HORNCHURCH 0 DOVER 1

[Dagger03]

Saturday 25-August- 2012

HORNCHURCH 0 DOVER 1

 

HFC – Joe Wooley – Alex Bentley – Joe Anderson – Simon Glover – Paul Goodacre – Reiss Noel – Sam Cutler - Leon McKenzie – Martin Tuohy – Lewis Smith – Elliot Styles ©

Subs – Michael Spencer for Styles 83 – Juan Onieva for Cutler 85 – Tambeson Eyong – James Love – Andy Tomlinson

 

DA – Mitch Walker – Shane Huke – Tom Wynter – Dean Rance – Ian Simpemba – Danny Webb – Barry Cogan – Steven Thomson – Ben May – Billy Bricknell – Jamie Smith

Subs – Steve Watt for Simpemba at half time – Callum Willock for May 73 – Nicky Forster for Bricknell 59 – Lee Hook – Chris Sessegnon

 

Scorer – Cogan 82

Attendance 355

Officials – S Ross with J Smith and M Smith

Bookings – Simpemba 34 (D) – Jamie Smith 90+1 (D)

Duration 47.00 + 48.00

Weather – Heavy rain, thunderstorms, 15 degrees, wind speed 8 mph

 

HORNCHURCH 0 DOVER 1

 

Hornchurch dominated the first half, and after having the majority of the second half territorial play, they lost to a needlessly conceded free kick just eight minutes from the end.

 

On a day when several thunderstorms were interspersed with torrential rain, Hornchurch almost took a second minute lead, when Leon McKenzie touched the ball out to Sam Cutler, whose cross was headed powerfully against the post by a Dover defender.

 

Dover struggled to contain the home forwards, as witnessed by a series of free kicks, each conceded by a different player. From the first of these Joe Anderson lurked, but it was Lewis Smith who stepped up to fire the ball past the wall, and keeper Mitch Walker did well to keep it out of the net.

 

Within a minute it was a case of déjà vu but this time Lewis Smith’s free kick cannoned back off the defensive wall.

 

With Hornchurch in full attacking mode, another free kick was quickly followed by another, and this one was taken by Joe Anderson, and the ball this time hit the stanchion behind the goal.

 

Joe Woolley got a rare touch of the ball and powered it high down the middle, where Lewis Smith back headed the ball onwards to Martin Tuohy, who raced towards goal. The alert Walker rushed out to save at Tuohy’s feet.

 

It was then Elliot Styles’ turn to go close, when his header from Cutler’s corner skimmed the crossbar.

 

McKenzie then headed on from a Reiss Noel pass and this allowed Tuohy a direct run at goal, where once again quick reaction by Walker kept the ball out of the net.

 

Dover eventually managed a shot at goal and this came from a Barry Cogan free kick, which was well saved by Woolley, and in just before the interval a long range shot from Cogan was saved spectacularly by Woolley. This lead to two corners in quick succession, before Paul Goodacre headed the ball away to safety.

 

Hornchurch started the second half in a similar fashion to the first half, when Lewis Smith weaved through, and his cross cum shot skimmed the far post.

 

Lewis Smith again, a minute later, ran through the defence, and Walker made an excellent save to keep Dover on level terms.

 

Dover came more into the match as an attacking force when Billy Bricknell won a corner, from which Steve Watt headed wide of the goal.

 

After a Cutler corner was cleared, keeper Walker held a hard drive from Tuohy, and another chance went begging when Lewis Smith played the ball through to Cutler, whose cross eluded everyone, included McLeod who just failed to reach the ball in front of the goal.

 

Tuohy won a corner which Cutler took, but which came to nothing, but in the final fifteen minutes Hornchurch tired and Dover came a lot more into the match.

 

It looked to be heading to a nil nil draw until a needlessly conceded free kick allowed BARRY COGAN to fire the ball home.

 

Dover appeared to be holding out comfortably until the final minute of stoppage time when a Tuohy header was tipped over the bar, and Michael Spencer’s corned was headed away to Anderson, but the final whistle went before a further attack could be mounted.

[Dagger03]

I found this report on the TK forum

 

Hornchurch 0-1 Dover Athletic

Conference South

£11 in

Att: 535

 

Long trek for me, on my seemingly endless mission to complete the Conference (still 5 to go after today). As I arrived, the ground was bathed in warm sunshine. That soon changed - the match was played with rain throughout, ranging from drizzle to seriously lashing it down, and to the accompaniment of spectacular thunder & lightning. We even has the floodlights on in the second half as it was so dark. It's still August, for chuff's sake!

 

The game wasn't bad, despite the weather. The pitch played perfectly despite the deluge. Hornchurch possibly edged it in terms of possession & chances, but just as I was resigning myself to my first 0-0 for well over a year, Dover popped one in from a free kick with about 7 to go. Harsh on Hornchurch, but they seem to have enough about them to have an ok season.

 

Most on here will have done this ground, and I've heard bad things about it, but I thought it was ok. It's surrounded by a track, but only 6 lanes. Plenty of cover (thankfully!) on both sides, a long walk round at either end. A mixture of seat & standing on the near side, two seated areas on the far side. Decent atmosphere generated by 2 vocal sets of supporters. Good day out.