Click for Woods' goal action

(thanks to www.afchornchurch.com)

1-0    2-2


Match Report
by Alan Evans

Despite missing a whole host of players through injury and suspension, the Woods battled their way to an excellent 2-2 draw at Bridge Avenue against a Ryman Premier Division side who failed to turn the advantage of possession into goals.

Ryan Tackley joined Jerome Hall, Danny Murphy and Liam Watson on the sidelines with injury, and with ever-present Adam Theo missing from the defence through suspension, the squad was very much stretched, with Terry Hogan starting in the centre of the defence for the first-time this season and Jazz Rose reverting to left-back having played on the right and in the middle recently. Up front, Adrian Abramian returned after missing three games with injury himself. It also meant two youngsters came onto the subs bench for their first involvement with the first-team: Jeff Boadi and Kevin Mason. Bradley Hewitt passed a fitness test and took up the captain’s arm-band for the first time.

The home side were missing a couple of key personnel themselves in one-time Harrow and Yeading defender Richard Goddard together with experienced midfielder Mark Janney, and the Woods tried to hit them early, getting the ball into the box but Dwane Williams missed his opportunity to strike at goal and was crowded out.

The Urchins then started to push forward themselves, with Andy Tomlinson slipping a ball through to Kris Lee whose shot was pushed away by Mitch Swain at his near-post. Two minutes later a strike from Gary Cross looked goal-bound but was blocked another corner.

On 13 minutes, there was a brief respite as Abdul Yoki, a one-time Hornchurch player, found Elliott Buchanan in space. He steadied himself before firing left-footed for goal but his radar was clearly off-course for now as the ball screamed over the bar.

There was a further injury blow for the Woods after 24 minutes as Lee Holland was caught late having played a ball down the line. It was missed by the officials and he had to be replaced by Danny Brown, bring the average age of the side down to just over twenty! He took time to adapt to the pace of the game, especially on the flank but was harshly booked twelve minutes later having just caught flying winger Shane Oakley, himself on as a substitute for Cross, who had aggravated a rib problem.

Yet, it was Northwood who grabbed the lead after 38 minutes. Abramian ran onto a through-ball, showing exquisite timing and battled ahead of his marker to get in a shot which was straight at goalkeeper Dale Brightly. He failed to hold on, though, and when defender Elliot Styles and Brightly hesitated, it was Abramian who managed to get a foot in on the ball and it rolled aside for Buchanan to fire home.

The home side were clearly shocked and they failed to respond before the break. In fact it was the Woods who came closest to a second goal when a cross from Abramian saw Yoki shoot wide of the target.

In the second-half it was expected to see AFC Hornchurch pick up the tempo and sure enough, they started strongly. Oakley had an early chance but wasn’t quick enough to react and the ball was cleared from the six-yard line. Then an enormous kick from Brightly bounced kindly for Harry Elmes, who attempted a header over the ‘keeper but Swain was equal to it, plucking the ball high in the air.

After 53 minutes, the Urchins did level things up. Former Brentford and Colchester midfielder Joe Keith was allowed to run from midfield and then shot low into the bottom corner to beat Swain, whose view had been slightly obstructed.

The Woods rallied, though, and two minutes later a good run from an otherwise subdued Danny Hart led to a cross from the left and Abramian’s near post header was only just wide of the post.

After 66 minutes, Hornchurch replaced Elmes with striker Simon Parker, and within three minutes he put the Premier Division side in front with an excellent first-time strike which sailed over Swain and dropped neatly under the crossbar.

With nothing to lose, Northwood began to threaten in the final fifteen minutes. Abramian again got in a near-post header, this time to a Yoki corner, which was blocked for another corner.

After 85 minutes, the hard-working Abramian was bundled over five yards outside the box and Buchanan seized his chance to grab his second goal of the game, lifting his free-kick up and over the wall past a motionless Brightly.

The referee found six minutes of additional stoppage-time and three minutes into that, it was Northwood who came closest to settling the tie. Substitute Jermaine Hamilton won a corner with some persistent hustling of a defender and when the ball came over from Yoki, it fell in the area to Williams but he lifted the ball over the crossbar.

In the end the sides had to settle for a draw and they will do it all again at Chestnut Avenue on Tuesday night.