retired_ajbrittney

My reserves start live in the lowest rung of the Reserves Leagues. They make a respectable, if winless start. Drawing 3 and losing 1. Very similar to their seniors performance in the league. The reserves include former first teamers like Tolo Mas and Nick Boothby.

As if winning manager of the month for August wasn’t enough. John Still of Dagenham & Redbridge decided to taunt me before the game. I kept calm and merely replied that the best team would win.

Hornchurch 2) 4 -2 (2 Dagenham & Redbridge

We made a bright start, effectively stifling our opponents. Law always looked dangerous and had a reasonable chance 17 seconds into the game, his effort went wide though. However 13 minutes later he was put properly into the clear and superbly rounded their keeper to put us into the lead. Excellent work from Buckley also contributed.
It took Dagenham four minutes to equalize, our marking at a corner was woeful and Moore snuck in to score.
A mere two minutes later we regained our lead, Woods was unaware that he’d score, Heathcote’s cross hit him in the head and just happened to cross the line. How long could we hold onto this lead.
Roughly 15 minutes was the answer. Buckley was to blame this time, the ball took a freakish deflection of his shin and went in. We were pegged back.
The second half was slower paced than the first and after 20 minutes had elapsed I decided to change things. I took off Woods and Salt and brought on Skelton and Tolley. I instructed Lynott to join the midfield more. We were being swamped.
Dividends were soon reaped. Law scored a fabulous goal from the edge of the area and then Tolley benefited from a Heathcote freekick. All in quick order.
We held onto our margin and recorded our first win of the season. A superb result. The star of the show was Law, his goals have been vital this season!

retired_ajbrittney

A have a few injury worries, Culshaw picked up a knock i the last game and Wray injured himself in training. Culshaw’s misfortune is good news for Lee Grant.

Gravesend 0) 0 -1 (0 Hornchurch

Not the most exciting start to the game, both teams struggled to make an impact and by half time neither had really made inroads into the oppositions defence, being limited to long range efforts. Hornchurch gained some domination though when I shifted my focus to wing play. My players were able to circumvent the packed Gravesend midfield.
The second half began in exciting fashion when Grant bundled over Jimmy Jackson in the area. Jackson himself elected to take the penalty and blasted it over the bar.
We continued to threaten down the wing, without any real effect. Law had a good run that was well saved by the keeper, and Buckley had an inaccurate effort go wide.
I brought on Tolley for Woods and Skelton for Salt. Ten minutes before the death they combined well, Skelton piecing through a simple through-ball to Tolley, who finished simply. With that goal it was time to defend.
We held on for the final ten minutes. We even had another good chance but Tolley’s shot was well saved.
Lee Grant had a very good debut, being awarded man of the match.

Hornchurch 1)2 - 1(1 Leigh RMI

Leigh are struggling in the league at the moment, it would be our job to make their situation worse. Hopefully with a victory.
Ben Woods put us well on the way just two minutes into the game, he received a pass from Buckley and rounded the keeper.
We didn’t hold up well for the rest of the half. Leigh were aggressive in attack and it didn’t take them long to equalize, a corner providing them with the chance. They dominated the rest of the half and we rarely got a look-in.
Our performance was much better in the second half. The introduction of Tolley was vital. He forced a good save out of the keeper, before putting us ahead on 80 minutes with a simple tap-in.
The final ten minutes were exciting stuff. Leigh went on an all out offensive but their distribution was often awful. Woods ad a good chance on the counter but failed to beat their keeper. We held on for the win though, our third in a row!

retired_ajbrittney

(0 Hornchurch[/b]

We were lucky to win this game, Tamworth had many attempts on goal and harried us for every ball. Only good keeping from Ovendale helped us out, that and a timely interception by Townley ten minutes from time. He passed to Woods who crossed for the increasingly impressive Tolley. His finish almost broke the net and we survived to the death.
Another good performance, my players coping well under pressure. Tolley is now making a real claim to oust Woods from the team. He may get his chance soon.

