Report

Saturday 03-September-2016 – F.A. CUP
RUSHDEN & DIAMONDS 2 HORNCHURCH 0

RD – Finlay, McNulty (Bradshaw 12), Brown, Ashton (Bunting 51), Dolman ©, Harris, Oulton, Parsons, Orosz, Shariff, Evangelinos (Lorraine 69)
Subs – Haynes, Stevenson

HFC – Mott, Collis (Freeman 80), Chouman, Styles ©, Cooper, Morrish, Bentley (Woodward 55), Lee, Knight, Purcell, Thompson (Coley 83)
Subs – Da Cruz, Agombar, Hursit

Officials – Alistair Wilson with Mark Chalkley and Simon Peech

Scorers – Orosz 48 – Shariff 90
Bookings – Oulton 45+3 (RD), Dolman 59 (RD), Bradshaw 64 (RD), Styles 81 (H), Morrish 85 (H)
Attendance 439
Duration – 49.00 + 50.00
RD – white / blue / white
HFC – red & white stripes / black / black

RUSHDEN & DIAMONDS 2 HORNCHURCH 0

The rain started shortly before kick off, and increased in intensity as the match progressed.

Hornchurch comfortably defended an early corner, and then launched their first attack, which ended in the first of many free kicks conceded.

Dave Collis floated the ball over but Liam Dolman headed away.

Rushden had to make an early substitution when Kyal McNulty collided with his own defender and was taken to hospital with a head injury.

When Sam Mott played a long ball deep into the other half, another free kick ensued. George Purcell fired the ball hard at goal, and it deflected onto a post and was scrambled away.

Abs Thompson was in action at the other end, heading a free kick away for a corner, and Mott saved well from a Taylor Orosz header.

A Collis throw reached James Morrish, but his shot was straight at Matt Finlay, who was again in action when a Collis free kick found Purcell, whose goal-bound shot was well saved.

Rushden came back towards half time, winning four corners in the space of five minutes, none of which created any problems for the Hornchurch defence.

The wind, almost non-existent in the first half, increased noticeably and Hornchurch found themselves defending against the strong wind and at times driving rain.

Rushden took the lead three minutes into the second half when a long ball out of defence found Taylor Orosz, who was inside his own half, but he found himself with a clear run at goal. Mott came out but Orosz took the ball around the keeper and glided it into the empty net.

Hornchurch quickly won a corner, which Collis played to Purcell, and his shot led to a goalmouth scramble, before the ball was booted away.

Kenzer Lee went close with a shot, but for the most part the home defence had little difficulty in holding out whenever the ball was launched high upfield.

George Woodward replaced Alex Bentley, and a David Knight cross led to another goalmouth scramble, before the ball was turned out for a corner.

Purcell sent a good pass out to Thompson on the right, and the cross was touched around the post for the first of two corners, but chances were few and far between.

Ricky Freeman and Ayrton Coley were both introduced, and Coley caused some problems with some rapid runs on the right, but it was Rushden who settled proceedings when a Coley pass was intercepted, and the ball was played upfield, where Nabil Shariff was given time to pick his spot and fire into the net to put the result beyond doubt.