HORNCHURCH 2 AVELEY 1
When is a red card not a red card? This was the question asked by 400 Urchins when the visitors totally lost all composure in the 85 th minute and the referee dished out cards left right and centre. On a near perfect pitch the only change from last week was Jamie Dormer in place of Ronnie Fletcher. In bright sunshine, in Spring like conditions, Urchins kicked towards the windmill end of the ground, and just as last week they dictated the play. Andy Tomlinson, so unjustly sent off last week when Che Stadhard fell over, sent a long ball to Wayne Gray whose neat touch on to Jo Flack saw Jo’s shot deflected out for a corner. Jonathan Hunt took the kick and Alaile cleared. Wayne Gray then ran on to an Elliot Styles pass and was pulled down on the edge of the area, but play was allowed to continue, with the East Side making their feelings known.
Mark Janney sent a good pass out to Billy Coyne whose shot was blocked by Symons, the ball rebounding to Jamie Dormer whose run on goal was stopped by Greg Lincoln who escaped without a booking. Hunt took the free kick and Flack’s shot was diverted out for another corner by Alex Bentley. Hunt floated the ball over and Ollie Morris-Sanders punched out for another corner, and this time Hunt played the ball short to Tomlinson whose centre drifted out at the far post. Michael Spencer exchanged passes with Billy Coyne, and slid the ball through to Mark Janney, and keeper Morris-Sanders made an excellent save from Mark’s on target shot.
Darren Behcet at last got a touch of the ball and played it up to Janney who touched on to Gray, and Alaile did well to deflect the cross before Flack could reach the ball. Aveley had their first shot when they broke clear on the left and the ball was played inside to Ryan Edgar and his shot twisted in the air and went only inches wide. A long Behcet clearance to Flack resulted in another corner when Sam Holloway tackled to prevent a goal, and Hunt’s kick was headed away by Alaile. Spencer then played a long ball to Flack who turned inside his marker and cracked his shot inches wide of the post.
Flack won anoher corner as Urchins piled on the pressure and Morris-Sanders punched Hunt’s dipping corner away to safety. When a long Symons throw found Doyle, he quickly touched on to Edgar whose cross was tipped over by Behcet for Aveley’s first corner, and Mark Goodfellow cleared Matt Johnson’s inswinging kick. Jo Flack ran on to Hunt’s pass and his shot was brilliantly saved by Morris-Sanders who turned the shot around the post for another corner, which Hunt played back to Gray, whose shot went for the sixth Urchins’ corner of the half. This time Morris-Sanders rose well to hold the ball as it dipped towards the goal. Almost on half time the East Side was briefly shocked into silence when Jonathan Hunt was booked, apparently for playing an inch perfect pass through to Jo Flack.
It was Alaile who came to the rescue straight after half time when he just got in a tackle to prevent Jo Flack from scoring, which led to corner number seven. Hunt played the ball to Tomlinson, took the return pass and Morris-Sanders did well to keep Hunt’s goal bound shot out of goal. Goodfellow then conceded a corner which was taken by Lincoln , and this led to a free kick which was taken by Johnson and Behcet gathered under pressure. Flack fired wide from Spencer’s excellent pass and then Hunt sent an inch perfect free kick went to JO FLACK who quickly spun around and hammered his shot low past a surprised Morris-Sanders.
Duane Jackman came on for Wayne Gray and was immediately in the action when he ran on to Hunt’s pass but was tackled by Alaile. The East Side were incensed when first Jo Flack and then Elliot Styles were booked inside a minute, both decisions appearing somewhat controversial, and then Behcet rose well to hold Johnson’s corner despite being charged heavily as he rose for the ball. Jamie Dormer sent an excellent pass through to Jo Flack who raced on and fired his shot past Morris-Sanders only for the ball to rebound from the foot of the post and Jackman just failed to reach the ball as it rolled loose.
Aveley pushed forward and Behcet saved Johnson’s free kick and again was sent sprawling, though no action was taken. A Spencer shot was parried by Morris-Sanders, and the ball rebounded to Jo Flack whose shot was well stopped by Morris-Sanders who then dived sideways to grab the ball on the line. Hunt sent a perfect pass to Jo Flack who eluded two defenders and his shot skimmed the post. Aveley were then awarded a dubious free kick which Johnson played low into the goalmouth and RYAN EDGAR flicked the ball into the net, to send the five Aveley supporters wild with delight. Another questionable free kick, and Sam Holloway hit the ball hard into the wall of defenders. At the other end Hunt’s hard free kick also rebounded off the defensive wall.
Urchins piled on the pressure, and when Alaile fouled Flack inside the area the referee immediately pointed to the spot, and booked Alaile, the yellow card being somewhat harsh for what was simply a mistimed tackle. Keeper Morris-Sanders then went into the book, and possibly one other, though this was uncertain as the player in question had already been booked. The referee was called over to the linesman on the far side, and promptly produced the red card which he waved at Alaile, who had been booked for the original tackle, and two minutes after the penalty was awarded JONATHAN HUNT calmly stepped up to slot the ball home. A quick player count showed that Aveley still had eleven players on the pitch, and the knowledgeable East Side went berserk, with Biased Bob taking the initiative in letting the referee know that the player had not left the pitch.
Six minutes were added on for the many stoppages, and Sam Holloway became the sixth Aveley player to go into the book. Ronnie Fletcher and Ben Boyce both came on, and Urchins calmly played out the remainder of the match, to gain a thoroughly deserved three points, leaving just the referee’s assessor to ask the referee a long list of questions, the first of which must surely have been ‘when is a red card not a red card?’. |
