Report

Friday 19-August-2016 – FA CUP
AVELEY 0 HORNCHURCH 1

AFC – Robins, Finneran, Sinclair (Retkoceri 68), Coyne, Dunn, Danquan (McCullock 82), Edwards, Seymour ©, Pindy (Stanley 74), Ighorae, Tobon
Substitutes – Maitrepierre, Gibbs, Peart

HFC – Chafer, Collis, Cooper, Styles, Da Cruz, Bentley (Thompson 63), Morrish (Chouman 77), Lee, Woodward, Knight, Purcell (McKenzie 79).
Substitutes: Freeman, Coley, Hursit, Symons.

Officials – G Byrne with W Middlemis and M Harmer

Scorer – Abs Thompson 67
Bookings – Seymour 57 (AFC) – Morrish 74 (H) – Knight 81 (H) – Thompson 87 (H) – Collis 89 (H)

Attendance 171

AVELEY 0 HORNCHURCH 1

Abs Thompson scored the only goal of the night just three minutes after coming on as substitute, in a match played on a difficult pitch and in a swirling upfield wind.

Sam Mott was unavailable and Callum Chafer came in for his first appearance of the season, and David Knight and James Morrish also came into the starting line up.

Hornchurch had an early opportunity when George Purcell sent a pass through to David Knight, who ran past a defender but directed his shot a fraction too high.

Hornchurch had a scare when, on seven minutes, Michael Pindy, appearing to be in an offside position, raced towards goal. He lobbed the ball over Chafer but Nathan Cooper reacted quickly and was able to clear the ball away for a corner as it bounced towards an empty net.

Hornchurch were troubled by the speed of Emmanuel Ighorae on the right wing, and he almost opened the scoring when he cur inside but fired his shot across goal.

George Purcell was close to scoring at the other end when he took a pass from Knight, and his hard drive from outside the area took a deflection and went around the post for a corner.

Five minutes later Ighorae went past JJ Da Cruz, and was brought down by Elliot Styles. Abs Seymour took the free kick and the ball dipped late in flight to come back off the crossbar.

As the half drew to a close, Purcell fired a hard free kick into the defensive wall, and Richard Robins saved well from Cooper, whilst Knight ran on to a Dave Collis pass, only to pull his shot wide of the far post.

On the stroke of half time, Robins tried to let the ball run out, but Knight nipped in quickly and pulled the ball back to Purcell, but he was crowded out and his rushed shot was wide of the goal.

Hornchurch had the majority of the territorial play in the second half, aided by the upfield wind, and Robins did well to hold a powerful Purcell free kick on 50 minutes.

Robins was fortunate shortly afterwards when he missed a George Woodward free kick, but a defender was ideally placed to head the ball out for a corner.

Robins redeemed himself with a fine save from an Alex Bentley header in the 55th minute, which forced Robins into back-peddling quickly to grab the ball under the bar.

Aveley were rarely in the match as an attacking force, but a shot from Andres Tobon from outside the area was well saved by an alert Chafer at the expense of a corner.

Knight was again involved four minutes later as he volleyed over after Cooper’s knockdown.

Jim McFarlane then sent on Abs Thompson, and three minutes later it produced the only goal of the match, when Thompson chased a long back pass to the keeper, and Robins, unable to handle the ball, could do little to prevent Thompson from quickly placing the ball into the net.

Knight headed wide from a Woodward corner with fifteen minutes left, but Hornchurch were forced to make a further substitution, with Jed Chouman replacing Morrish. Chouman went to right back in a reshuffled defence.

Leon McKenzie replaced the hard working Purcell for the two minutes later, and he made an immediate impact, playing the ball to Knight who crossed the ball into the middle, where Kenzer Lee headed narrowly over the bar.

Aveley threw players forward in stoppage time, and Collis did well to prevent a speedy move on the left flank. In the final few seconds, Billy Coyne hurled he ball into the goalmouth, and although an Aveley forward was quick to react, he put his shot high over the bar.

For Hornchurch, it is a free Saturday, but for Jim McFarlane and his team it is a long trip to watch Rushden & Diamonds play Northampton Sileby Rangers.