Report

A brace of Ross Wall headers and another superb performance from the Urchins’ defence ensured it was the hosts who progressed to the first qualifying round of the FA Cup.

Saturday 19-August-2017 – F.A. Cup

HORNCHURCH 2 BRENTWOOD TOWN 0

HFC – Mott – Bentley – Porter – Lee – Cooper – Chouman – Fairweather-Johnson (Joseph 68) – Styles © – Wall – Purcell (Hursit 87) – Warner
Subs – Tuohy – Hussain – Goodacre

BT – Page – Pugsley – Foster – Jones – O’Rawe © – Cavalier – Hilton (Hilder 66) – English (Ademosi 66) – Price (Gardner 76) – Stanley – Freeman
Subs – Martin – Rees – Hall – Baker

Officials – Richard Carter with Peter Newman and Liam Giles

Scorers – Wall 63 – Wall 84
Bookings – Styles 56 (H) – Jones 60 (B) – Hilder 86 (B) – Stanley 90+3 (B)
Duration 45.00 + 49.00
Attendance 309

H – Red and white / black / black
B – sky blue / white / sky blue

HORNCHURCH 2 BRENTWOOD TOWN 0

On a day when a strong and swirling wind made conditions difficult, with passes going astray, Hornchurch took the lead through Ross Wall on 63 minutes, and then had to withstand a strong Brentwood rally before Wall secured the win with a well taken header six minutes from time.

Hornchurch made one change from the match at Grays, with Wall coming in at centre forward in place of Leon McKenzie.

Hornchurch could have gone ahead on six minutes when George Purcell turned sharply and fired in a hard volley, which Anthony Page saved in fine style.

Page was again called upon to save when Brad Warner slid the ball through to Wall, before Brentwood moved downfield and Alfie Hilton played through to Matt Price, but Sam Mott was ideally placed to make the save.

Kenzer Lee did well to defend a difficult cross from Andrew Freeman, and back at the other end, Brad Warner sent a good pass through to Purcell, whose goal bound shot was deflected past the post for the first of three successive corners, from the second of which Page tipped over an Elliot Styles header.

Price hit a shot wide for Brentwood, and Page reacted quickly to save a long range shot from Jed Chouman. Page was again called upon to save when Warner played through to Purcell.

Hornchurch had the first opportunity of the second half when Mott played a long clearance deep into the Brentwood half, and Wall flicked the ball on, with the visiting defence clearing wildly.

Hornchurch took the lead through the persistence of Purcell, whose run along the left wing caused the home defence to clear the ball into touch. From the throw, Porter sent over a well-flighted centre into the goalmouth and Ross Wall glided the ball wide of Page into the far corner.

Three minutes later Theo Fairweather-Johnson sent Purcell away, and his shot beat Page, only to come back off the underside of the bar.

Brentwood made two substitutions, and for the next fifteen minutes the Hornchurch defence were frequently called into action, with Alex Bentley and Kenzer Lee both getting in last ditch tackles as the visitors continued to bombard the home goal.

Mott saved well from Luke Foster, whilst Ryan O’Rawe moved on to a corner and hit the bar, the ball running loose and then being fired hard against a post.

The pressure was relieved when Purcell again created an opening on the left, before playing the ball back to Porter, whose cross towards the far post again found Ross Wall who headed his second goal of the match.

Tobi Joseph, who came on for Fairweather-Johnson, broke powerfully from the half way line and was pulled down, the referee allowing play to continue before eventually booking the offender, but the chance was gone, though by this time the Brentwood threat had subsided, and Hornchurch were back in full control.