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AFC HORNCHURCH 6 TOOTING & MITCHAM UNITED 0
Hornchurch kicked towards the windmill end and almost opened the scoring in the first minute when Tambeson Eyong strode past the visiting defence and fired a shot inches wide of the far post. And a minute later Hornchurch went ahead. Jon Hunt, totally dominant in midfield, switched play to the left wing with a long pass out to Lewis Smith. Lewis touched the ball back to Joe Anderson, whose first time cross along the ground into the middle found MARTIN TUOHY who hit the ball hard into the net from outside the area.
Hunt almost made it two nil with a free kick which keeper Simon Lehkyj turned around the post for a corner, which Hunt sent over and Callum Donaghey played to safety. Hunt then headed a ball back to Aaron Gayle whose shot skimmed the post, and with Hornchurch swarming upfield time and again it was Hunt once again who long dipping free kick eluded Lehkyj and skimmed the other post.
It was the irrepressible Hunt who again opened the defence with a penetrating pass to send Lewis Smith clear, and Lewis homed in on goal but hit his shot into the side netting. It appeared simply a matter of time before Hornchurch scored again, and it was JON HUNT to obliged when he curled a corner over from the right and straight into the net, via the far post.
Tooting briefly came back into the game with a corner of their own, which Reece Hall sent across, and Elliot Styles played the ball up field, where it bounced high and MARTIN TUOHY won he race to the ball, rounded keeper Lehkyj and calmly stroked the ball into the net to make it three, less than a minute after Jon Hunt had made it two. And Martin Tuohy almost found the net inside another sixty seconds when he ran on through a motionless defence, only for Lehkyj to make a good save to keep the ball out. Tuohy then turned a pass into the path of Aaron Gayle and Aaron hit his shot into the side netting.
At the other end Reiss Noel cleared a corner from Jamie Byatt, but Hornchurch almost made it four nil just before half time when Dave McSweeney’s cross found Aaron Gayle, who was again denied by keeper Lehkyj.
Tambeson Eyong started the second half in the same way he had started the first period, when he raced through the defence and this time his shot was saved in fine style by the overworked Lehkyj. But the fourth goal followed shortly afterwards, when Jon Hunt took a quick free kick to touch the ball to LEWIS SMITH, who homed in on goal and neatly placed shot wide of the keeper and into the net.. Simon Glover and Joe Anderson combined to set up Martin Tuohy, whose header went narrowly over the bar, and such was the confusion in the home side that a Tooting throw in, intended to go back to keeper Lehkyj, almost trickled past the keeper and into the side netting to give Hornchurch another corner.
Tooting then enjoyed their only spell of ascendency, when Lewis Smith was dispossessed by Jamie Byatt, who ran on and was thwarted by a very good Reiss Noel tackle, to divert the ball out for a corner. Charlie Dove took the corner and Fola Onibuje beaded over. Lewis Smith had another good opening, thanks to good work by Dave Collis and Martin Tuohy, but Lehkyj made yet another good save. Eyong then found Hunt, who turned sharply and sent in a curling shot which Lehkyj turned around the post for another corner.
Tommy Black came on for Eyong but any relief the visitors might have felt was simply an illusion as Black proceeded to open up the defence at ease. Gayle headed over from Hunt’s cross, and an Anderson run on the left saw him centre the ball for Collis to touch back to Tuohy, who forced Lehkyj into another good save. Gayle headed inches over from Hunt’s cross, and when Michael Spencer came on for Jon Hunt, Tooting’s defence sighed with collective relief. They even celebrated by forcing two corners, and Joe Woolley had to make his only save of the match. But relief was short lived, for Michael Spencer almost found the net with an inswinging corner which Lehkyj caught well. Lewis Smith then set up the fifth goal when he moved down the left wing and sent a low pass into the middle for MARTIN TUOHY to drive home from the edge of the area.
Lewis Smith played a good pass to Aaron Gayle whose shot once again went inches past the post, and in stoppage time Dave Collis sent a long ball up field, which was only partly cleared, and MICHAEL SPENCER calmly placed his shot into the net past a packed defence.
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