurch "O"]

They get fined.

[urchinman1961]

after a good run in the league the gods seem to be workin against us and tooting wil be no picnic either

[Dagger03]

I asked what happened if they go over the curfew - the answer is that when they finish (ie switch off the floodlights earlier than the curfew) they build up 'goodwill points', so that if a match goes to extra time and penalties and therefore over the curfew, they hope to have enough goodwill to escape a fine.

[Baron of Black Fen]

I wonder who monitors this early switch off good will gesture, the local residents association ?

[Eastside Urchin]

load of crap,if you don't like floodlights don't move next door to a football ground.w@nkers

[Hornchurch "O"]

Well said Rob

[Eastside Urchin]

cheers,fckng stockbroker belt middle class clunts

[Kel]

You tell it how it is mate! Don't beat about the bush!

[Big J R]

The flood-light saga has been on-going for some time.

 

You'd be surprised just how much 'clout' local residents can have, especially in an affluent area like Horsham.

 

My 'spies' tell me that negotiations are still on-going with the local authority over the issue.

Edited March 27, 2010 by Big J R

[Eastside Urchin]

JR,as a surrey man,tell the residents to jog on

[Big J R]

You think that's bad in Horsham.

 

Try negotiating with our local, right-wing tory authority.

 

I DO speak from experience.