Report

13-September-2016 – League Cup
HORNCHURCH 4 HARINGEY BOROUGH 1

HFC – Mott, King, Da Cruz, Goodacre © (Kone 74), Cooper, Morrish, Thompson (Hursit 67), Chouman (Dickens 72), McKenzie, Coley, Agombar
Sub – Bentley

HB – Byfield, Loizou, White, Clarke, Folonsho, Dedman, O’Donoghue, Kay, Markus (Tazar 67), Gabriel © (Masri 74), Moorse-MacDougall (Gyimah 46)
Sub -Palmer

Scorers – McKenzie 7 (H) – Markus 14 (HB) – Coley 22 (H) – McKenzie 28 (H) – McKenzie 73 (H)

Bookings – Clarke 35 (HB) – King 50 (H) – Folonsho 69 (HB)
Attendance 71
Officials – Stuart Franklin with Jeffrey Stanley and Dean Markwick

HORNCHURCH 4 HARINGEY BOROUGH 1

The League Cup is not popular with supporters, and Hornchurch had their lowest attendance for sixteen years, despite admission prices being reduced.

For those who did turn up, they must have wondered what was going on, with several enforced changes in the starting line up – no George Purcell, David Knight, or Elliot Styles, all out with injury.

No Ricky Freeman – he has linked up again with Phoenix Sports.
No George Woodward – he has joined Aveley.

Will King and Sam Dickens were drafted in from the reserve team, along with Ousmana Kone, who played twice in pre-season matches, but on both occasions had to leave the field early with injuries.

Jamie Hursit, who played once previously for Hornchurch two seasons ago, and who was with Enfield Town last season, completed the squad.

Hornchurch quickly showed that they were not there to make up the numbers, when Abs Thompson made the first of many rapid runs along the right wing, his centre finding Leon McKenzie, who header over.

But McKenzie was on target shortly afterwards, when he ran on to an inch-perfect pass from Harry Agombar, glided in from the left, and neatly slotted home.

It could have been two a minute later, when Ayrton Coley sent Thompson away on the left, and loud shouts for a penalty were denied, the decision being a corner.

Haringey drew level when Adrian Markus took a free kick thirty yards out, and the ball bounced awkwardly in front of the diving Sam Mott and into the net.

Mott made an excellent save from a close range Markus shot, and Nathan Cooper blocked another shot on the goal line, but Hornchurch quickly regained control and regained the lead when Ayrton Coley shrugged off a challenge close to the half way line, and ran forward, to neatly place the ball wide of the advancing Austin Byfield.

The third goal soon arrived, when Coley sent Thompson away on the right wing, and Leon McKenzie headed home the resulting centre.

And it could have been four, when a Harry Agombar free kick beat the defensive wall but was a fraction too high and over the bar.

The temperature during the day had reached 31 degrees, and it was still 30 degrees in the evening, so it was understandable that the pace slackened after the interval.

Agombar went close, whilst at the other end Will King conceded a corner, which Mott plucked out of the air as the ball came over.

Jamie Hursit replaced Abs Thompson, who had tormented the visiting defence time and again,

Sam Dickens came on, and a minute later Harry Agombar played a free kick into the goalmouth, where Leon McKenzie headed his third, and Hornchurch’s fourth, goal of the match.

Ousmana Kone then came on for Paul Goodacre, himself coming back after a slipped disc at the end of last season.

Saleem Masri also came on for Haringey but had to go off five minutes from time with a head injury, leaving Haringey a player short for the final few minutes.