AVELEY 3 HORNCHURCH 1 (aet)
With Duane Jackman and Jamie Dormer both having injuries from Saturday’s match, and Ross Wall cup tied, Mark Goodfellow and Mark Janney came into the starting line up. Ben Boyce, who was on crutches after the Carshalton match, surprised the hundred Urchins supporters by still being able to play in this match. Urchins kicked down the massive slope in the first half towards the club house end, and began well, when Jonathan Hunt slipped the ball to Ronnie Fletcher who sent Billy Coyne clear on the right, and Sam Holloway did well to deflect the cross for a corner. Hunt took the kick, took a quick return pass from Ben Boyce and then floated the ball into the middle, where both Jo Flack and Elliot Styles came within inches of getting a touch. Fletcher sent Michael Spencer away and Ryan Doyle tackled to concede another corner, but it was Aveley who took the lead when the ball was pumped upfield and Junior Dadson chased the ball out on the right side of the area. Darren Behcet came out and was left stranded when Dadson lofted the ball over Darren and into the goalmouth where the unmarked MARTIN TUOHY headed home.
A Jo Flack shot was turned around for a corner and Hunt picked out Styles who headed inches over the bar, whilst at the other end Ryan Edgar’s cross found David Knight whose shot went over the bar, out of the ground, over the car park and the ball disappeared towards the houses where the old Aveley ground used to be. Ben Boyce took a pass from Andy Tomlinson and cut in from the left, hitting his shot narrowly over the bar, and when Mark Janney sent Jonathan Hunt clear, Hunt ran on and hammered his shot goalwards, where a defender handled the ball and then Rhys Madden turned the ball around the post. Having had four penalty appeals rejected at Harrow, it was perhaps not a surprise when this appeal went the same way. From Hunt’s corner, Fletcher’s header skimmed the bar.
Jonathan Hunt, controlling the midfield, then sent Ben Boyce clear and Ben raced goalwards, only to be hacked down inches from the penalty area, only for the anticipated red card to be neatly avoided by the referee who waved play on, in what was the most blatant injustice ever witnessed at Aveley. To make it worst, in their next attack, Jo Flack raced goalwards and was scythed down inside the area, only for the referee once again to allow play to continue. Almost on half time Jo Flack sent in an excellent shot and keeper Rhys Madden flung himself sideways to make a remarkable save.
Talking point at half time was the number of penalty appeals that have been ignored by referees this season, but many were now wondering if the match would be able to finish as the frost was making the stand side of the ground rock hard. Urchins kicked up the eiger like slope in the second half, and Boyce put a first time shot wide of the goal. Aveley stormed down the slope and Michael Spencer had to conceded a corner from Dadson. Matthew Johnson took the corner and Knight was first to the ball, but Darren Behcet made an excellent save. Flack then switched play out to the right where Janney cut inside and his shot was blocked by Madden, the ball rebounding to Mark Goodfellow whose follow up shot was also blocked.
With the pitch now resembling an ice rink, on came Soz Yao – yes, he still has his white boots – whose announced himself in style when he tricked his way along the icy left flank and crossed, and both Boyce and Styles saw their shots cleared off the line. Elliot Styles then needed lengthy attention following a collision of heads, and it was with some relief that Elliot was eventually helped to his feet – and to everyone’s amazement, Elliot was back on the pitch within two minutes.
Soz t Andy Tomlinson whose dipping cross was saved well by an on form Madden. A good run by Doyle enabled Johnson to move along the left where Tomlinson tackled to concede a corner, but Behcet caught Johnson’s well flighted kick. Dadson made a good opening for Tuohy but he hit his shot wide of the goal. Rhys Madden then made the save of the match, when he dived to keep out Jonathan Hunt’s 30 yard shot. Jonathan Spencer came on for Goodfellow and Michael Spencer dropped to left back, Andy Tomlinson moved forward, with Elliot Styles moving further up the field. The revised formation had its effect when Billy Coyne’s long throw was turned out for a corner. Hunt floated the ball over from the right, Styles, despite his head injury, nodded the ball onwards, and SOZ YAO touched home.
With Urchins coming forward again, it was Soz who crossed to Flack, by Jo flicked the ball inches over the bar. Hunt hit another shot goalwards from 30 yards and Madden tipped the ball around the post. Hunt’s corner found Ronnie Fletcher, whose shot was blocked, and the ball rebounded to Fletcher, whose follow up shot was also blocked, just short of the line. Doyle was perhaps fortunate to remain on the pitch after a very badly mistimed tackle on Soz Yao, who crashed down onto the icy surface, and at the other end Behcet held on to Johnson’s dangerously flighted corner. Mitchell Stuart-Evans replaced Jo Flack, and right on full time a Boyce cross found Soz Yao whose shot was saved on the line by Rhys Madden.
Many thought that the match would now be abandoned as the stand side of the pitch was a hard icy skating rink, but extra time was played, with Urchins almost scoring when Tomlinson sent Yao away, but once again Madden saved well, to turn the shot around the post. And then Aveley took the lead, when a first time shot from NICKY SYMONS from outside the area crashed into the net, and RYAN EDGAR then scored the third goal three minutes later when he was left unmarked after Aveley had quickly moved upfield from when a Hornchurch attack was broken up and RYAN EDGAR reacted quickly to stroke the ball home.. Martin Tuohy had a shot saved by Behcet, before Urchins came forward again in the second half of extra time.
A Ben Boyce shot looked to be going in, until Madden dived to tip the ball over the bar, and Hunt’s corner bounced around the goalmouth before being hooked clear by a defender. Jonathan Spencer sent Elliot Styles away, but Elliot was pulled down – yes, of course the referee waved play on – and a Hunt corner was cleared comfortably. A Jonathan Spencer shot led to another corner, which Hunt took, and this led to a further corner, with Hunt touching the ball back to Ben Boyce, whose vicious shot was touched over the bar by Aveley’s player of the match, Rhys Madden, who then calmly collected Hunt’s corner.
So – thirteen corners for Hornchurch, and two penalty appeals rejected – but it’s goals that count. |
