Urchins v Tonbridge - Match Report

[Serious Sid]

http://www.afchornchurch.com/2010/match32.htm

 

One enforced change from Tuesday, Jonathan Hunt coming back into the starting line up, for Frankie Curley, suspended for one match after five bookings. Hornchurch came into the match with a ten match unbeaten run after losing seven one at Tonbridge six weeks ago, whilst for Tonbridge it was the start of a nine match unbeaten run.

 

Hornchurch kicked towards the windmill end and looked confident from the start. Tambeson Eyong sent a cross field pass to Michael Spencer, who centred the ball from the left, forcing keeper Lee Worgan to tip the ball over the bar for a corner.. Dave Collis sent the ball into the goalmouth and it was played quickly back to him, on the right side of the field. Collis touched back to Dave McSweeney whose first time cross found Lewis Smith, who quickly turned and fired in a shot which skimmed the near post. Eyong set off on a long run but was fouled by Jon Heath, and Collis swerved the free kick into the goalmouth where Sonny Miles cleared. Darren Behcet had little to do, but was fortunate to escape uninjured when he went to gather a long ball and a somewhat late challenge from Lee Browning almost caught his hands. Darren quickly threw the ball up to Collis and he played a long pass up field to Martin Tuohy, who laid it through to Lewis Smith, whose hard shot was stopped on the line by keeper Worgan. Jonathan Hunt to Lewis Smith, and a timely tackle from Danny Walder prevented Lewis from getting a shot in.

 

At the other end a corner was cleared as far as Frannie Collin, but his hurried shot lifted high over the bar, but this was one of the few times that Tonbridge threatened in a first half dominated by Hornchurch. Collis won a corner, but his inswinging kick eluded everyone, and when Martin Tuohy won a corner shortly afterwards, Collis picked out Tuohy with his kick, and Martin’s header was a fraction too high and over the bar. Hornchurch took the lead when Lewis Smith carved out an opening for himself, and his hard left footed shot was parried by Worgan, but a quick thinking MARTIN TUOHY was waiting to calmly place the ball firmly into the net.

 

Hornchurch almost went two up when a long throw by Rickie Hayles was back headed by a defender almost into his own goal, but Worgan caught the ball under the bar. In a rare Tonbridge attack, Ronnie Fletcher was penalised but Collin’s free kick rebounded from the wall to safety. Worgan was in action again when he just beat Tuohy to Spencer’s left wing cross, and though only one goal separated the teams at the interval, Hornchurch were in a commanding position.

 

Hornchurch came out in confident fashion for the second half and within a minute Elliot Styles had headed narrowly over from a long Rickie Hayles throw. The visiting defence was struggling and they were completely opened up when Lewis Smith ran down the right wing and sent over a low cross to DAVE COLLIS, who hammered the ball home from the edge of the area, to score his first goal for Hornchurch.. Tonbridge had a chance when Styles was penalised for what appeared to be a legitimate tackle on Browning, but Danny Walder sent the free kick high over the bar, the ball disappearing in the direction of the river Ingrebourne. Tuohy then sent Spencer clear on the left and Michael homed in on goal, and his shot was saved well by Worgan at the second attempt, the first having rebounded back to Spencer.

 

Hornchurch went three up in spectacular fashion, when Tambeson Eyong crossed to the left wing, and took up the running from close to the half way line. Pursued by two defenders Tambeson carried on at speed, turned inside and then fed the ball low across goal for MICHAEL SPENCER to place it firmly into the net.. Collin again hit a shot high and wide, and Darren Behcet did well to keep out a dangerously inswinging corner, but Tonbridge pulled a goal back when FRANNIE COLLIN scored with a penalty. Tuohy and Spencer then linked up to exchange passes, and Worgan did well to hold the ensuing cross. Tonbridge threw players forward and Ronnie Fletcher deflected a hard shot around for a corner. Andy Tomlinson came on for his first match of the season, having made a rapid recovery from a cartilage operation. Behcet saved wall from another free kick, but Tonbridge did not look like pulling two goals back. Billy Coyne came on for Lewis Smith and he had been on the field less than thirty seconds when he was felled by a very late challenge from Scott Kinch, was fortunate to escape a red card, and seconds later Andy Tomlinson was victim of a similar tackle from another defender. It took eight minutes to play out the six minutes of stoppages, and Hornchurch have now gone eleven matches unbeaten.