Saturday 8th September 2007
CARSHALTON   0   HORNCHURCH   0
CA – Aaron Howe – Jeremy Williams – Ryan Watts – David Graves © - Liam Harwood – James Evans – Barry Stevens – Luke Fontana – Phillip Ruggles – Craig Dundas – Jack MacLeod
Subs – Gary Drewitt for Stevens 83 – Chris Day – Lance Banton-Brown for Fontana 77 – Jamie King – Ben Rayner

HFC - Dale Brightly – Jordon Bostock – Danny Glozier – John Purdie © - Richard Goddard – Joe Keith – Garry Cross – Mark Janney – Kris Lee – Simon Parker – David Lee
Subs – Harry Elmes - Amos Foyewa for Janney 66 – Andy Tomlinson for Keith 72 – Michael Brothers - Elliot Styles for Goddard at half time

Attendance – about 200 – one hundred from HFC
Bookings – none (referee had forgotten his cards)
Weather – 23 degrees and sunny first half, 17 degrees and cloudy second half, wind speed zero first half, 15 mph second half.
Duration – 45.34 + 48.14
Officials – S Ticknell with D Robathan and S Griffiths

 

CARSHALTON   0   HORNCHURCH   0
Bright sunshine, and long queues at the petrol station near the ground. Why? No idea, as all the other petrol stations were devoid of customers. Going through the High Road, just before the first duck pond, were four dancing trees were parading along the footpath. Dancing trees? Yes, accompanied by some bongos and a couple of policemen, presumably special branch. Car park empty - £1 for the car park, says the attendant, who was wearing a red an white striped shirt. Seemed good value until it was realised that he was not selling the car park but charging to park.

Only change to Tuesday was Joe Keith back in the starting line up. Urchins kicked down the slope in the first half, but there were signs that this was not going to be Urchins day – Serious Sid was there. Only a scattering of home supporters on the vast terraces, and one hundred away supporters. Pitch was bumpy but Urchins started well, Kris Lee along to Simon Parker who was immediately chopped down. No card, just a free kick, and which Joe Keith touched short to Mark Janney whose centre was hacked off the line to safety. Back came the Urchins right away, Parker finding David Lee and on to Kris Lee, who neatly opened the home defence with a pass which put Simon Parker away and clear. Keeper Howe rushed out and Simon neatly lobbed the ball over this head, only for the ball to bob gently off the cross bar and out of play, when a goal looked certain.

One goal missed but a rampant Urchins side, and although Ruggles broke away for the home side, Richard Goddard tackled well to concede a corner, which Evans took and Goddard headed powerfully away. Urchins again, and Parker to David Lee, and then in to Kris Lee, and on to Parker, whose shot was cleared off the line, the ball being promptly played back up to Parker who touched sideways to Garry Cross, whose vicious shot skimmed the post. Kris Lee again to Parker, whose chipped shot just drifted wide, and then it was Parker up to David Lee and out to Janney, who had the goal in front of him, only for Howe to save well. Eight minutes gone, and four clear cut chances all missed – Hendon re-visited.

Carshalton, up to then in total disarray, pulled themselves together and MacLeod found an overlapping Williams, who was well tackled by Danny Glozier, whilst a good run by Stevens also ended with a timely tackle by Glozier. Williams earned the ire of the away following with a very late tackle to stop Janney breaking through, and was very fortunate to get away without a card – red was the favoured choice. From the free kick Keith played the ball into the goalmouth where Howe did well to hold on as Kris Lee jumped for the cross. Parker and Kris Lee again combined and again Howe saved well, while at the other end Stevens found an unmarked Evans who hit his shot into the waste land outside the ground which once was a large bank of terracing. Another Evans corner was headed away by Purdie, and then Jordan Bostock needed lengthy treatment following a kick in the head as he dived to head the ball upfield. With half time approaching Purdie played a pass up to Kris Lee whose centre found Janney ideally placed, and Mark’s first time shot was cleared off the line. Surprisingly only 34 seconds were added on for stoppages.

Five chances missed, and for all their dominance it was still nil nil. The sun went in, the wind got up, the slope got noticeably steeper and Richard Goddard did not appear for the second half, being replaced by Elliot Styles, whose first task was to head away an Evans centre. A Kris Lee cross easily dealt with by Howe, and a Bostock pass found David Lee who turned and fired his shot narrowly wide. David Lee to Kris Lee, and back to Parker, whose shot was deflected past the post. David Lee took the corner, and Styles got up well, but it was Purdie who headed just wide, with Elliot needing lengthy attention before being able to resume, despite the reluctance of the referee to allow Elliot to return to the field when play resumed. ‘You can’t come on if it’s in your zone’ – whatever does that mean?

It was now the home side, taking full advantage of the slope and the increasing wind, who began to control the midfield, and at times the visiting defence was stretched. Stevens made a good run on the right and Cross did well to intercept the centre, but turned defence into attack with a long ball up to Kris Lee, who cut in and found keeper Howe diving at his feet to save. Back came Carshalton, and Dundas found Ruggles, whose shot was well saved by Brightly, the first time that the home side had managed a shot on target. Glozier headed wide from Lee’s free kick, and Parker made a long twisting run from the right, into the area, where he laid the ball back to Janney, whose shot was blocked ,

Carshalton now began to press forward, and won a corner when Kris Lee was pulled up for one of the many offsides, and the long hopeful punt upfield was headed behind by Styles. Evans took the kick – he took them all, apart from those awarded to the Urchins – and the ball was played back to Evans, whose centre was dropped by Brightly, under pressure, with Styles recovering first to hit the ball upfield. Foyewa came on, but struggled to penetrate the home defence, but it was Foyewa who got in a good centre which was touched on to Parker, with Harwood doing well to tackle as Parker went to shoot. Stevens made ground on the right and sent over a low ball which Evans flicked into the side netting,  and Andy Tomlinson then came on to boost the defence, who were beginning to get opened up as the home side came forward. A long penetrating ball by Tomlinson looked destined for the unmarked Kris Lee, only for Harwood to just manage a touch, while another long run by Stevens saw Brightly save well. Tomlinson to Styles, and then on to Kris Lee, and this time it was Graves to the rescue with a good tackle. Brightly then failed to hold a good centre from Banton-Brown and the ball fell to Ruggles, whose shot was well saved by Brightly. Foyewa found a gap on the right and took the ball goalwards, cutting back and then crossing for Tomlinson whose header was deflected by Watts. Carshalton finished strongly, forcing two corners, from the last of which the ball was flicked over Brighlty’s head and just over the bar.

So one point won – no, once again two points lost, thanks to missing four clear cut chances in the opening eight minutes. Credit to Carshalton, who were outplayed for long spells, for coming back strongly, and as has been said before, there are no easy games in this league. And the dancing trees? They were still there, doing whatever dancing trees are supposed to do. Quote of the day must go to the commentator on the radio, who spent twenty minutes slagging off England – ‘They’ve done nothing, terrible choice of line up, never look like scor ----- GOAL’ he shouted.

Weather Conditions: 17-23 Degs. C., F/H = Sunny, S/H = Cloudy

Match Officials: Referee - Mr. S. W. Tincknell, Assistants - Mr. D. M. Robathan and Mr. S. Griffiths

Match duration: F/H 45 mins. 34 secs., S/H 48 mins. 14 secs.