The win against Tamworth takes us to second in the table. Most of teh other teams in the league have a game in hand though, including leaders Hereford.

Both Law and Salt were injured during the last game. Salt is out for two weeks, so Skelton will get an extended run in the team.

September ends and what a memorable month it has been. Lee Grant wins the young player of the month award, Tolley’s goal at Tamworth is one of the best of the month and I win the Manager of the Month award. Excellent progress.

Hornchurch 0 -0 Nuneaton Borough

A very dull first half, our passing was not of the best standard and we didn’t really trouble the away team. Woods and Skelton had our best chances, but failed to trouble the keeper.
If anything the second half was even duller than the first. Not a single shot on goal was recorded. A forgettable game for all concerned.

Hornchurch 1) 3-1 (0 Woking

We made a dream start against struggling Woking, their keeper spilled a Buckley cross and gifted the ball to Law, who finished from close range. After that chances were few and far between and the half ended on a dull note.
The second half was equally dull up till the last 20 minutes, then things started to get exciting. Woking leveled the match with a deflection of Coburn that wrong footed Ovendale. Soon after Burwood was brought down by their keeper Shwan Jalal and he converted the penalty to score his first of the season. Just before the end Law scored his second, when Jalal spilled a Tolley shot.
A reasonable victory for us. Now several games without defeat and 3rd in the table, just a point behind leaders Hereford.

We are drawn at home to Vauxhall Motors in the 4th qualifying round of the FA Cup. They are in the ECN so should be an interesting match.

Halifax 0)0 -3 (1 Hornchurch

I decided to rest quite a few players for this match. Wray and Tolley replaced Coburn and Law, who were tired.
We had to weather a storm of pressure in the first half. Mark Ovendale was a very busy man but he performed very well in goal. It was against the run of play that we took the lead just before half time, Woods scoring from the edge of the box.
I have no idea what happened to Halifax in the second half, they went from dangerous to totally useless. Tolley and Law had fun exploiting the gaps and scored a goal apiece. A very surprising collapse of our opponents.

Hornchurch 0 -0 Carlisle Utd

Shaun Wray basically shot himself in the foot Hornchurch wise for getting himself dismissed for dissent 15 minutes into the game. He did something very similar this time last year. I’m going to throw the book at him. We are now in a precarious position.
Despite their manpower advantage Carlisle did virtually nothing to threaten us. Our predicament was made worse when Ben Woods was carried off injured just before half time. A very forgettable half for all concerned.
Salt is very low on fitness so I take him off. That makes things worse because sixty minutes into the game, Ricardo Beckford is carried off with an injury. Carlisle now have a two man advantage!
We managed to hold out, despite that. Carlisle were totally incompetant in attack and it is no surprise to me that they are struggling in mid-table.

The butchers bill is not as bad as I expected. Beckford and Woods are only out for 5 days. Wray is banned just for one game but he has effectively ruined his chances of first team football anyway. I fine him two weeks wages for his dismissal.

FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round
Hornchurch 1) 4-1 (1 Vauxhall Motors

I rest a few players for this game but do not go totally overboard as I have done in the past. Allaway makes his first appearence this year in goal, Brand and Woods are deployed at fullback. The rest of teh team is unchanged.
We make a disastrous start. Allaway allows a Darren Wright freekick to squirm beneath his arms. No wonder he is no longer a first team regular. Barely a minute had gone.
We soon got into the game though. An Ed Brand pass found Law in the area, he finished before the defenders realised what the hell they were doing.
We threatened Vauxhall rarely in this half, our best chance falling just before half time to Woods, his shot was easily saved though. All square at half time, not an ideal situation for us.
The visitors had a brighter start to the half, they tested Allaway a few times but gradually we stamped our dominance on the game. On 64 minutes we made our breakthrough, Ben Woods nodding in from a Coburn corner. We were now on the right track.
After that Vauxhall never really had a look in. The introduction of Tolley near the end finished of the game. In the space of 5 minutes he grabbed two poachers goals and finished the game as a contest.
It was a brave performance form Vauxhall, they just couldn’t last the distance.
Allaway recovered well from his earlier error and walked off with the MoM award.

