Hornchurch controlled much of the first half but it was Bowers who broke the deadlock 6 minutes from the break courtesy of Jamie Dicks. The second half was a more even affair but neither side could fashion an opening so Bowers close the gap to 7 points at the top.
Friday 23-March-2018
BOWERS & PITSEA 1 HORNCHURCH 0
BP – Chafer, Boswell, Thomas, Stokes, Pinto, Leahy, Dicks, Sartain, Knight, Manor, Nyania
Subs – Sendall, Barnwell, Salmon, Hughes, Mallett
HFC – Mott, Bentley, Porter, Lee, Cooper, Styles ©, Livings (McKenzie HT), Oluwatimilehin (Joseph 75), Warner, Purcell (Roberts 75), Fairweather-Johnson
Subs – Assombalonga, Hursit
Scorer – Dicks 39
Bookings – Pinto 8 (BP) – Livings 42 (H) – Stokes 80 (BP) – Cooper 81 (H)
Attendance 410
BOWERS & PITSEA 1 HORNCHURCH 0
Hornchurch got off to a confident start, wining two corners in the opening minutes, though they had a scare when David Knight broke through the defence. Sam Mott saved, but had he not done so, it would not have mattered as the linesman had raised his flag for offside.
Adalberto Pinto was the first player to go into the referee’s book, for a challenge on Brad Warner, and although Hornchurch had two more corners in the first twenty minutes, they could not find a way through, and, with both defences on top, neither side could create a scoring opportunity.
On 23 minutes George Purcell attempted an acrobatic shot but although the ball cleared the defence, it also drifted wide of the target. Hornchurch pressed forward and on the half hour Alex Bentley fed a pass through to Warner, but his shot was a fraction too high and over the bar.
A minute later Purcell’s corner found Olumide Oluwatimilehin, only for Callum Chafer to make an excellent save from his header.
A long range shot from Purcell cleared the bar, and on 39 minutes Bowers scored with their first shot of the match, when Jamie Dicks turned sharply and fired the ball low past Mott.
Nathan Livings went into the book three minutes from the interval, and a minute later David Knight sent a free kick wide of the post.
Colin McBride made a half time substitution, bringing on Leon McKenzie for Nathan Livings. Hornchurch had the better of the early second half play, although the closest they came was when Purcell turned inside the area, but put his shot over the bar.
Midway through the second half another Purcell corner found Kenzer Lee, but his header was wide of the post.
On 75 minutes Sean Roberts and Tobi Joseph replaced Purcell and Oluwatimilehin. Two more bookings soon followed, Martyn Stokes of Bowers and Nathan Cooper a minute later.
Ten minutes from time, Sam Mott made an excellent save from a free kick, turning the ball around the post, and Cooper then cleared the resultant corner.
This proved to be the last scoring chance for either side and Bowers now move to within seven points of Hornchurch, although having played one game more.