HORNCHURCH 1 BOGNOR 0 - Bognor out-foxed

[Dagger03]

Tuesday 19-November-2013

HORNCHURCH 1  BOGNOR REGIS TOWN  0

 

 

HFC – Inigo Echepare – Phil Starkey – Alex Bentley – Elliot Styles © - Rickie Hayles –Frankie Curley © – Carl Rook (Chris Bourne 79) - Dave Rainford - Leigh Bremner - George Purcell (Tambeson Eyong 89) – Michael Spencer

Subs –- Billy Coyne – Sam Lechmere – Joey May

 

BR – Mark Zawasski – Dan Sackman – James Crane – Louis John – Stuart Axten – Craig Robson – Arron Hopkinson (Terry Dodd 73) – Kane Wills © - Ben Godfrey (Scott Chamberlain 83) – Ollie Pearce (Ben Johnson 62) – Doug Tuck

Sub – Alex Malins

 

Scorer – Purcell 70

Bookings – Crane 55 (BR) – Robson 75 (BR)

Officials – Dave Bushell with Peter Wilson and Chris McGovern

Attendance 145

Duration – 46.27 + 49.01

Weather – clear, 1 degree

 

HORNCHURCH 1  BOGNOR REGIS TOWN  0

 

Hornchurch kept a clean sheet for the second match in succession, and rarely looked like conceding a goal, though it took a George Purcell special to score the only goal of the match.

 

Hornchurch kicked towards the windmill end and could have taken the lead when Purcell was put through, but his shot was too close to keeper Mark Zawadski.

 

Bognor were forced to defend for long spells although when James Crane was allowed too much space on the left, a promising move ended when Elliot Styles headed powerfully away as the ball was swung into the centre.

 

An Alex Bentley free kick was well held by Zawadski, and a Michael Spencer corner almost found the net, but the ball was cleared off the line, with Carl Rook then needing to change his shirt as the one he was wearing was ripped almost in half.

 

The best chance of the half came when Purcell powered through the middle, and Zawadski made an excellent save to keep the ball out of the net.

 

Phil Starkey took a fine pass from Dave Rainford, who was outstanding in midfield, and raced along the right wing, only to be tackled by Crane, who played the ball out for a corner, which Spencer floated over, and Stuart Axten headed away.

 

Arron Hopkinson nearly broke through with a well-timed run, but was stopped by an equally well-timed tackle by Alex Bentley, whilst at the other end a strong handball appeal was rejected by the referee.

 

In between times there was plenty of entertainment on the pitch, thanks to a fox which decided to take the direct route towards goal, from one end to the other, and then proceeded to elude many attempts to remove it, before calmly trotting back along the pitch some twenty minutes later.

 

As the second half started, the fox again made a brief appearance, just as Frankie Curley fired in a hard shot which Zawadski saved.

 

This was followed by the save of the match, Zawadski diving to tip a Purcell free kick over the bar.

 

Hornchurch applied steady pressure and this eventually paid off when Starkey made the running on the right, before crossing high into the middle, where Leigh Bremner flicked on to GEORGE PURCELL who volleyed the ball hard into the net.

 

Purcell combined with the numberless Rook to force Zawadski into another good save, whilst Spencer tired a long range shot which went over the bar.

 

Chris Bourne, who had earlier replaced Rook, made two good runs on the right, and from the second sortie his centre found Purcell who fired narrowly over.

 

Bognor had rarely threatened, until the last ten minutes, when Bentley twice headed dangerous crosses away, Rickie Hayles made a neat interception, and Starkey played the ball out to safety when it came in from the left.

 

A very good all round performance, to the extent that Inigo Echepare only had one direct shot to save, and Bognor only offered any threat to the home defence in the final ten minutes.