Following an excellent first half where the Urchins more than matched their higher league opponents it was the hosts who took control after the break and scored twice in quick succession to put the cup tie out of reach of the Urchins. Hornchurch rallied but it is the Bulls who will be in the hat for Monday’s FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round draw.
Saturday 30-September-2017 – F.A. Cup
HEREFORD 2 HORNCHURCH 0
HU – Horsell, Oates (c), Bowen, Dinsley, Green, O’Shea, Preen (Page 76), McGrath, Mills (Haysham 89), Reffell, Smith (Symons 82)
Subs – Purdie, Deaman, Preston, Harris
HFC – Mott, Hursit, Porter, Lee, Cooper, Roberts (Fanimo 65), Styles ©, Chouman, McKenzie, Fairweather-Johnson (Wall 76), Warner
Subs – Wall, Lambert, Kamara, Tuohy, Fanimo, Hussain
Scorers – Reffell 61 – Mills 65p
Bookings – McGrath 45 (HU) – Cooper 51 (H) – Warner 84 (H)
Attendance 2440
HEREFORD 2 HORNCHURCH 0
Hornchurch, with key players Alex Bentley, Tobi Joseph and George Purcell all missing, suffered their first defeat of the season at Hereford, conceding two goals within minutes of each other midway through the second half.
Hornchurch started confidently, winning two corners in the first two minutes of the match, both of which were cleared.
The ball rarely left the home half in the first ten minutes whilst Hereford had their first attempt on goal on 15 minutes, when Bowen crossed and John Mills fired high and over the bar.
Hornchurch came back strongly two minutes later when a free kick found Kenzer Lee, and his header was well saved by the Horsell.
On 18 minutes Hornchurch were relieved when the ball was played in from the wing to Reffell, who headed powerfully downwards, but too hard and the ball bounced up and over the bar.
Hereford again came forward, and Nathan Cooper made a good interception to block a hard shot from Preen.
Hornchurch came back strongly and on 29 minutes Theo Fairweather-Johnson dispossessed a defender and fired in a hard shot that was well saved by Horsell.
Back at the other end just sixty seconds later, and Sam Mott saved twice in quick succession, with Cooper well placed to defend a follow up attempt.
On 32 minutes Smith found space on the wing sent the ball into the middle where there was no one in a position to provide the finishing touch.
Fairweather-Johnson had an opportunity to open the score when he quickly moved onto a headed clearance from a long goal kick, but his shot was too high and over the bar.
As the half drew to an end Hereford’s McGrath was booked, and six minutes into the second half it was the turn of Nathan Cooper to go into the referee’s book.
Hereford came forward again, and Hornchurch were relieved when a hard shot from Mills came back off the post following a good build up along the wing.
On 61 minutes Hereford took the lead when a corner was headed away but only as far as Keyon Reffell who promptly fired the ball hard past Mott from close range.
Four minutes later Hereford doubled their lead when John Mills made no mistake from a penalty, awarded for hand ball.
Mattias Fanimo replaced Sean Roberts, and Ross Wall came on for Fairweather-Johnson, as Hereford continued to force the pace, and Mott made an excellent save, tipping the ball over from a close range shot from Smith.
Six minutes from time Brad Warner became the second Hornchurch player to go into the book, and there was little that Hornchurch could do to reduce the deficit in the remaining minutes of the match.