We have a tough tie in the First round proper, a home match against League Two team Peterborough. They lie 18th in the league, so we are in with a chance.

retired_ajbrittney

Rochdale 0-0 Hornchurch

A difficult game against fellow high flyers Rochdale. The first half was entertaining but goalless. Law broke through their defence a few times but under pressure from their defenders was unable to hit the target. His best chance was courtesy of a Woods pass. He was in the clear but his shot clipped the post. Rochdale weren’t idle either, they clipped the bar a few times and forced Ovendale into a good save. Goalless at half time.
The second half continued in a similar vein to the first, neither side able to convert their chances. Law was unusually inaccurate, missing a few decent chances. The game ended goalless, a credible draw against strong opponents.

Hornchurch 0 -0 Bury

Our second ex league opposition in a row. Bury are 9th in the table, so probably feel they could do a little better. Heathcote and Marshall returned to the team, well rested, I dropped Burwood, Buckley and Woods for this game, due to fatigue. They had capable replacements in Culshaw, Beckford and Tolley.
A rather tight first half, both defences being on top. I had to replace a slightly crocked Law on the Half Hour mark, I replaced him with Tolley.
Ben Woods had the best chance of that half, he was on the end of a wicked Beckford cross but his header went over.
The second half just settled into a dirge of possession football. Third bore draw in a row.

FA Cup 1st Round
Hornchurch 1)3 -0 (0 Peterborough

A full strength team took the pitch and we instantly set about Peterborough. Buckley had a shot go just wide soon after the kickoff and with 3 minutes gone Woods and Law combined well, Law was forced to the edge of the area but his finish was still true. 1-0 to us.
Peterborough retained most of the ball for the rest of the half but failed to trouble Ovendale. We went into half time with a slight but seemingly comfortable lead.
We went into the second half with a defensive outlook. Phil Salt provided us with the buffer we craved, a fine strike just outside the box which went in off the post. His first of the season.
Now Peterborough took notice. Almost instantly they tested Ovendale with a close range effort. Their best chance occurred with a freekick, the shot was parried by Ovendale and fell to a posse of Peterborough players. Les Ferdinand was first to the ball but his shot was hooked off the line by Burwood.
The game was ended as a contest in the 86th minute, Law was set free in the box and his shot took a deflection of the defender and went in.
As super performance from the team, an excellent time for Law to rediscover his scoring boots.

Our reward is a home match against League 1 team Huddersfield. They are in relegation danger at the moment, I hope we can add to their woes!

retired_ajbrittney

Scarborough 0) 1- 0(0 Hornchurch

A dull uninspiring first half, we were restricted to long range efforts, whilst Scarborough had the better chances, forcing a good save from Ovendale.
Scarborough dominated the second half and five minutes from time they gained a deserved winner, Conlon had missed a hatful of chances but he finally managed to convert, his shot was too powerful for Ovendale to contain.
Now five league games without a goal. Our defence has been solid but our lack of goals is really concerning me. This defeat was only a matter of time. It was against a team struggling in mid-table.

Hornchurch 1) 3-0 ( 0 Aldershot

A difficult test for us, a match against Aldershot who had snuck up to first place without anyone really noticing.
Our defence had to be firm i this half, Ovendale again was in good form, however it was Hornchurch who broke the deadlock and what a relief that was to me.
We hit them on the counter, Law was forced out wide but he managed to deliver a pinpoint cross. Woods let the ball bounce and finished with aplomb.
Aldershot continued their pressure but were unable to break us down.
The second half was a showcase for poor finishing, well for the most part anyway. Woods proved that he still had what it took anyway, when he rounded the Aldershot keeper to put us further ahead. We were comfortable now, the ‘Shots only had 23 minutes to pull it back.
Gareth Law finished the game for us, he was set up by Salt, his finish was poor but for some reason the keeper couldn’t handle the bal and it went in.
Despite having a three goal lead, Aldershot were still a threat. Ovendale caused me some anxieties when he passed the ball to Roscoe D’Sane. Ovendale recovered and smothered the ball but it still managed to squirm out. Another Aldershot player passed the ball across the area but no-one was on the end of it!
A superb team performance, Salt was especially outstanding. Gives me hope for the future.

