BRENTWOOD TOWN 1 HORNCHURCH 6

[Dagger03]

Monday 02-April-2018

BRENTWOOD TOWN 1  HORNCHURCH 6

 

BT - Tim Brown, Pugsley ©, Gardner, Jones (Hunter 54), Gibbs, Cavalier, Hilton (Stanley 66), Robson, Stokes, Cuthbert, Foster (Ranger 66)

Subs - Lewis Brown - Mitchell

 

HFC - Palmer, Bentley, Porter, Lee (Hursit 69), Cooper, Styles ©, Roberts, Hogan, Joseph (Purcell 17), Assombalonga, Warner (Collis 82)

Subs - McKenzie, Livings

 

Officials _ Neil West with Adam Miller and Jamie Pope

 

Scorers - Joseph 3 (H) - Cooper 5 (H) - Purcell 31 (H) - Assombalonga 35 (H) - Assombalonga 62 (H) - Assombalonga 83 (H) - Cavalier 90+3 (BT)

 

Bookings - Assombalonga 35 (H)

 

Attendance 235

Duration 48.)) + 49.00

 

Played at AVELEY FC, 1 p.m.

 

BT - sky blue / white / sky blue

HFC - all yellow

 

BRENTWOOD TOWN 1  HORNCHURCH 6

 

With the Brentwood pitch saturated after several days of heavy rain, the match was switched to the 3G surface at Aveley FC, with a 1 p.m. kick off. With parts of Hacton Lane and other nearby roads partially flooded, it proved to be a good move, and although the rain held off, there was a strong wind blowing downfield.

 

Manager Colin McBride, with Jim McFarlane watching from the railing alongside the dug-outs, made several changes to the side that had convincingly beaten Potters Bar two days earlier. Harry Palmer was in goal, and Tobi Joseph and Chris Assombalonga came into the starting line up.

 

The attendance of 235 was double that of Brentwood’s average for the season, and the vast majority were supporting Hornchurch, and announcing their presence very loudly as Hornchurch swept into an early lead, when, just two minutes into the match, Chris Assombalonga gained possession in midfield, and slipped the ball through to Tobi Joseph, who placed his shot wide of Tim Brown and into the net.

 

The second goal followed two minutes later, when Brad Warner floated a free kick over from the right, and Nathan Cooper headed home.

 

It could easily have been three when, three minutes later, Brad Warner took a free kick, which beat the wall, and Brown did well to save.

 

Brentwood looked dangerous when coming forward, and when Hornchurch conceded a free kick just outside the area, Luke Foster stepped up, but although the cleared the defensive wall, it hit the bar and went over.

 

Tobi Joseph almost added a third goal when he dispossessed a defender and tried a first time shot, only for the ball to go narrowly wide of the post. But Tobi quickly pulled up, and after treatment, limped off, to be replaced by George Purcell.

 

, A long clearance by Harry Palmer found Assombalonga, who ran forward, but was his shot was well saved by Brown. And Purcell who scored just four minutes later, when he received the ball from a throw-in on the right, and, almost forty yards out and close to the touchline, he turned sharply, and fired the ball spectacularly over Brown and into the far corner of the net.

 

With Brentwood struggling to contain a rampant visiting forward line, Sean Roberts crossed to Cooper, with Brown making a fine save to keep the ball out of the goal. A minute later Purcell raced in from the left, and Brown made an excellent save to turn the shot out for a corner.

 

On the half hour Hornchurch had a scare when a shot from the left hit the post, but the fourth goal quickly followed. Purcell played the ball inside to Chris Assombalonga, who ran powerfully forward from the half way line and sent in a magnificent volley from thirty yards, that crashed into the net, and a few seconds later Chris was shown a yellow card for over-celebrating.

 

Brentwood continued to look dangerous when coming forward, with James Pugsley behind many of their upfield sorties, and they could have pulled a goal back when Palmer had to be alert to save from Alfie Hilton, and shortly afterwards both Tony Stokes and Harry Cuthbert went close.

 

The wind increased at the start of the second half, although the rain continued to hold off in an overcast sky.

 

Hornchurch defended an early Brentwood corner, before a Brad Warner shot was blocked at the other end. And Warner was again unfortunate when he ran on to a Purcell pass, with Brown again saving well. A long range lob went over the Hornchurch bar, and, when Connor Hogan, who a minute earlier had sent a shot narrowly wide of the Brentwood post, conceded a free kick on the edge of the area, Stoke hit his shot hard against the defensive wall.

 

A good solo run by Purcell ended with Brown turning his shot around the post, and on 62 minutes Warner sent over an excellent ball from the right, towards the far post, where Chris Assombalonga headed home for his second goal of the match, this time remembering not to celebrate too extravagantly.

 

A Purcell shot went wide of the post, as Hornchurch continued to press forward, and Purcell again went close from an Assombalonga pass. Connor Hogan had been non-stop throughout the match, and he was almost rewarded when he ran on to a Jay Porter centre, but his header was just wide of the post.

 

At the other end a timely tackle by Cooper denied Tom Ranger, who had come onto the pitch as substitute just seconds earlier, and it was Styles who headed the corner away to safety.

 

Brown was soon back in action at the other end, saving well from Purcell, and Brown made yet another save, this time from a vicious Purcell free kick. Jamie Hursit came on as substitute and sent a good pass out to Porter, who ran forward and sent the ball low into the middle, where Assombalonga just failed to get a touch.

 

And then on came Dave Collis, to the obvious delight of the large Hornchurch following, and he proceeded to send over a fine corner, which was headed over the bar. Chris Assombalonga had been a constant threat to the home defence, and it was fitting that he should get his hat trick, when he was gifted the ball from a badly mistimed back pass, and slotted the ball home into an unguarded net.

 

Hornchurch powered forward, and twice in two minutes Purcell went close when cutting in from the left. In stoppage time another Purcell cross found Assombalonga, who this time ballooned his shot high and over the bar, but with the last kick of the match Brendan Cavalier scored a consolation goal for Brentwood with a fine shot wide of Palmer, the final whistle going as soon as the match was restarted.