Saturday 6th October 2007
HARLOW  0  HORNCHURCH  0
HFC - David Hogan – Kenny Davis © - Mark Taylor – Lee Miles – Ryan Kirby – Danny Chapman – Leon Lalite – Danny Hill – Danny Green – Shaun Gaddon – Dean Williams
Subs – Michael Gliddon – Clark Akers for Shaun Glidden 63 – Beckett Hollenbach – Joe Watson – Darryl Doonan for Danny Green 69

HFC - Dale Brightly – Jordon Bostock – Danny Glozier – Andy Tomlinson – Richard Goddard - Joe Keith – Garry Cross – Mark Janney – Harry Elmes – Simon Parker – David Lee
Subs - Amos Foyewa - Richard Halle – Shane Oakley for David Lee 60 -Adam Parker – four subs only

Bookings – Danny Hill 75 (Har) – Andy Tomlinson 83
Attendance 316
Officials – PJ Wilson with M Tweed and RJ Howes
Duration – 45.33 + 50.52
Weather 15 degrees, cloudy, wind speed 10 mph

HARLOW  0  HORNCHURCH  0
John Purdie out with injury, Richard Goddard back in the starting line up. A miniscule pitch, and aeroplanes going overhead every few minutes.  A strangely quiet EastSide in the first half, partly compensated by the Riverside hornblower. A tentative start, a David Lee cross backheaded by Chapman and forcing keeper Hogan to save, just beating Harry Elmes to the ball. Harlow looked dangerous in their first attack, when Dale Brightly could not hold Taylor’s cross, and in the ensuing scramble, Davis’  shot was kicked off the line by Andy Tomlinson and Richard Goddard blocked Lalite’s powerful follow up shot. A long centre from Danny Glozier saw Simon Parker flick on to the unmarked Elmes, who was clear on goal and then pulled up for offside – with Treeboy and Mentalist still in the bar, watching egg chasing, there was no one in position to say whether or not it was a correct decision.

Joe Keith cleared a long Davis cross, and Goddard turned a shot from Danny Green out for a corner, which Lalite took and Jordan Bostock cleared, whilst a long Brightly kick saw Kirby fail to clear, giving Simon Parker a run at goal, but he put his shot wide. A Parker centre reached David Lee on the left, and his cross was just too far ahead for Elmes to reach, but then it was Elmes to Mark Janney, whose centre went across the goal before being hooked to safety by Davis. Harry Elmes again, twisting and turning before slotting the ball to Simon Parker who was clear, but offside was given. And then Garry Cross sent over an excellent pass to Simon Parker who was pushed in the back, the referee taking no action, for what looked a clear cut penalty.

Glozier cleared from Danny Green, and for the third match in a row, it was Greenie up against Greenie, as it was Dean Green against Glozier in the Hendon match, A long run by Parker, with David Lee available to his right, saw Simon’s shot well saved by Hogan, and an Elmes pass up to Janney saw Keith get onto the cross, with Hogan again saving. Parker to Elmes, and back to Parker, a quick turn and shot, the ball dropping just over the bar with the EastSide already shouting goal (apart from Treeboy and Mentalist who were still in the bar – what a waste of talent).

Glozier to Parker, and Simon’s low cross went begging in front of goal, and then it was Tomlinson, up to Janney, and then up to Elmes, whose flick on was turned out for a corner by Taylor, the corner being returned to David Lee who played the ball into the path of Parker, whose shot was well saved by Hogan. Another run by Simon Parker, and keeper Hogan rushed out of his area, bringing Simon down – a free kick to Hornchurch? No, a free kick to Harlow instead. Farcical.

Janney dropped back into defence, but could not stop Davis, whose cross cum shot sailed inches over the bar, and a Cross through pass to Parker saw Kirby make a neat tackle as Parker was about to shoot. Davis again, on the left wing and his excellent shot brought a fingertip save by Brightly, the resulting corner being cleared by Goddard. Almost on the interval, Joe Keith made a 50 yard run, playing the ball out to David Lee, whose cross went for a corner. Up came Goddard, nodding the ball back to Keith whose shot was blocked by a mass of defenders.

Half time, and a strangely quiet away following, but the two main cheerleaders emerged from the bar to wake things up in the second half, in which Urchins stepped up the pace, Elmes winning a corner, which Lee took, and Hogan missed, but the keeper recovered to save Elmes’ follow up shot. Danny Hill, ex-Urchin, shot wide at the other end, and a long Brightly kick saw Simon Parker run on. Hogan rushed out, and Parker poked the ball past him, but wide of the post. Bostock intercepted a dangerous move by Lalite , and played the ball to Keith whose long upfield pass found Janney, who made ground on the right and then turned the ball in to Parker whose left footed shot brought an excellent save out of Hogan who turned the shot around the post for a corner which Keith took and Miles cleared.

Goddard stopped a Williams run with a good tackle, and Tomlinson sent Parker away. Simon cut inside and his shot was deflected around the post by Taylor, Lee’s corner being headed back by Goddard to Keith whose shot was well saved by Hogan. Lalite made a good run on the right, and then switched play to the other side for Williams who ran on and shot narrowly wide. Shane Oakley came on for David Lee, and Urchins had three players up front, though Oakley at first received little service on the left, and had to drop back to midfield to boost the defence. Tomlinson intercepted a long pass and played the ball up to Parker and thence out to Janney, whose centre went across an open goal. A loud hand ball appeal was rejected by the referee, with many, both on and off the pitch, feeling that Urchins should have been awarded a penalty, and Harlow celebrated their let off by storming upfield, Lalite opening up the left for Akers who played the ball in to Doonan, whose shot was wide of the post. Harry Elmes sent Simon Parker off, and Simon darted inside two defenders, homed in on goal, and was promptly chopped down on the edge of the area by Hill, who escaped with a yellow card, Urchins’ sole reward being a free kick, which Joe Keith placed too near the keeper. A minute later Simon was again through, and was blatantly pulled back, the referee allowing play to continue, and then Parker was again through, this time being fouled by Kirby, Glozier’s free kick finding Goddard, whose header was saved by Hogan. Akers hit a free kick over the bar, and a good run by Janney saw Parker touch on to Elmes who opened up the left with an excellent pass to Shane Oakley, who ran on and, with the goal at his mercy, fired the ball into the side netting.

Akers came back to Harlow, Bostock tackling, and then Brightly saved at the feet of Williams, and turned defence into attack with an ultra long kick upfield, and Elmes collided with Hogan as they both went for the ball, the referee stopping play and awarded a drop ball. Parker again, running through and he flicked the ball over Hogan, only for Kirby to get back to clear as the ball rolled goalwards. A Janney move led to an Elmes shot being diverted for a corner, which Keith took, and a free kick by Brightly also found Elmes, the shot again going for a corner. Joe Keith floated the ball over, Miles kicked it away and the final whistle went. A point won? No, two points lost, with more than a few chances to have won the match being missed.

Weather Conditions: 15 Degs. C., Cloudy, Wind Speed 15 mph

Match Officials: Referee - Mr. P.J. Wilson, Assistants - Mr. M. Tweed and Mr. R.J. Howes

Match duration: F/H 45 mins. 33 secs., S/H 50 mins. 52 secs.