LEATHERHEAD 2 HORNCHURCH 1

[Dagger03]

Saturday 23-August-2014

LEATHERHEAD  2  HORNCHURCH  1

 

LFC – Lewis Wells – Ryan Cooper (Ryan Mahal 80) – Ryan Dolby – Matt Smart (Laurence ball 80) – Joe Bruce – Jerry Nnamani – Stacey Long – Richard Avery © - Carl Rook – Kiernan Hughes-Mason – Vasileious Karagiannis (Paul Semakula 58)

Subs – Felix Ogeah-Andrews – Nathan Koranteng

 

HFC – Sam Baxter – Courtney Homans – Alex Bentley – Elliot Styles – Omar Beckles – Frankie Curley – Phil Starkey – Tom Davis (Chris Bourne 71) – Martin Tuohy (Tobi Joseph 19) – George Purcell – Moses Ashikodi (Junior Dadson 63)

Subs – Frank Griffin – Elyon Marshall-Katung

 

Scorers – Rook 5 (L) – Long 72 (L) – Dadson 77 (H)

Attendance 247

Bookings – Davis 26 (H) – Purcell 36 (H) - Smart 43 (L) – Dolby 60 (L) – Beckles 64 (H)

Officials – Stuart Butler with Ian Homewood and Damith Bandara

Weather – sunny, 19 degrees

L – green / white / green

H – two tone blue / blue / blue

 

 

LEATHERHEAD  2  HORNCHURCH  1

 

For Sam Baxter it was not a good debut, when, in the fifth minute, a long ball seemed to be going into his arms, until CARL ROOK chipped it over the keeper and into the net for the opening goal.

 

Hornchurch considered they were denied a penalty soon afterwards when Martin Tuohy was pulled down as he moved in towards goal, only for the referee to allow play to continue.

 

Ryan Dolby was then denied a shooting opportunity by a timely tackle by Alex Bentley when a goal looked possible, and the first substitution followed when Tuohy had to leave the field with a groin injury, to be replaced by Tobi Joseph, who, along with Baxter, was also making his debut.

 

Hornchurch were nervous in defence, and although they cleared a corner, a second corner was punched away by Baxter and eventually hooked to safety.

 

Play was confined to midfield, although Moses Ashikodi hit a shot wide of the post.

 

At the other end Elliot Styles conceded a free kick and Matt Smart hit the ball high and over, whilst Stacey Long wasted a good chance by shooting straight at Baxter.

 

Courtney Homans made a good run onto an Ashikodi pass but his finishing shot was considerably wide of the post.

 

Shortly before the interval Tobi Joseph went down as he was about to shoot, though the loud appeals for a penalty were ignored, possibly correctly.

 

A minute after the interval Tom Davis took a free kick which went harmlessly wide of the goal, and a Tobi Joseph run ended with his shot-cum-cross going behind the goal.

 

Leatherhead almost went further ahead when a free kick bounced high over Baxter, and then landed on the roof of the net.

 

George Purcell was fouled as he homed in on goal and the free kick was touched around the post for a corner, which Davis floated over and which led to a free kick just outside the area, which was easily fielded by Louis Wells.

 

Ashikodi then received a back injury and was replaced by Junior Dadson, and Hornchurch went close when Joseph sent Purcell away, but his shot was deflected for a corner.

 

A goo run and cross by Homans reached Purcell, whose shot was turned around for a corner, as Hornchurch began to force the pressure.

 

Chris Bourne replaced Davis, and within a minute Leatherhead had increased their lead, when STACEY LONG netted from the edge of the area.

 

Hornchurch pulled a goal back when Styles nodded on from a free kick and JUNIOR DADSON prodded the ball home.

 

Leatherhead defended desperately although they were fortunate when a Dadson centre reached Purcell, who mistimed his shot and sent the ball high over the bar.

 

 

Baxter saved from a Leatherhead corner in what was an isolated home attack, Alex Bentley stumbled when in a shooing position as he moved in from the left wing, and almost on time a Purcell free kick went tamely into the arms of a grateful Wells.