AFC Hornchurch

Saturday 2-December-2014

HORNCHURCH 0 TONBRIDGE 0

HFC – Sam Mott – Billy Coyne – Chris Bourne -– Elliot Styles © – Billy Roast - Frankie Curley -Joe Christou – Danny Johnson (Tobi Joseph 52) – Martin Tuohy (Joey May 76) – George Purcell – Michael Malcolm (Thomas Gogo 48)
Subs – Elyon Marshall-Katung – Courtney Homans

TA – Thomas Hadler – James Folkes – Jack Parter – Lee Carey © - Charlie Slocombe – Laurence Ball – Royce Greenidge (Flavio Tavares 90+2) – Tom Parkinson – Marvin Williams – Tommy Whitnell – Dee Okojie (Gavin Quintyne 76)
Subs – George Craddock – Callum McCarthy

Officials –Neil Davies - previous matches – 26/8/13 at Billericay, 2/9/14 v Maidstone
Oscar Ayyadi – first match as official at Hornchurch
Andy Demetriades – first match as official at Hornchurch

Bookings – Williams 55 (T) – Tuohy 59 (H)
Attendance 217
Duration – 46.09 + 51.10
Weather – cloudy, 9 degrees, wind speed 12 mph

HORNCHURCH 0 TONBRIDGE 0

For the second home match in succession there were no goals, and Hornchurch have now gone eight matches unbeaten at home.

Hornchurch went close when a long throw by Billy Coyne was not cleared and George Purcell followed up, and Thomas Hadler saved his shot.

Purcell had another opportunity when he moved in from the left after receiving a long upfield pass from Chris Bourne, but he placed his shot too high and over the bar.

Martin Tuohy had a header saved by Hadler, when the visiting defence failed to deal with another long throw by Billy Coyne.

Hornchurch had a scare at the other end when Sam Mott kicked a clearance against Marvin Williams, but it was Mott who reacted first to run back and grab the loose ball as it bounced goalwards.

Tonbridge were unable to deal with another long throw from Coyne, and Hadler punched the ball out to Purcell, who fired it back promptly, but too high and over the bar.

Michael Malcolm found himself in a shooting position following a good build up by Tuohy and Frankie Curley but he was crowded out before he could shoot.

A Bourne free kick found Purcell whose cross eluded everyone as it went across the goalmouth, and Hadler saved well when Joe Christou fired in a hard drive from outside the area.

Towards half time it was Hornchurch who came under pressure – Mott turned a shot by Royce Greenidge around the post for the first of five corners, two of which were due to miskicks, firstly by Billy Coyne and then by Frankie Curley.

The second half started as the first half had ended, with Tonbridge going close, when Marvin Williams broke through and Mott saved well.

Thomas Gogo replaced Michael Malcolm and Toni Joseph came on for Danny Johnson, and Gogo was quickly involved when he was fouled by Williams, and the free kick, taken by Christou, found Billy Roast whose header was just over the bar.

Purcell made a solo run in from the left wing and his shot was touched around for a corner as Hornchurch began to pressurise the visiting defence, and Gogo combined well with Purcell to give Christou a shooting chance, the ball cannoning back off a defender.

Joe Christou sent a long throw into the middle, where Hadler made a good save from Tuohy, and it was Tuohy again who almost scored with a spectacular overhead kick which drifted narrowly wide of the post from another long throw, this time from Billy Coyne.

Hornchurch lost Martin Tuohy with an injury and Joey May came on, and it was May who almost won the match for Hornchurch when he weaved past three defenders, only for his shot to be well saved by Hadler.

Tonbridge came back in the final few minutes, with two dangerous corners, starting when Coyne headed away a free kick from Lee Carey, the resulting corner being dealt with by Billy Roast, whilst the second corner was headed away by Elliot Styles, and play was held up for a time when James Folkes dislocated his shoulder, which was put back into place by the visiting physio.