Tonbridge Angels

0 - 1

AFC Hornchurch

0

H/T 0 - 0 Att.: 442

Tonbridge Angels

AFC Hornchurch

TONBRIDGE 0 HORNCHURCH 1
Mentalist organised coach travel for this match, but such was the interest that so many Urchins crossed the Bridge that Havering is now 2 foot above sea level higher than it was yesterday. The M25 was solid and all approach roads to Tonbridge were backed up for miles.

Once again it was red ball day, and Tonbridge came onto the pitch with matching red noses - Comic Relief, but what was to follow had an x-certificate as the Angels became devils in disguise - Let's hope there are no red faces come 4.45pm, quoth the local commentator..

Tonbridge were boosted by two new signings - Dwain Clarke made his debut whilst Lee Minshull made his home debut.

Angels kicked off to get the game underway – what other way is there to get the game underway - and their supporters were encouraged when with just two minutes gone, Clarke's free-kick was palmed away by Jason Willis.

There was very little constructive pattern so far, but both teams look dangerous from set-pieces but far too many stoppages for free kicks were breaking up the flow of the game.

There was a stoppage when Elliot was injured, but he was able to resume after lengthy treatment.

The local commentator went wild with excitement on 15 minutesm – Let him take up the story “ Confusion - Hornchurch keeper Willis tugs at Jamie Cade before a long throw and is booked... penalty? No play goes on and Legge retakes his throw.”

------ Perhaps someone should tell the local commentator that the throw had not been taken, and therefore it could not possibly have been a penalty. The referee had come all the way down from Keighley in Yorkshire and was being assessed, hence he had no choice but to take strict action on what for many was a non-event incident.

A well placed ball by Minshull splits the defence and finds the onrushing Tyne, who cut inside but then hit his mistimed shot into the side netting. It's all pretty dull so far, but the Urchins behind the goal were now getting into full vocal support for Colin’s side.

The Urchins began to control the midfield and continued to take the game to Tonbridge. Angels' keeper Worgan kept his side in the match with a fine save from the ever dangerous Ross Wall shot just inside the area. Angels cleared the danger, hammering the ball into oblivion.

Tonbridge broke away out of defence and Tyne found Storey who crashed the ball over the bar with the outside of his right boot. Had the used the inside of his left boot he might have fired it past the post instead. Hamilton is struggling after a knock earlier in the half and will be replaced by Tim Olorunda

There was a scoring opportunity when a. Storey free-kick was floated in and ex-Urchin Scott Gooding headed wide

Hornchurch are certainly battling hard and they were urged on by the 150 Urchins behind the goal, Hornchurch continue to dominate, but Elliot Styles gives away a free-kick. It really is an ugly game at the moment and the local commentator claimed that Angels need a spark from somewhere.

And two minutes later they got that spark – more like a squib - RED CARD. Angels' Jamie Cade is sent off for a lunge on Andy Tomlinson. The local commentator said - No-one can quite believe the decision. Cade lost control in midfield, over-stretched for the ball and caught the midfielder on the ankle. He was late but it was not two-footed and in my opinion a booking at worse. Angels face an uphill struggle now.

Cantos said - A shocking tackle by Cade gets him a straight red.
Annie said – Bundle.
Mentalist said – [sorry this has been censored].

Five minutes of injury time just about sums up this half. Styles is finally booked for his umpteenth foul. --- In fact the referee was being assessed and felt he had no choice but to book Elliot after an innocuous mistimed tackle.

In stoppage time Urchins almost took the lead when Jim McFarlane came up for a corner and crashed his header inches over the bar.

Local comment - HALF-TIME - It's 0-0 at the Longmead but the home team are down to 10 men. However, Hornchurch have shown little attacking intent so all really is to play for. On a side note this red football looks more like a basketball to me and i reckon Diego 'hand of God' Maradona would have a field day out there!!!

Hornchurch change, when captain marvellous, John Purdie, is unable to resume and Dean Green came on to boost the attack.

The home supporters were unhappy at the way the referee had constantly stopped the match for what they considered to be minor fouls, ie free kicks awarded against their team, and for the first few minutes of the second period, neither team were on top. Gooding and Legge for the home side were particularly dominant, and the Urchins forward line got little change from them.

Hornchurch, who are intent on pumping the ball forward, could have gone ahead when Dean opened up the defence and his thunderous shot skimmed the post.

And with Urchins slowly gaining the ascendency, Tonbridge had yet another player sent off when Legge got a second yellow card for diving in. The booking and subsequent red card for diving was completely justified, but unfortunately the home side were not prepared to accept the decision, and the inexperienced Jason Willis, who had a magnificent match once again, got caught up in the aftermath and was unjustly sent off for something he did not do and was not involved in. Hopefully the video evidence will be adequate to overcome this complete and utter injustice.

Elliot Styles, who has had previous goalkeeping experience at Bromley, went in goal, having so far never conceded a goal whilst playing for Hornchurch. To boost the defence, and to provide cover for Elliot, Kris Lee was replaced by Frankie Curley, and although down to ten on the pitch, the Urchins had by now won the off pitch battle and the noise was such that many home supporters fled to their homes in abject terror.

Angels fans were anything but angels, and continually hurled abuse at the completely innocent Elliot Styles, who took not the slightest bit of notice as he got on with his new role between the posts.

And then it happened – Bily Coyne wins the ball inside his own half and pumps it up to Ross Wall. Ross races almost to the touch line, avoids a tackle by Gooding, and turns the ball back to Mark Janney. Mark sidesteps tackles from Storey and Tyne, slips past two more defenders and slips the ball inside to DEAN GREEN. Dean avoids three tackles from a packed defence, and neatly glides the ball past Worgan for the greatest goal ever seen at the Angels’s stadium.

The not-so-angelic Angels now completely lost the plot. Olorunda was booked for hacking down Tomlinson, with 200 Urchins, now in complete control behind the goal, all screaming OFF OFF OFF, for what they considered the most blatant red card offence ever.

Tonbridge had a half chance Tyne failed to connect with a long hopeful long ball into the box, and 250 Urchins began to celebrate. Angels tried hard to break out of defence but had few chances hard to come by. Logan came on for Phillips, but it made little differene, and the closest they came was when Tyne tried a hopeful shot from way out, and that is exactly where the ball went - way out.

The referee signalled only five minutes for stoppages, and it took seven minutes to play those last five, but Hornchurch were comfortably in command, and at 16.57, it was full time and the Angels with red noses at the start trooped off with red faces at the end.

Colin’s team ran over to the 200 Urchins behind the goal to receive uproarious acclaim, whilst the home side, walked off dejectedly, in the knowledge that their remote hopes of the play offs were in tatters. The Urchins did their usual warm down on the pitch, and then had to endure a volley of abuse as they left the pitch, with home supporters, the handful that still remained, throwing water to aid their flow of verbal abuse.

Tonbridge Angels

AFC Hornchurch