Eldridge 47

Hastings United

AFC Hornchurch

HASTINGS  1  HORNCHURCH  0

‘It’s definitely on, haven’t had hardly any rain here’ – could have fooled me, sitting in a monsoon just ten miles outside Hastings, with a hurricane passing by. Approaching Hastings, the roads were underwater. 200 yards before the ground, a large tree was lying across the road. Shortly before the kick off the sun briefly appeared, before retreating rapidly as the next heavy shower approached. The pitch itself was in excellent condition.

Hornchurch kicked down the steep slope in the first half, and won an early corner. Reece Prestedge floated the ball over, and it went out to Mark Janney on the right, who played the ball back into the middle, where Paul Shave collided with the keeper and put the ball inches wide of the post. Needless to say the free kick was given in favour of the home side. Janney tried a lob from 40 yards and Nessling did well to hang on to the ball. Then Mark Goodfellow played Wayne Gray through and Wayne was scythed down just five yards outside the area. An ideal spot for Jonathan Hunt to hammer in another of his famous free kicks, but he was on the bench, so it was left to Jamie Dormer, who cleared the wall with his shot but the ball rose just a fraction too high and went over.

Time for the first downpour of the match, which sent the three home supporters, packed together at the top of the bank along the side, scurrying for cover, only to find that there was none. It was now Gray’s turn to send Janney away and Mark ran on along the wing and crossed, Elford heading out for a corner. Dormer took the kick and the ball swung in and was headed out for a corner on the left. Dormer again, and the ball just eluded both Paul Shave and Elliot Styles. As Urchins piled on the pressure Jo Flack burst through on goal but Nessling made a good save, the ball rebounding back out to Janney, whose first time centre was touched out for a corner. This time Dormer played the ball short to Janney whose cross almost found Styles, only for Steve Elliott to get a deflection for another corner. This time Jamie Dormer over hit the ball and it was comfortably cleared.

Darren Behcet had little to do, but he did place a long kick deep downfield, for Wayne Gray to race on to, and Wayne played the ball back into the middle for Reece Prestedge, who touched on to Mark Janney, but he was crowded out and could not get in his shot. A long throw from Billy Coyne found Paul Shave, who headed just over the bar. Hastings came back when Upton made a good run on the left, but his centre was headed away by Goodfellow. On the other side of the field, Steve Elliott made ground before turning the ball inside to Michael Phillips, who slipped the ball back to Steve Elliott. Michael Spencer did well to race back and divert the cross for a corner. Eldridge took the corner and Paul Shave headed out for another corner as Upton moved in. Eldridge swung the ball into the goalmouth and Darren Behcet punched clear.

A long throw from Billy Coyne saw Paul Shave head back to Jo Flack, whose excellent shot brought an equally fine save from Nessling. A Billy Coyne run down the wing was stopped by a tackle by Elford. Olorunga was booked for a foul, and a minute later Jamie Dormer was also booked for what appeared a perfectly legitimate tackle. From the free kick, taken as per usual by Eldridge, the ball was played to Carey, but Elliot Styles was quick to react and cleared the danger.

Second half, and the rain increased to monsoon proportions, and the wind was almost hurricane force. And with Urchins playing up the slope and into the wind and rain, Steve Elliott powered down the right, hammered the ball into the crepiscule, and RUSSELL ELDRIDGE calmly hit his shot into the net. Urchins almost pulled the goal back within seconds when Paul Shave raced through but keeper Nessling just won the race to the ball. A Reece Prestedge corner swerved into the side netting, and another Prestedge corner was well held by Nessling.

Mark Goodfellow did well to head away a dangerous cross from Phillips, and then Ben Boyce and Jonathan Hunt came on for Reece Prestedge and Paul Shave. And Hunt was soon in action, after Boyce was fouled, sending in a dipping free kick which Nessling did well to hold just under the bar. Ben Boyce then cut in from the gloom, and his cross was turned around for a corner. Hunt disappeared into the gloom – the floodlights could not cope and left dark patches over large areas of the pitch - and took the corner which was tipped out for a corner on the left. Hunt briefly reappeared before disappearing again into the murky shadows on the left corner, and his inswinging kick was punched away by a very much in form Nessling, the ball being played immediately back to Hunt, whose centre was scrambled away.

Boyce cut in from the right and fired his shot inches wide, and then followed bookings for Hunt – apparently for disagreeing with the referee’s decision – and then for Styles, whose sliding tackle clipped a Hastings player. From Eldridge’s free kick the ball was deflected out for a corner. Eldridge took the kick and Behcet punched clear. Behcet then did well to hold a dipping cross from Eldridge. Duane Jackman came on and almost got on to the end of a Wayne Gray through ball.

Anyone who went to Hastings will remember how Colin McBride was sent off in the second minute of stoppage time there a couple of seasons ago. Today we had the same referee, and in the second minute of stoppage time he again waved the red card, seemingly for the home number ten, but instead it was directed at Ben Boyce, the red card incident being almost unnoticed by anyone in the crowd in the gloom.

Hastings United

AFC Hornchurch