ENFIELD TOWN 0 HORNCHURCH 2 - report

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Tuesday 24-September-2013

ENFIELD TOWN  0  HORNCHURCH  2

 

ET – Noel Imber – Jordan Lockie – Joe Stevens (Lee White 77) – George McCluskey – Mark Kirby © - Chris Wild – Lee Allen – Tyler Campbell – Liam Hope (Walid Matata 35) – Adam Wallace – Corey Whitely

Subs – David Kendall – Jermaine osei – Bryan Hammatt

 

HFC – Inigo Echepare – Joey May – Alex Bentley – Rickie Hayles – Elliot Styles © - Frankie Curley – Michael Spencer – Tambeson Eyong  (Sam Lechmere 85) - Stefan Payne - Carl Rook  (Ade Yusuff 70) – Chris Bourne

Sub - Derek Duncan

 

Scorers – Frankie Curley 14 – Stefan Payne 78

Bookings – Eyong 44 (H) – Bentley 88 (H)

Officials – R Smith with R Trinder and M Stevens

Attendance 312

Duration – 46.00 + 49.00 (excluding 19 minutes stoppage due to floodlight failure at 55 minutes)

Weather – 14 degrees, misty

 

 

ENFIELD TOWN  0  HORNCHURCH  2

 

With Billy Coyne, Phil Starkey and George Purcell all injured, Hornchurch were only able to name three substitutes at a misty and desolate Donkey Lane, where a floodlight failure ten minutes into the second half threatened to stall Hornchurch’s unbeaten run.

 

Hornchurch started powerfully and twice went close within a few minutes. Stefan Payne fired over in the third minute, and then Payne crossed to Carl Rook, whose header went wide of the post.

 

A minute later Payne again wove his way through but his shot, from a tight angle, was wide.

 

A Joey May free kick went to Frankie Curley, who turned the ball out to Tambeson Eyong, and from the centre Michael Spencer’s shot went a fraction too high.

 

Hornchurch took the lead when a Rickie Hayles throw went to May, who touched the ball back to FRANKIE CURLEY, who scored with a hard drive from outside the area.

 

Enfield Town, until now confined to defence, came back with a massively long clearance by Noel Imber which went out for a corner, and shortly afterwards Inigo Echepare made an excellent save from a well struck shot to deny the home side.

 

Home keeper Imber then punched clear a dangerous centre from Alex Bentley, with Rook in close attendance.

 

May then hit a first time shot over the bar, and, after Liam Hope had been replaced by Walid Matata, Chris Bourne was fouled midway inside the home half. May took the free kick and Elliot Styles went close with a header which hit the cross bar and went over.

 

Tambeson Eyong was booked shortly before the interval in a half dominated for long periods by Hornchurch.

 

Hornchurch continued to control the match in the second half, and, when a May free kick was fumbled by Imber, the ball was scrambled away for a corner.

 

The one-way traffic continued, and, when Bourne swung the ball over from a corner, Imber made a magnificent save from Curley’s header. The ball continued to bobble around and just as Imber again saved, the home side was given a reprieve as the ball bounced around in the goalmouth – not by a defender clearing, but by the floodlights going out.

 

‘is there an electrician in the house?’ asked the announcer. Yes, there was – it was Kevin from Hornchurch, and nineteen minutes later, they came back on, the failure believed to be caused by a power surge, and, on the field, the power surge continued.

 

Imber punched clear from May’s corner, whilst Inigo Echepare was called briefly into action at the other end, to catch a dangerously inswinging corner from the right.

 

Eyong raced through from the right and his low cross went invitingly across the goal. A minute later Payne weaved his way in from the left, but his shot went wide of the far post.

 

With the pressure almost non-stop, Hayles hit the underside of the bar with a header from May’s corner, and, two corners later, Ade Yusuff, on for Carl Rook, almost scored with his first touch, his shot being well saved by the overworked Imber.

 

With STEFAN PAYNE terrorising the home defence, it was fitting that he should get the second and decisive goal, after a brilliant solo run which had left the home defence stranded.

 

Sam Lechmere came on for Tambeson Eyong, and the only time that the home side threatened was in the final few minutes, when they had a good chance to break through on the left, the referee pulling play back for a free kick and booking Alex Bentley.

 

In the fourth minute of stoppage time Hornchurch had a minor scare when Inigo dropped the ball from a corner, but Styles was in position to clear.