We are drawn away to Sutton Utd in the First Round of the FA Trophy. We did the double over them last season but they have much improved since then so who knows?

Margate 1) 2-2 (1 Hornchurch

Both Heathcote and Woods weren’t in peak condition so they were replaced with Scott Woods and Shane Tolley. Margate are struggling in the Conference. They decided to come at us with an attacking formation.
The game got off to a bad start, Salt was bundled over and his participation in the game ended!
Margate played with a very physical style, the referee offered little protection for us. Despite this we managed to take the lead. Coburn delivered a wicked cross to Tolley, who busted his net with his header.
Margate continued to offer a threat and it wasn’t long before they equalized, a moments stupidity from Buckley was to blame. He backpassed into the area and found Pullman, who was suitably grateful.
Margate continued to assault us and by half time we had lost Burwood to injury. Law and Buckley had also picked up knocks. A tough second half was in store!
Into the second half and the Margate physical battling continued. They even had a few chances on goal but were inaccurate. Fortunately my players were a lot more effective. Law regained the lead for us on 54 minutes, with a well placed long range shot. We had the initiatve again.
Four minutes later we suffered our second dismissal of the season. Once again for dissent. This time Buckley was the player who couldn’t shut up. We were in for it now.
Unsurprisingly Margate managed to pull level. We did hold onto the draw though. The fact that we didn’t get all three points I lay at the feet of Buckley. He gave away the first goal then got himself dismissed.

A weakened team will take the field against Huddersfield. I’ll have no Salt, Burwood or Buckley. Not an ideal position. Wayne Barnes is having an excellent run of form in the reserves, so I may give him his chance.

FA Cup 2nd Round
Hornchurch 1) - (0 Huddersfield

As expected Huddersfield came at us in the first 10 minutes. They had two good chances, a header that sailed over the bar and a close range effort that was cleared off the line by Skelton. Eventually we got a handle on the game and contained them. We were unable to make a telling assault ourselves though.
That changed just before Half Time. Skelton set up Woods, who ran into the box, beat a player and scored. You could argue that the goalkeeper should have done better but I will take nothing away from Woods, he has rediscovered his touch.
Huddersfield were more aggressive in the second half and it was no surprise when they puled level, Lee Carss finding space in the box.
The rest of the game was a litany of missed chances. Huddersfield outclassed us but lacked the finishing power to compete. It will be a difficult night at Huddersfield in the replay.

If we defeat Huddersfield in the replay we’ll be away to Premiership Portsmouth. A money spinner possibly.

retired_ajbrittney

I'm going on holiday tomorrow, so no updates for roughly two weeks!

retired_ajbrittney

Hornchurch 1) 2-0 (0 Crawley

My team was still slightly understrength for this tie. Salt returned to the team but I was still missing Buckley and Burwood. Beckford and Culshaw continued in their place.
Crawley dominated the first half and can feel aggrieved to have been trailing at half time, we took the lead early on, a cross from Coburn finding the head of Woods.
I sorted out my midfield for the second half and we were much more cohesive as a unit, gaining dominance in the centre of the field. Tolley came on as a substitute and finished the game off with a low finish from close range. John Robinson’s dismissal made an unlikely comeback impossible.
Ovendale, Woods and Salt all had decent games. Barnes had a decent league debut, though he received a yellow card.

Ovendale goes down with a training injury. He will not be available for 2 weeks and misses the game at Huddersfield. Allaway has his chance to impress.

FA Cup 2nd Round Replay
Huddersfield Town 0)0 -1(1 Hornchurch

The first half was very similar to the first game in this saga, Huddersfield dominated but rarely had a clear cut chance. Then against the run of play Ben Woods broke free of the defence and scored. Things were going our way!
We lead a charmed life in the second half, Huddersfield hit the woodwork and forced a few good saves out of Allaway, we had a few chances of our own though. I don’t think Woods will want to be reminded of a sitter that he scooped wide near the end. We held on though and recorded a fabulous victory against superior opponents.

