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Dartford

AFC Hornchurch

DARTFORD 0 HORNCHURCH 1

For a change there were no hold ups on the Bridge, so arrival at Dartford was nice and early. A bright and sunny day, so it was a surprise to find that the ground was waterlogged and the match in doubt. Puddles ankle deep and a lot of surface water. After a lengthy inspection the match was declared on, and this proved to be the correct decision, as by kick off time the surface was in near perfect condition and a credit to any team. Had we lost, it would of course have been a different story. The pitch had been relaid during the close season, but there are serious drainage problems which have to be addressed.

150 Urchins supporters made it from the Bridge across the Bridge to New Watling Street by kick off time, and the ground filled up very late to give an impressive attendance of 1224. No Jo Flack, out with injury, and Duane Jackman came in.  Dartford are unbeaten in the league this season and looked confident in everything they did, but it was Hornchurch who made the first serious move of the match when Duane Jackman played a long ball through to Wayne Gray, forcing home keeper Andrew Young to rush out of his goal to kick away wildly. Dartford quickly got into their stride. A Harris cross was headed away by Mark Goodfellow, and a long throw from Billy Burgess found Ryan Harris on the right and his cross curved into the side netting.

The referee also quickly got into his own stride, exerting his authority over the match with a constant stream of stoppages. Jamie  Dormer was singled out for the first booking following what to most appeared to be a perfectly timed tackle, and the home crowd screamed unsuccessfully for a further booking when Andy Tomlinson mistimed a tackle. Elliot Styles headed away a Burgess cross and the ball fell to Danny Harris whose wild first time shot sailed out of the ground. But Urchins came back strongly and began to dictate the play. A Jonathan Hunt corner was headed away by James Coyle, and was promptly returned by Michael Spencer for Wayne Gray to send a diving header just inches over the bar.

And then it was Billy Coyne, who made ground on the right and played the ball up to Wayne Gray but his cross was too close to Young who caught the ball as it curved over. At the other end Harris touched a short pass to Burgess whose shot through a crowd of defenders brought a good save from Darren Behcet. Mark Janney made a long run but was tripped by Gross and keeper Young did well to hang on to Hunt’s dipping free kick. A Ryan Hayes free kick for Dartford picked out Harris, whose header just skimmed the bar and another Hayes free kick was deflected by Dormer for a corner. Hayes took the kick and Behcet caught the ball under heavy pressure.

 Hayes then made a run into the Urchins penalty area and down he went. The referee was having nothing of it, despite the banshee howls from the home crowd behind the goal – but why was there no yellow card? Hornchurch dominated for long periods and a Hunt free kick crashed against the wall of defenders and rebounded out to Billy Coyne whose first time shot just rose over the bar. Janney to Gray and Wayne crossed, with Coyle heading out for a corner. Hunt floated the ball over and Coyle headed away. Hunt picked out Janney with a cross field pass, and Mark made a long run and crossed to Jackman, whose shot was well saved by Young. Hayes broke through for Dartford, but he put his shot wide of the post. In the 43^rd minute Urchins took the lead when BILLY COYNE, out on the right wing, cur inside and hammered a hard left footed shot into the net, to send the 200 away supporters wild with delight.  Adam Gross was immediately booked, after the linesman had called the referee over, and Darts went in a goal down.

Darts came out strongly in the second half, and were awarded a free kick just outside the area. Gross stepped up to take the kick, and hit his shot into the car park. Lee Noble tried a long range shot which dipped late but Goodfellow was positioned to deflect the ball out for a corner. Hayes took the corner and Styles cleared.

Kris Lee came on for Duane Jackman, who had been a constant menace up front, but there was no respite for the home defence as Kris was soon in the action. Michael Spencer was then booked for an innocuous tackle, but Hayes put his free kick straight at Darren Behcet. Spencer, playing in midfield, then put a good ball into the goalmouth, but Kris Lee was crowded out by a mass of defenders. Darts made a double substitution,, bringing on James White and Rob Haworth, and this almost brought instant success when a free kick was chested off the line by Goodfellow, and the ball eventually cleared, the loud appeals for hand ball being ignored. A Hunt free kick was well saved by Young, and then Kris Lee raced away from the centre and was immediately pulled down by White, who surprisingly only received a yellow card, with 300 Urchins all anticipating a straight red. The result was simply a free kick and Hunt curled the ball into the goalmouth where Young saved.

Spencer then crossed from the left and Kris Lee’s first time shot was blocked by Dafter. A free kick by Hayes was well held by Behcet, who pumped the ball deep upfield and Mark Janney raced clear, but was constantly pulled back. Mark still managed to poke the ball past the outrushing Young and it rolled agonisingly slowly towards the goalline and was hacked off the line by Gross, with 250 Urchins behind the goal calling loudly for a red card, which of course never came.

Inspired by the let off Darts stormed back and Goodfellow cleared a Hayes corner, after the ball had bobbled around. Paul Shave came on, and Kris Lee remained the sole player up front. The best move of the match involve Paul Shave, Hunt, Dormer and Billy Coyne, whose inswinging centre was well saved by Young, , and Ronnie Fletcher then came on to add extra strength at the back/ Spencer found space on the left to cut inside and his cross was scrambled away. By now the home crowd were heading for the traffic jam which was growing in the car park, and there was a constant roar emanating from the 300 Urchins behind the home goal, which grew ever louder. The referee signalled five minutes of stoppages, and Darts launched an all out onslaught on the Hornchurch goal. Shots rained in, and those that had left early to avoid the traffic jams were bombarded with stray balls. There was still time for Billy Burgess to become the seventh player to be booked, whilst in the fourth minute of stoppage time Adam Flanagan – who in the previous week’s programme had named Hornchurch as his least favourite ground – took a free kick from inside his own half which almost crept into the net, but for an alert Darren Behcet.

The final whistle sounded after 50 minutes and six seconds of the second half, and the entire Hornchurch team raced to the far end to take the loud acclaims from the 400 Urchins behind the goal.

Dartford

AFC Hornchurch