HORNCHURCH 2 METROPOLITAN POLICE 3 - report

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Saturday 31-October-2015 – F.A. Trophy

HORNCHURCH 2  METROPOLITAN POLICE  3

 

HFC – Mott – Witherspoon _ Bentley – Styles © - Cooper – May – Thompson (Beker 82) – Collis – Knight – Purcell – Joseph

Subs – Poku – Dove – Coyne – Chouman

 

MP – King – Taylor – McLaughlin – Crook – Sutherland © - Barrett (James 60) – Collins – Lovett – Markus (Butler 76) – Campbell – Turner

Subs – Ahamed – Roberts – Loeches-Teixeira

 

Officials – Stephen Bates with James Killen and Jack Bloxham

 

Scorers – Collins 22 (MP) – Barrett 37 (M) - Purcell 38p (H) – Markus 50 (MP) – Collis 72 (H) – Turner 80 (M)

Attendance 110

Bookings – Sutherland 37 (MP) - King 37 (MP) – Purcell 37 (H) – Campbell 64 (MP) - Taylor 77 (MP)

 

HORNCHURCH 2  METROPOLITAN POLICE  3

 

A much improved performance compared to last Tuesday, and Hornchurch can consider themselves unfortunate to go out of the Trophy, thanks to a controversial goal early in the second half.

 

Hornchurch had the better of the play in the first fifteen minutes, and Hornchurch were denied an early goal by keeper Craig King, who saved well from George Purcell from an Abs Thompson cross. And when King miskicked a few minutes later David Knight could not get a touch as the ball bounced invitingly in front of goal.

 

The visitors took the lead when Dave Collis conceded a free kick about ten yards outside the area. Adrian Markus shaped up to take the free kick, but left it for Charlie Collins, who neatly glided the ball over the wall and into the net.

 

Mott hen saved well from Collins, and Nathan Campbell headed over from a well-flighted corner.

 

Hornchurch drew level when Alex Bentley crossed low into the middle, and Nathan Cooper was fouled. There was some delay before the penalty could be taken, and Purcell and keeper King were both booked on the advice of the linesman, Purcell’s booking not only being extremely harsh, but also potentially costly, as it means he will miss the match against Thamesmead as a result. When the penalty was at last taken, George Purcell calmly fired home.

 

Shortly before half time Tobi Joseph ran clear but King raced off his line to kick away. King then saved from Collis and Cooper went close after a good build up involving Joey May and Abs Thompson.

 

The Police regained the lead five minutes into the second half in controversial circumstances. Alex Bentley had moved up to join the attack, and his cross was handled just outside the area, setting the scene for a Purcell free kick – only for the referee to allow play to continue, and the ball was promptly booted upfield, where Elliot Styles failed to clear and Adrian Markus ran through and neatly lobbed the ball over Mott and into the net.

 

Markus could have added a third goal when Cooper missed a long ball, but Styles came back quickly to clear.

 

Connor Witherspoon then made an excellent run and cross, which found Purcell, but his header was a fraction too high. Minutes later Thompson fed the ball to Knight, who scored but was given offside. Hornchurch continued to force the pace, and when King again raced out to kick away, the ball ran to Purcell, who sent in a good attempt from forty yards, only for the ball to go narrowly over the bar.

 

Tobi Joseph went close with a good run and shot, which was deflected for a corner. Joey May sent the ball into the goalmouth where Dave Collis headed home from close range to level the score.

 

It got increasingly gloomy, as the floodlights on the River Side failed to light up, but with ten minutes to go a long ball out of defence found Joe Turner, who ran forward and calmly stroked the ball home for what proved to be the winning goal.

 

In the final ten minutes Hornchurch continued to press for an equaliser, but left themselves open at the back, and were fortunate when a long range shot came out of the darkness and cannoned back off the bar.