We will now face Portsmouth at Fratton Park at the end of January. Should be lucrative!

retired_ajbrittney

York City 0) 0-3 (1 Hornchurch

An unchanged but tired team took the field at York City. They were still on a high, because they managed to trounce a supposedly strong team. York were chasing a playoff place.
This was Gareth Laws game. He proved instrumental in most of our moves. He had a number of good chances early on but was denied by the brilliance of Robbie Stockdale in goal for York. Poor Robbie’s luck ran out thirteen minutes before the end of the half, Gareth Law pouncing on a Buckley through ball and threading the ball pass him.
I had to make quite a few substitutions in the early stages of the second half, the introduction of Tolley again proved decisive. His fresh legs were deadly to a York team committed to all out attack. He grabbed two more goals in the final quarter of the game. Both set up by a superlative Law.
Law made me proud in this game, he made the difference. I don’t hesitate to sing his praises in the press.

That win takes us to the top, just above Aldershot and Hereford.

Hornchurch 1) 1 -1 (1 Morecambe

With the Christmas season coming up I decided to rest a few of my players. Woods was replaced with Tolley and the very promising Phillip Cousins replaced Phil Salt in Central Midfield. He would have a tough time against fifth placed Morecambe.
Cousins made his mark early on, threading a through ball to Law. His shot sailed over the bar though and that was our only chance in the opening half of the match.
The game never really settled down for us. Morecambe always looked dangerous but had difficulty penetrating our box. We would hit them on the break and that is how we took the lead, Coburn released Tolley with a superb long ball. Tolley’s finish was superb.
Morecambe continued to pressure us and were deserving of their equalizer. Gareth Jennings fired a relatively strong shot from the edge of the area, Allaway will be disappointed that he couldn’t hold on to the ball.
Law almost regained the lead for us before half time, however his shot was splendidly tipped over by their keeper.
The second half didn’t go well for us. We were lucky to hold onto our point. Danny Carlton proved to be especially dangerous. Fortunately Allaway was in fine form in goal and kept us in it. We huffed and puffed our way to a point. We held onto our leadership of the league, both of our nearest rivals drew.
Phillip Cousins had a decent debut.

Accrington Stanley 0-0 Hornchurch

We were under the cosh for this game. Most worryingly Law had another off game. He was quiet in the last tie and pretty poor in this one. We struggled against mid-table Accrington.
Allaway was once again good i goal, he secured the point for us. We also maintain our place at the top of the league, level on points with Hereford and Aldershot. Christmas is not yet over though!

Hornchurch 1)3 -1 (0 Canvey Island

A very much weakened side took the field against mid-table Canvey Island. I handed striker Tom Kemp and Wayne Barnes their first starts. Heathcote returned to the team in place of Woods, Townley replaced the suspended Coburn and Tolley replaced Ben Woods. I hoped the upheavals wouldn’t disturb my teams rythm too much.
Tolley and Kemp showed signs of combining well, Tolley teed up Kemp within 30 seconds but his shot went over the bar.
One of my more established players provided the breakthrough though. Salts through ball was precise and Tolley provided a good finish. We received a deserved early lead.
For a side lacking in confidence Canvey played well, they made a concerned effort to get back into the match and hit the bar once. Allaway also continued his good form. Our best chance came courtesy of Tolley who saw an exquisite chip go just wide.
Townley was influential for us but I had to take him off for the second half due to injury. Ben Woods would make a rare appearance on the Right Wing, only the 2nd time I’ve used him there.
Canvey started the second half off well and no one was surprised when they leveled the game. Our marking was dreadful and Allaway’s positioning suspect as Marvin Robinson stole in to head the ball home.
Canvey didn’t have long to enjoy the fruits of their labour. Kemp and Tolley combined well to put us back in front. Tolley’s initial shot was saved but Kemp crossed the ball and his pass totally confused the defenders. Tolley basically walked the ball into the net.
The final goal was provided by Gareth Law, who came off the subs bench. His provider was Allaway, who’s long ball found him in the area.
A brave performance from Canvey but they were no match for us!

