HORNCHURCH 1 BILLERICAY 2

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Thursday 26-December-2013

HORNCHURCH  1 BILLERICAY TOWN  2

 

HFC – Inigo Echepare – Phil Starkey (Sam Lechmere 80) – Alex Bentley – Elliot Styles © - Rickie Hayles - Frankie Curley – Leigh Bremner (Carl Rook 81) - Dave Rainford– Stefan Payne  - George Purcell  – Michael Spencer 

Subs –- Billy Coyne – Tambeson Eyong - Joey May

 

BT – William Lumely – Paul Rodgers – Jeffrey Imudia – Callum Dunne – Richard Halle © - Ryan Scott – Joe Benjamin (Junior Luke 69)  – Dave Colis – Ricky Sappleton – Isaac Layne (Evans Kouassi 69) – Josh Ekim

Subs – Callum Webb – James Robinson – Richard Mann

 

Scorers – Sappleton 12(p) (BT) – Sappleton 14 (BT) – Purcell 45 (H)

Bookings – Halle 45+3 – Halle 74 OFF) - Luke 77 – Luke 84 OFF – Lumley 88 (all Billericay)

Attendance 444

Officials – Michael Smith with Jamie Roper and Matt Fletcher

Weather – clear – 3 degrees

Duration 50.25 + 51.11

 

HORNCHURCH  1 BILLERICAY TOWN  2

 

Player news – Chris Bourne has joined East Thurrock, and he made his debut for them today.

 

The Hornchurch pitch passed and early inspection and appeared to be in excellent condition.

 

Hornchurch were rarely in the match as an attacking force in a first half dominated by the visitors, who scored twice inside two minutes. The first was a RICKY SAPPLETON penalty, conceded by Michael Spencer, and the second followed when a clearance was returned to RICKY SAPPLETON, whose somewhat speculative overhead kick ended up in the net after Inigo Echepare appeared to be deceived by the bounce of the ball.

 

And it could have been three when Inigo completely missed his kick when a high ball came his way, but Rickie `Hayles comfortably cleared. And shortly afterwards Styles headed away after a mix-up in defence.

 

Hornchurch had difficulty in finding their forwards, who were caught offside on four occasions inside five minutes, and the only threat came when Leigh Bremner sent a through ball to Stefan Payne, only for keeper William Lumley to run out and kick clear.

 

Dave Collis floated a free kick wide of the goal as Billericay continued to dominate, though without causing any threat to the home goal. Isaac Lyne made a good run but was tackled by Phil Starkey, whilst Alex Bentley made a telling interception as Joe Benjamin threatened to break through.

 

Frankie Curley was solid in midfield and his performance gradually inspired the rest of the team, but it was in the two minutes added on for stoppages where most of the action took place. It took five minutes to play those two minutes, and Hornchurch pulled a goal back as the match went into stoppage time, thanks to a good run along the right by Phil Starkey, and from the resulting cross, GEORGE PURCELL volleyed the ball powerfully into the net.

 

Inigo then redeemed himself with a fine punched clearance from a Collis corner, and in the third minute of stoppages Stefan Payne found himself clear on goal, only to be fouled by Richard Halle, who escaped with a yellow card, when a red seemed more appropriate. The free kick was scrambled away and Billericay kept their one goal lead at the interval.

 

If it had been a Billericay dominated first half, then the second was completely different, as Hornchurch launched a non-stop wave of attacks.

 

Lumley was soon in action, saving from Payne who had been sent through by Purcell, and, when Payne was brought down some twenty yards out, Purcell fired the free kick narrowly over the bar.

 

With Billericay now struggling, Lumley did well to save from Bremner, and it was Lumley who again saved from Bremner, who had turned sharply and fired in a shot which seemed certain to go into the net.

 

As the pressure mounted, Hornchurch won four corners in quick succession, and when Richard Halle was penalised for handball, a free kick was awarded. It was almost a minute later, with the visitors annoying the home crowd by what was considered to be blatant gamesmanship, that Halle was shown a yellow card, quickly followed by the red variety.

 

Sam Lechmere came on for Starkey, and Carl Rook for Bremner, and the siege continued.

 

For Billericay the only relief came from a Collis free kick, which was headed wide of the goal. Junior Luke had been on the pitch just eight minutes when he was shown a yellow card for a foul on the hard working Frankie Curley, and seven minutes later the was shown a second yellow, followed by a red, reducing the visitors to nine players. Luke can consider himself fortunate to escape further punishment for his somewhat slow and plodding departure from the field of play.

 

Keeper Lumley was then shown a yellow for more time wasting, and was himself fortunate to escape another yellow for continuing to delay proceedings.

 

Six minutes were added on, and although a shot by Payne was well saved, and a Spencer shot went close, whilst a Rook header rolled the wrong side of the post, Billericay held on.