BARKINGSIDE 1 HORNCHURCH 2 - report

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Saturday 14-November-2015

BARKINGSIDE 1  HORNCHURCH 2

 

BFC – Behcet – Adebayo – Wright – Nikolaou – Wren – Spencer – Nzengo – Gray (Toussaint  80) – With – Scarlett – Addae

Subs – Samson – Bunga – Birch – Skelton

 

HFC – Mott – Coyne – Luke – Bentley © - Cooper – May – Thompson (Baker 84) – Collis – Knight (McKenzie 82) – Poku – Joseph

Subs – Dove – Witherspoon - Chafer

 

Scorers – Knight 64p (H) – Knight 66 (H) – Addae 68 (

Bookings – With 33 ( – Gray 34 ( – May 34 (H) – Nzengo 56 ( – Adebayo 63 (

Attendance 165

Weather – 12 degrees, rain, wind gusts up to 30 mph

Duration – 50.00 + 49.00

 

 BARKINGSIDE 1  HORNCHURCH 2

 

The weather was awful, rain and a strong wind, the pitch slippery and not too good, and the match was not much better, apart from the result.

 

Hornchurch were without Elliot Styles and George Purcell, and Calvin Poku came into the starting line up.

 

Hornchurch had a first minute scare when the home side broke though, forcing Sam Mott into making an excellent save to keep the ball out of the net, and Mott was again called into action to touch a dangerous right wing centre from Jonathan Nzongo around the post.

 

Hornchurch struggled to find any sort of rhythm in the rain and gusting wind, but were denied by an offside flag when Abs Thompson played the ball through to David Knight.

 

Hornchurch had a chance to take the lead when Knight was fouled just outside the area, but Billy Coyne’s free kick cleared both the wall and the bar.

 

Knight was again given a good opening thanks to a weaving run by Tobi Joseph, but his shot was deflected around the post for a corner which went sailing across the goal untouched.

 

Luke With was booked for a foul, and was perhaps fortunate to have escaped an earlier yellow, and whilst this was going on at one end, there was an incident in midfield which ended with bookings for Joey May and Darren Gray.

 

There were few first half chances although Knight almost broke through onto a good pass from Calvin Poku, only for the ball to be intercepted by Alfie Wren, and a similar pass by Poku this time reached Knight, whose shot was saved by Darren Behcet.

 

Hornchurch played better in the second half, though the best they could achieve in the first ten minutes was a free kick which went invitingly across goal with no one to accept the invitation.

 

Knight had an excellent opportunity to open the scoring when he ran on to May’s though pass, but he dragged his shot well wide of the post, and shortly afterwards Knight had the ball in the net from a Poku pass, but was given offside. Knight had a further chance from a Dave Collis cross, but his header was straight at Behcet.

 

At the other end a free kick went too close for comfort, but Hornchurch went ahead when Jonathan Adebayo conceded a free kick out on the left, and collected a booking in the process. The free kick was played deep into the goalmouth and the whistle went immediately for a penalty. There was some considerable delay in taking the kick, but David Knight waited calmly and then drilled the ball firmly into the net.

 

Two minutes later it was two nil, when Behcet hesitated too long and was unable to clear a long ball down the middle, leaving Poku in possession. Poku seemed to have delayed too long, but he played the ball to David Knight, who slotted home.

 

Two minutes later Barkingside pulled a goal back, when Mott could not reach a through ball, and Baff Addae eventfully managed to poke it into the net from close range.

 

Knight had an excellent opportunity to wrap the match up when he was put clear, but he put his shot well wide of the goal, and the home side began to press forward, giving Hornchurch some anxious moments, especially when With went close with a header.

 

Eight minutes from time, Leon McKenzie, after a wait of fourteen months following his injury at Dulwich, made a welcome return to the pitch, in place of Knight, and Harry Baker came on for Thompson.

 

Although Barkingside had plenty of possession they did not look capable of breaking down the Hornchurch defence and after four minutes of stoppages the three points were secured.