Next up is a classic six pointer of a game, home to our nearest rivals Hereford, who are level on points with us. We hope to avenge our defeat to them on the opening day of the season.

The end of the year is a busy time for me, I begin to renew contracts and watch the awards roll in. I finish third in the Manager of the month stakes. John Burwood wins the Young Player of the Month award. Peterborough sack Barry Fry and offer me the job. I of course refuse.

Hornchurch 0 - 0 Hereford

We dominated the first half in this game against our nearest rivals. However we were unable to convert our pressure into a lead. Law was wasteful in front of goal, missing a hat full of chances. Hereford can count themselves lucky.
The second half was lacking in chances. I took Law off due to his ineffectiveness. Made no difference though. The game stuttered into a lifeless draw. Not surprising really, both teams have the strongest defensive record in the league.
We maintain our lead at the top of te table but are still level on points with two other teams. Rochdale have knocked Aldershot out of third place. I consider Hereford to be our nearest rival they are undefeated after 22 games.

Just over halfway though the season. We are top! Its not over yet though!

retired_ajbrittney

FA Cup Third Round
Portsmouth 0)3 -0 (0 Hornchurch

My full team was available for this game and I used it. I knew this would be a very tough game for us and that chances would be few and far between. I would try and hit them on the counter.
As expected Portsmouth put us under a lot of pressure. Yakabu had a hatrick of chances within the first 7 minutes including a free header. However his finishing was wayward. Portsmouth dominated the possession in the first half and seemed camped in our half. However they didn’t manage to force a single save out of Allaway. I knew it was only a matter of time though.
Coburn sustained an injury in the 27th minute. I replaced him with Lee Marshall.
The second half had a bright start for us. Ben Woods intercepted the ball in their half and set up law for a speculative shot. His effort went wide though.
Portsmouth soon reasserted their dominance though and they finally made their breakthrough in the 58th minute. Stefanovich received a cross in the area and headed past a misplaced Allaway. I had no choice but to open up the play a little. Sadly this just made things worse. For the final twenty minutes of the game we were under siege. Alexi Smertin was our nemesis. He scored with two long range efforts. Allaway should have saved the first shot but he had no chance with the second, a superb 30 yard curler.
Portsmouth were not troubled by us at all. A very deflating if unsurprising end to our FA Cup adventure. Better luck next year.

Dagenham & Redbridge 0)0 -2 (1 Hornchurch

Coburn was out for this game and Townley was still recovering from a knock. Ben Woods made another appearence on the right wing. Toley replaced him in attack.
Dagenham are languishing in mid table. They decided that the way to get into the game was to take our players out! Within 20 minutes I had lost both Law and Salt to reckless challenges. Dagenham took advantage of this and began to dictate play. They had a few good chances but their finishing was not the best. Just before the break we took the lead, Kemp combined well with Tolley, who fired in from the edge of the area.
The Daggers continued their aggressive ways into the second half. I lost Kemp due to injury and his replacement Beckford also sustained some tough treatment. Beckford would have the last laugh though. He was on the end of a superb long ball from Tolley. His finish was assured.
The butchers bill was high. Salt is out for a day but my front line has been decimated. Woods is out for a week and Law is going to be absent for almost a month. Kemp and Tolley will be my new attacking pairing. They seem to combine well, so it may be a hidden boon for me. Tolley is well on his way to replacing Woods anyway. Woods hasn’t been very prolific as of late.

Next up a FA Trophy match at Sutton United. A chance for me to rest tired bones and see how my fringe players are coming along.

retired_brinker317

Unlucky in the cup - it's disapointing when things like that happen, I took Lewes to play Leicester and got beat 3-0. You expect it, but it still comes as a bit of a downer.

Nice stuff though :thup: