HORNCHURCH 1 EAST THURROCK 1

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Saturday 14-September-2013 – FA Cup

HORNCHURCH  1  EAST THURROCK UTD  1

 

HFC – Inigo Echepare – Billy Coyne  (Carl Rook 60)  – Alex Bentley – Rickie Hayles – Elliot Styles © - Frankie Curley – Derek Duncan  – Phil Starkey - Stefan Payne (Carl Rook 69)  – George Purcell (Ade Yusuff 66) – Chris Bourne

Subs – Michael Spencer– Andre Gumbs – Simon Glover

 

ETU – Darren Behcet – Ryan Sammons – Tom Stephen – Simon Peddie – Steve Sheehan © - Lea Dawson – Nathan Korangteng (Mitchell Gilbey 79) – Stuart Thurgood – Leon McKenzie – David Bryant  (Grant Eagle 87) – Connor Witherspoon

Subs – Luke Wanadio – Ross Parmenter – David Hughes

 

Scorers – Tom Stephen 58p (ETU) – Carl Rook 77 (H)

Bookings – Dawson 38 (ETU) - Payne 38 (H) – Coyne 45+1 (H) – Bentley 86 (H)

Attendance 273

Officials – Ian Bentley with Freddie Collins and Matthew Hopton

Duration 46.36 + 48.54

Weather – overcast after rain, 12 degrees, wind speed 15 mph

 

HORNCHURCH  1  EAST THURROCK UTD  1

 

On a pitch that was heavy and slippery after rain for most of the morning and previous night, Hornchurch, kicking towards the windmill end of the ground, struggled to find any form of rhythm, and were at times exposed in the centre of the defence.

 

East Thurrock created the first scoring opportunity, when Tom Stephen made ground on the left, before playing a centre in front of Leon McKenzie, who headed wide.

 

Hornchurch rarely threatened, though, when Alex Bentley played a long ball down the left, George Purcell ran in from the wing and fired in a shot that went narrowly wide of the far post.

 

Frankie Curley headed over from a Chris Bourne cross, whilst Inigo Echepare was called into action at the other end to punch away Stephen’s corner.

 

Bourne had a chance to open the score when he ran on to a long pass from Billy Coyne, and although the shot beat Darren Behcet the ball rolled wide of the post.

 

Lea Dawson was shown a yellow card for a badly mistimed tackle, whilst Stefan Payne was also booked for reacting to the tackle. Derek Duncan took the free kick, and the ball took a deflection before being partly cleared, and a further free kick resulted, this time out on the left side of the field. George Purcell took the kick this time and the ball beat the defence but went wide of the post.

 

Inigo Echepare was in action when he saved well from McKenzie, but chances were few in a half dominated by both defences.

 

Close to half time Payne glanced a header wide from a Bourne cross.

 

There was little improvement in the second half, when neither team could make much of an impression.

 

East Thurrock took the lead when David Bryant broke through and was brought down by Elliot Styles, TOM STEPHEN scored from the resulting penalty.

 

Carl Rook came on for Billy Coyne, and Hornchurch almost went further behind when Stephen was allowed far too much room in the place vacated by Coyne, but his shot went across the goal and out of play.

 

Ade Yusuff replaced Purcell, and with Joey May already on in place of Duncan, Hornchurch began to push forward and at last the visitors shown weakness in the centre of the defence, with Rook now winning the high balls which came his way.

 

Darren Behcet made an excellent save from a May free kick, Payne almost found a way through, but the ball was deflected out for a corner, and after Bourne had been put clear on the left by Styles, his cross caused confusion in the East Thurrock defence, before Rook shot narrowly wide.

 

Hornchurch finally levelled when Ade Yusuff made space on the right, passing to Stefan Payne, who turned inside the defender, played the ball across the goal to CARL ROOK, who calmly flicked it over the line.

 

In the time remaining neither side created any clear-cut opportunity, though Hornchurch looked the more dangerous with Rook now finding gaps in the defence.

 

And on the several occasions when Hornchurch did get through, they were pulled up for what seemed like a never-ending series of offside flags.