THURROCK 0 HORNCHURCH 4

[Dagger03]

Tuesday 11-November-2014 – League Cup

THURROCK  0  HORNCHURCH  4

 

TFC – Jordon Warren – Michael Bottone (Robbie Farrell 73) – Lee Rome – john Osonowo – Connor Martin – Brad Warner – Robert Clark – Kweku Ansah (Tom Barry 78) – Ross Gleed (Lemar Reynolds 58) – Loui Hazelwood – Mark Onyemah

Subs – Greig Stewart

 

HFC – Sam Mott – Courtney Homans – Alex Bentley – Danny Johnson – Omar Beckles – Frankie Curley © (Elliot Styles 78) - Thomas Gogo – Joe Christou – Martin Tuohy – George Purcell (Elyon Marshall-Katung 71) – Chris Bourne (Junior Luke 67)

Subs – Callum Chafer – Michael Malcolm

 

Scorers

George Purcell 4

Danny Johnson 30

George Purcell 71

Martin Tuohy 79

 

Officials - The referee today was Stuart Franklin – he had previously officiated at four other Hornchurch matches and had been an assistant at eight other games. For Peter Newman, this was his fourth appearance, previously against Leiston last season and in the Kingstonian and Margate matches this season. Michael Scott had one previous match, at Wingate & Finchley lin 2011-12.

 

Attendance 88

Booking – Warner 20 (T)

Duration 45.00 + 45.29

Weather – 12 degrees, occasional light rain

 

THURROCK  0  HORNCHURCH  4

 

At 7.40 pm the floodlights, and all the surrounding lights, went out, and we wondered if the match would start. Eventually they all came back on in time for a delayed kick off.

 

Hornchurch took control from the start, with Thomas Gogo having an outstanding game, starting when he ran in from the right, rounded two defenders, and forcing Jordan Warren into making a diving save, turning the ball around the post for a corner. The corner was cleared, but only as far as George Purcell, who volleyed the ball back  into the net, with Warren getting a touch but failing to hold.

 

It could have been two when Alex Bentley sent Chris Bourne away, and Gogo was ideally placed for the resulting centre, only for his shot to go wide of the post.

 

Gogo was again in action with an excellent pass to Bourne, whose first time shot cannoned off the bar.

 

And then – floodlights out again – it was eight minutes before power was restored and the game could continue.

 

Brad Warner was booked for a mistimed tackle, and Purcell fired the free kick over the wall but also over the bar, and two minutes later it was Purcell again, with Warren making a fine save, and with Thomas Gogo turning the match into a Gogo-spectacular.

 

And it was Gogo who took the corner, which led to the second goal, when Danny Johnson powered a downward header into the net.

 

Courtney Homans, playing at right back, fed an excellent pass to Gogo, who in turn moved along the wing, and the cross just eluded Purcell as it rolled across the goalmouth.

 

The home goal came under a heavy bombardment just prior to half time, starting with a Purcell centre which found Tuohy, whose shot went out for the first of two corners, and shots from Joe Christou, Chris Bourne and Martin Tuohy were all saved or charged down.

 

Thurrock had not offered any threat in the first half, but came forward in the second half, when Sam Mott made an excellent diving save from a free kick, and a minute later it was Mott again, diving to touch a shot from Loui Hazelwood out for a corner.

 

Junior Luke came on for Chris Bourne, immediately creating some confusion in the home defence with a long throw, but it was Gogo who continued to dictate proceedings, when he supplied an excellent pass to George Purcell who promptly fired home the third goal – and was immediately substituted for Elyon Marshall-Katung.

 

Brad Warner, booked earlier in the match, was then involved in a minor incident with Alex Bentley, who, a minute later, made a very hard tackle on the same player, fortunately connecting with the ball in the process.

 

It was Bentley whose run led to the fourth goal, when his cross found Martin Tuohy, who turned and fired into the net.

 

With a four nil lead the only concern now was whether Sam Mott could keep a clean sheet, and apart from a save from a header he had little to do.

[Lord Upminster]

Young Thomas Gogo was my man of the match