AFC Hornchurch

Saturday 14-December-2013
HORNCHURCH 3 MARGATE 2

HFC – Inigo Echepare – Phil Starkey – Alex Bentley – Elliot Styles © - Rickie Hayles - Frankie Curley – Carl Rook - Dave Rainford– Stefan Payne (Leigh Bremner 87) - George Purcell (Tambeson Eyong 84) – Michael Spencer
Subs –- Billy Coyne –Chris Bourne - Joey May

MFC – Craig Holloway – Elliot Cox – Ryan Holby – Richard Avery – Joe Vines © - Scott Kinch – Warren Whitely – Wayne Wilson – Phil Walsh – Moses Ashikodi – Matt Bodkin
Subs – George Whitelock – Ryan Perkins – Aaron James (Jack Sammoutis 64) – Gary Borrowdale

Scorers – Whitely 29 (M) – Spencer 34 (H) – Walsh 58 (M) – Payne 60 (H) – Spencer 62 (H)
Bookings – Spencer 34 (H) – Vine 44 (M) – Cox 85 (H)
Officials – Dan Robothan with Mark Stevens and Carl Tribe
Attendance 238
Duration 45.50 + 47.55
Weather – 11 degrees, cloudy, wind speed 15 mph

HORNCHURCH 3 MARGATE 2

Hornchurch came twice from behind to maintain their place as league leaders against a Margate side who were anxious to impress new manager Terry Brown, who had taken over from John Beales, who had taken over from Simon Osborn, who had taken over from Craig Holloway, who continued as a player and who was in goal today.

Margate’s Joe Vines was fortunate to escape a yellow card in the first minute with a badly mistimed tackle, and play then settled down as both teams tried to come to terms with the strong end to end wind.

Hornchurch created the first scoring chance, when Stefan Payne moved forward, only for this chip shot to be saved by Craig Holloway.

When Payne won a corner shortly afterwards, Hornchurch almost took the lead. Michael Spencer floated the ball towards the near post, where Rickie Hayles powered his header a fraction wide of the goal.

Another Spencer corner came to nothing, and in Margate’s first sortie upfield Wayne Wilson went close with a first time shot from the edge of the area.

Margate took the lead when WARREN WHITELY took possession out on the left wing, moved inside and then turned sharply to fire home from outside the area.

Hornchurch drew level five minutes later, when Phil Starkey’s lengthy throw was headed on and across goal, where Michael Spencer, who was booked three minutes earlier for a rash challenge, was ideally placed to score his first league goal of the season.

The rest of the half was largely confined to midfield, with neither team creating any goal scoring opportunities, although Joe Vines was shown a yellow card for another wild tackle as the match moved into stoppage time.

The second half started slowly, with both defences on top, until Margate again took the lead in the 58th minute, when PHIL WALSH calmly converted a low cross from the left.

Their lead lasted only two minutes – a poorly directed back pass fell well short of keeper Holloway and Stefan Payne took possession, and slotted the ball into an empty net.

And two minutes later came the goal of the match, when Michael Spencer powered through and from thirty yards crashed the ball into the net.

Margate retaliated with two corners, and from the second of these Inigo Echepare made a flying save to deny Walsh.

Hornchurch could have gone further ahead when Payne took advantage of a poorly struck free kick, and ran through, only to be stopped by a timely tackle by Vine. George Purcell then went close when he took a pass from Alex Bentley and moved in from the left, but Holloway made a diving save to turn the shot around the post. Spencer took the corner, and Purcell tried a first time shot which went wide of the post.

Tambeson Eyong replaced Purcell, and Leigh Bremner came on for Payne, but it was Echepare in the home goal who came to the rescue with another flying save when a corner was headed on by Walsh.

In stoppage time Eyong powered through the middle, his shot being saved by Holloway, and Bremner weaved a path in from the left, and his shot hit the side netting.

Prior to the match, club president Del Edkins made presentations to Colin McBride and Jim McFarlane to mark their 400th matches for Hornchurch, and to Frankie Curley and Michael Spencer, who both topped the 200 mark.