The Urchins started their 2017/18 season with a convincing pre-season friendly win away at Essex Senior side Hullbridge Sports with Tobi Joseph and new signings Brad Warner and Theo Fairweather-Johnson scoring before the break.  After multiple half-time changes Kenzer Lee and George Purcell added further goals.

Saturday 15-July-2017
HULLBRIDGE SPORTS 0 HORNCHURCH 5

HFC – FH – Sam Mott – Ben Sampayo – Jason Smith – Nathan Cooper – Kenzer Lee – Elliot Styles © – Jed Chouman – Tobi Joseph – Bradley Warner – Theo Fairweather-Johnson – Ross Wall

HFC – SH – – Sam Mott – Jamie Hursit – Alex Bentley – Gary Cohen – Kenzer Lee (Paul Goodacre 64) – Elliot Styles © (Emmanuel Oluwole 70) – Jed Chouman (Cisco Feber 70) – Tobi Joseph (Taj Hussain 54) – Leon McKenzie – George Purcell – Martin Tuohy

Scorers – Joseph 22 – Warner 24 – Fairweather-Johnson 31 – Lee 52 – Purcell 67
Booking – Tuohy 75 (H)

22m – 1-0 – Tobi Joseph gained possession on the left and sent in a curling shot from the edge of the area into the far corner.

24m – 2-0 – Bradley Warner moved onto the ball on the edge of the area, and weaved his way past three defenders before slotting the ball past the goalkeeper.

31m – 3-0 – Theo Fairweather-Johnson dispossesses and defender, and, despite being pulled back, carried on to place the ball wide of the goalkeeper.

34m – A Ross Wall shot rebounded off the post.

52m – A George Purcell corner is cleared only as far as Kenzer Lee, who fires the ball home.

60m – George Purcell fired narrowly wide from a free kick

67m – Jamie Hursit switched play to the left, where George Purcell volleys hard into the net.

75m – A defender appeared to handle on the line to keep the ball out of the goal. Play continued and Tuohy was shown a yellow card for disputing the decision.

85m – The Hullbridge number 15 made an excellent interception on the goalline to deny what appeared to be a certain goal.