ST MARGARETSBURY 1 HORNCHURCH 5

[Dagger03]

Saturday 29-August-2015 – F.A. Cup

 

St MARGARETSBURY  1  HORNCHURCH  5

 

SM – Luke Peirce – Chris Agdi (Brodie Couzens 66) – Simon Haywood – Joey Welch – Steve Barker © - John Stevenson (Jason Coughlan 55) – Davy Edmee (Aaron Crockett 58) – Carl Robinson – Kieran Smith – Frazer John – Courtney Clay

Subs - Chris Webb – Roel Alexander – Sonny Stephens – Swayne Vylsty

 

HFC –

1 – Sam Mott

2 – Billy Coyne

3 – Jed Chouman

4 – Danny Johnson

5 – Elliot Styles ©

6 – Joey May

7 – Abs Thompson

8 – Tobi Joseph

9 – David Knight – Daave Collis 85

10 – George Purcell – Calvin Poku 79

11 – Junior Luke – Leon Smith 77

 

Subs –

Paulius Ditkevicius

Callum Chafer

 

Officials – Joshua Few with Joseph Karram and Bradley Halleybone

 

Scorers – John 1 (SM) – Purcell 36 (H) – Knight 60 (H) – Smith 78 (H) – Knight 82 (H) – Joseph 90 (H)

 

Bookings – Purcell 41 (H) – Thompson 43 (H) – Stevenson 43 (H)

Attendance 91

SM – red and black hoops / black / black

HFC – yellow / blue / yellow

 

 

St MARGARETSBURY  1  HORNCHURCH  5

 

This was Hornchurch’s first visit to what the home officials described as a village club. And the set up there is excellent, worthy of a higher standard of football. A large social complex, and a pitch that looked in top condition, just five minutes walk from the village of Stanstead Abbotts

 

Hornchurch were expected to win, and the 5-1 scoreline gives the impression of an easy progression into the next round of the Cup – but it took Hornchurch 60 minutes to take the lead, after falling behind in the first minute, when Elliot Styles mistimed his header, Danny Johnson and Sam Mott left the ball for each other, and Frazer John had the simple task of lobbing Mott and tapping the ball into an empty net.

 

And on 15 minutes Mott had to head away at the second attempt when left exposed by the defence, On 23 minutes it was Mott to the rescue with an excellent save from a Courtney Clay shot from 25 yards.

 

Otherwise it was one-way traffic for much of the match, with Hornchurch creating shooting chances every few minutes.

 

A Junior Luke long throw was deflected out for a corner, Abs Thompson set up Tobi Joseph whose shot was also deflected for another corner, Jed Chouman made progress through the middle but fired high and over, a long range shot from George Purcell was off-target, and when Thompson sent Joseph through, the finish was once again wide of the goal.

 

David Knight played a good ball out to Luke, whose shot went across the goal and out for a goal kick, a Joey May corner came to nothing, and then it was the turn of Joseph to run on to a Knight pass, only for the shot to again cross the face of the goal and go out for a goal kick.

 

Knight almost found the net with a well-struck free kick out on the right, which Luke Peirce tipped over the bar. Styles headed wide from the corner. And a Knight shot was touched around for another corner. Then it was Knight through to Thompson, and Peirce saved once again.

 

The pressure seemed non-stop, and Hornchurch drew level when Joseph played a long ball up the middle to George Purcell who ran on to net the equaliser with a well-placed shot from the edge of the area.

 

The pressure continued – Joseph out to Knight and his cross found Purcell, whose shot was wide. Knight out to Luke on the left, and Peirce did well to keep the shot out of the net. And then controversy when Purcell went racing through, only to go crashing to the ground as Peirce challenged for the ball, for what seemed to be a certain penalty and a card. There was a card, but not a penalty and the card was aimed at Purcell, for what was interpreted as diving, a decision which was greeted with loud disagreement by the away following which made up the majority of the crowd.

 

Another corner followed shortly afterwards, and two minutes from the interval, Thompson was booked for a foul, with John Stevenson, with the referee having to calm down an over-reaction from the home bench and players. Almost on half time Knight ran through but his finish was wide.

 

The second half continued in much the same way, and when Knight fed a good ball inside to Purcell it was Peirce once again who was well placed to save. Thompson headed wide from Jed Chouman’s centre, and on 57 minutes came the goal of the season. Knight started the move and the ball was played out to the right, when George Purcell gained possession, beat two players, cut inside and then fired in an unstoppable shot from outside the area – only for the goal of the season to be disallowed, for a very dubious offside.

 

Hornchurch took the lead on the hour when David Knight finished off a Purcell cross.

 

Two minutes later Peirce saved from Purcell. A free kick from Chouman found May who played he ball out to the other wing to Billy Coyne, whose cross found Joseph, who was promptly upended. George Purcell took the penalty, and Peirce dived to save, and although Knight was first to the loose ball he put his shot wide.

 

Knight found the net after running through the middle but offside was given, and when Joseph appeared to be brought down by Peirce, play was allowed to continue.

 

A Billy Coyne free kick from thirty yards out cannoned back off the bar, and shortly afterwards Leon Smith replaced Junior Luke.

 

And it was Leon Smith who headed home the third goal a minute later from May’s corner.

 

Three minutes later and it was four, when a May corner was partially cleared, but only to David Knight, who had his back to goal. Knight turned sharply and volleyed home in spectacular style.

 

Calvin Poku replaced Purcell and Dave Collis came on for Knight, as the home side defended desperately. In the final seconds Tobi Joseph made it five from a Thompson cross.

[Karen Browne]

Four substitutes used ???

[Burdy]

It looks

Iikev an error Leon smith is shown coming on twice three subs used

[Karen Browne]

Yes I did spot that - he must be one hell of a player if he can replace two others

[andydick]

Ahhh, the perils of copy and paste  ...

 

Today, Leon came on for Junior Luke after 77 minutes.

In our previous game he came on for Jed Chouman after 73 minutes.

[Dagger03]

Now corrected - I pasted but forgot to cut.

 

Anyway, there were a few records set up today -

 

23 goals in four away matches easily beats the previous best (set up in 2006-07 - 17 goals in four away matches).

 

No tannoy in four away matches must surely be a record at this level (Barkingside, Romford, Redbridge and today).

 

And six penalties in seven matches is also a record.

 

And our supporters outnumbered the home following in the same four matches.

 

I think St Margaretsbury are to be congratulated in having such a professional set-up - there are a few clubs in our own league that could not get anywhere near to matching them.