HULLBRIDGE SPORTS 0 AFC HORNCHURCH 4

News on ong term injuries – Andy Tomlinson has a cartilage injury

Paul Hunt, Michael Ramkin, Mark Janney and Joe Flack are still recovering from long term injuries.

Hullbridge’s new stand was filled almost to capacity, with the majority of the crowd made up of travelling support. On a warm and sunny day, on an excellent surface, Hornchurch had the better of the territorial play but the defence was frequently called upon to break up attacks from an eager home side, who had Jack Joy playing at left back.

Tambeson Eyong sent over a good supply of right wing crosses, and with Ross Wall and Jamie Richards in the middle, the home defence was kept a full stretch. Jamie Dormer came up to fire inches wide from a corner, and the home keeper twice saved well from Richards. Michael Spencer went close with a snap shot from the left which hit the side netting, whilst Greg Enstone, who last season played for Lincoln City, having previously played for Colchester Utd, kept the forwards supplied with a stream of good through passes. Darren Behcet, nursing an injury, had to twice deal with dangerous right wing crosses, before Hornchurch took the lead in the 37^th minute. Donny Barnard and Greg Enstone had combined well to send TAMBESON EYONG clear down the right wing. Tambeson cut inside and fired the ball hard into the middle, where it cannoned off Sean Stannard and into the net.

Two minutes later, Eyong again created space on the right and this time turned inside to send an excellent cross field pass to Tommy Black who ran in powerfully from the left and was brought down. TOMMY BLACK stepped up to hammer home the resulting penalty.

Several changes were made for the second half, and Billy Coyne almost put Frankie Williams through, the ball being diverted for a corner. Joe Bouchard floated the ball over, Paul Shave headed the ball across goal and ELLIOT STYLES calmly sidefooted the ball into the net. The fourth goal soon followed, when Ross Wall set off on a long weaving run on the left, before turning the ball back across into the middle where JAMIE RICHARDS crashed the ball home from thirty yards.

Paul Shave almost scored from a free kick which the home keeper did well to hold at the foot of the post, and Ronnie Fletcher headed over from a Bouchard corner. Frankie Williams went close with a lengthy run from the left, which ended with the keeper saving well, and Williams again went close with a first time shot which skimmed the bar.