HORNCHURCH 2 BRIGHTLINGSEA REGENT 0

[Dagger03]

Saturday 02-April-2016

HORNCHURCH 2  BRIGHTLINGSEA REGENT 0

 

HFC - Mott - Chouman - Bentley - Styles © - Cooper - Goodacre - Eyong - Collis - Knight (Freeman 81) - Purcell (McKenzie 90+1) - Symons

Subs - Dove - May - Thompson

 

BR - Cowler - Joseph (Phillips 74) - Jake Gould - Durling (Owsley 74) - Josh Gould - Cripps © - Baker (Rymer 62) - Turner - Malton - Griggs - Kelly

Subs - Le - Pedulu

 

Officials - Paul Yates with Ross Alexander and Marcin Indyk

Scorers - Purcell 61p - Knight 71

Attendance 180

No bookings

Duration 45.00 + 52.00

 

HORNCHURCH 2  BRIGHTLINGSEA REGENT 0

 

Hornchurch were without Junior Luke, suspended for two matches after picking up ten bookings, but had Nicky Symons, signed from Grays Athletic in midweek, in the starting line up.

 

Hornchurch had a chance to take the lead after four minutes when Paul Goodacre’s header from a Dave Collis corner was cleared off the line, as was the follow up from Nathan Cooper.

 

David Knight went close when he ran on to a Collis through pass, and George Purcell made a good run in the middle, only for his shot to be blocked.

 

A Jake Turner free kick was deflected for a corner, and Hornchurch had an escape when another free kick was headed against the post before being cleared.

 

Symons nearly opened the scoring with a dipping shot from the left, which Sam Cowler tipped over the bar, and Goodacre directed his header just wide from the corner.

 

The home defence confidently defended two long throws from Jake Gould in an even first half.

 

The second half saw Hornchurch enjoying more of the territorial advantage, and when Purcell dispossessed Warren Joseph, he ran through, only for the ball to bobble as he was about to shoot.

 

Another long throw from Jake Gould found Matt Cripps, and Sam Mott was ideally placed to save the header.

 

Play quickly swung back up to the other end, and Tambeson Eyong played an excellent ball out to Nicky Symons on the left. Symons quickly sent the ball into the middle where George Purcell was fouled. It was some considerable time before the penalty could be taken, but once the protestations had calmed down, George Purcell fired home his 98^th goal since joining Hornchurch.

 

Two minutes later Hornchurch were perhaps fortunate when a corner fell in front of goal and the ball was flicked over Mott but also over the bar.

 

David Knight was then sent clear through the middle, but the ball bobbled on the difficult surface and he could not get his shot in.

 

Two minutes later it was David Knight again, this time taking a pass out on the right side of the pitch, and he scored with a hard drive from a difficult angle to put Hornchurch two up. This was Knight’s 22^ndgoal of the season and almost certainly one of the most spectacular.

 

Brightlingsea had little to offer in return, and they seemed have some difficulty in containing Ricky Freeman when he came on in place of Knight.

 

The home defence was rarely under any pressure until, in stoppage time, a Brightlingsea cross from the right was cleared off the line after an excellent save by Sam Mott.