HORNCHURCH 0 DARTFORD 2

Player news – Soz Yao has joined Boreham Wood, Jason Willis has gone to Potters Bar, and Steve Butterworth and Lee Blackburn have been release. Kris Lee resumed training after his long term injury and was named in the squad for today’s match. Darren Behcet is likely to be out for three weeks following his ankle injury at Sutton, and Billy McMahon, who was originally at West Ham and more recently at Billericay, came in to make his debut in goal.

On a day where temperatures reached over 30 degrees in the second half, Hornchurch kicked towards the windmill end of the ground, and Billy Coyne, playing at left back, almost opened the scoring with a long looping centre from near the half way line, which dropped just over the bar. Dartford came back quickly when Goodfellow headed Hayes’ centre out for a corner. Hayes sent over an inswinging kick which was cleared by Purdie, and Janney completed the clearance. But disaster struck when Elliot Styles needed lengthy treatment and was replaced by Paul Shave after a lengthy stoppage. Shortly afterwards Paul Shave, just on the pitch, was fouled by Danny Dafter, who was shown a yellow card. Gary Bowes was booked for an innocuous tackle, and Donny Barnard needed lengthy treatment following a tackle by Adam Flanagan, who eventually was also shown the yellow card. With Donny limping, and Paul Shave clearly showing the effects of the earlier tackle, it was never going to be easy from then onwards.

Billy Coyne tried a 60 yard lob from inside his own half which dropped just wide of the post, and Gary Bowes was brought down in full flight, and from the free kick Andy Tomlinson saw his deeply hit centre held by Andrew Young. Dartford were awarded a free kick on the edge of the area, which most thought should have been in Hornchurch’s favour. Flanagan lurked, but it was Hayes who stepped up with a left footed shot which McMahon dived full length to save. Barnard then charged down a shot from Day, whilst Purdie conceded a corner when Bradbrook cut inside to shoot. Hayes put his corner kick across the face of the goal and out of play.

McMahon was in action again, called upon to punch clear two successive inswinging corners from Hayes, and when Haworth won another corner, it was McMahon again who punched clear and then needed lengthy treatment before being able to resume. In stoppage time, Sam Higgins exchanged passes with Mark Janney before keeper Young saved Janney’s low shot from the edge of the area.

The first half had six minutes of stoppages and the second half was punctuated with a series of lengthy stoppages, with home keeper McMahon once again needing attention following his second head injury of the match. Dartford began well, when Hayes floated a corner over, and this led to a goalmouth scramble and ended when Dafter headed over. Urchins quickly came forward again and Sam Higgins won a corner. Andy Tomlinson took the kick and Young did well to hold the ball.

Dartford took the lead just when it seemed that Urchins were themselves about to open up the Dartford defence. Billy Coyne found Sam Higgins, who switched play with an excellent cross field pass to send Mark Janney streaking away on the right, only for Mark to trip himself up and loose the ball, which was promptly played back to ELLIOT BRADBROOK who ran on and scored with the home defence in retreat.

Joe Stevens came up from the left side to fire wide from Janney’s pass, whilst Purdie cleared another Hayes corner. Shortly beforehand, the linesman on the East Side had needed attention for an ankle injury, and it grew farcical when the other linesman then went down in front of the home dug out and needed five minutes attention before eventually being able to resume. When play finally restarted Joe Stevens made an excellent penetrating run in from the left and was tackled by Coyle, and Janney and Higgins opened up the defence before Day finally managed to hammer the ball away to safety. Urchins nearly levelled when Billy Coyne came up to hammer in a shot which Young saved, just managing to touch the ball over the bar. Tomlinson’s corner was then caught by Young as it dipped goalwards.

Mark Janney became the next victim, and Jon Green came on, and then Ross Wall replaced Sam Higgins up front. But it was Dartford who nearly extended their lead when Noble shot narrowly wide from a break down the left. With Urchins pressing forward, Gary Bowes created an opening for himself when he rounded two defenders, and then he hit his shot inches wide of the post. There was yet another stoppage, and then the referee signalled ten minutes of stoppage time – seven minutes of which was taken up by the treatment for the two linesmen – play restarted with a goalkick and the ball fell to LEE BURNS who ran on unchallenged to score the decisive second goal. It took eleven minutes to play the remaining stoppage time, but neither side created any worthwhile chances, and Dartford are now headed firmly for the Conference.