East Thurrock United 0 v Horsham 2
Tuesday 20th March 2007
Ryman League Premier Division

reporter: Mark Wells

Kevin Cooper's first Horsham goal lay the foundations for a vital win at an uninviting Rookery Hill in a match that, for almost an hour, provided less excitement than the journey to the ground. A swirling blizzard had enveloped large stretches of the M25, leaving the few hardy travelling fans wondering if this might have been one of those evenings where a night in front of the television would have presented a more attractive proposition. Yet they were to get their reward for their efforts when Cooper converted a fine move, just before the hour, before Jacob Mingle made sure of the points with a close range header to secure the Hornets' first win in four matches to move them to within four points of a promotion play-off place.

The small town of Corringham had provided Horsham with little joy over the years with their last - and only - win there coming back in 1995 and, despite the home side's lowly position, they entered this game in good form having won five and drawn two of their previous eight games to begin their gradual climb away from the bottom of the table. Horsham boss John Maggs’ plans received a setback when Lee Carney fell ill at lunchtime but a late fitness test on Cooper's injured groin declared the much travelled striker fit to play and he lined up alongside eighteen goal Carl Rook in attack, still searching for his first strike in Horsham colours. The Rocks had reported injury problems of their own although, with the exception of Lee Burns, their starting line-up was that which had recorded a 2-1 victory at Boreham Wood at the weekend with young Danny Gabriel continuing to lead the line looking to add to his impressive strike rate that had seen him score five goals in the last six games.

A biting, swirling wind greeted the players as they emerged from their respective dressing rooms looking, as one fan remarked, like a swimmer who dips his toe into the sea before immersing himself in the icy waters and Thurrock's decision to attack the motorway end looked a sound one with the conditions seeming to favour the side kicking down the slight slope. However, it was the Hornets who looked most dangerous early on when Wes Faulkner had to concede a corner from Nigel Brake's dangerous cross. Gary Charman's violent verbal protests at the lack of a free-kick had the Horsham man in trouble with diminutive referee Mr McLaughlin after just twelve minutes, the official showing the yellow card, before Brake embarked on another sortie down the left flank from where he delivered another testing cross that John Westcott was unable to convert. The strong wind was there for all to see, midway through the half, when the snow returned to turn the ground into some kind of cheap snowdome that a child might find in their Christmas stocking. Scott Curley was allowed to run through the midfield unchecked before sending a right footed drive out of the ground and the dangerous Shaun Batt, getting himself in behind the defence, could only drag his shot across the face of goal, the ball missing everyone and running out for a goal kick. Maggs' frustrated assistant Tommy Warrilow was next to receive a lecture from Mr McLaughlin, providing a comical sight as the referee went eyeball to chest with the Horsham number two who towered above him. Charman sent a volley over the top, after linking up with Mingle, but it was East Thurrock who continued to look the more lively, when the conditions allowed, with Batt providing them with a threatening outlet on the right. Cooper's miscontrol saw a Horsham attack break down, midway inside the Rocks half, and the clearance found Batt racing away from the attentions of Kevin Hemsley but Williams was smartly off his line as the pacy forward homed in on goal. Horsham almost immediately lost possession again as they looked to launch a counter-attack, conceding a corner from which Danny Harris headed Danny Hayzleden's kick wide. Batt called Williams into action once again, shortly before the break, when he switched flanks and cut inside the penalty area only to see the big 'keeper produce a good low save. Lewis Taylor came close to giving the visitors a forty-fourth minute lead when he smacked a shot from thirty yards into the chest of the previously untroubled Jamie Riley but the half ended on a worrying note for Maggs with Charman indicating he couldn't continue after picking up a knock. Fortunately, what little time there was remaining allowed the winger time to run it off and, after checks in the dressing room during half-time, he was to emerge for the restart showing no apparent ill effects.

With the temperature continuing to plummet after the break, the wind seemed to have changed direction slightly to throw the emphasis firmly in the favour of the Hornets and a heavily sliced clearance by Stuart Williams showed just what difficulties the home side would face as the ball arced into the air and dropped some thirty yards behind the defender. Fortunately for Williams, Rook was unable to get a decent touch to the dropping ball and Riley was able to gather. At the other end, an unfortunate deflection off Taylor saw Gabriel in on goal but a woeful finish belied his recent form. A corner for the visitors, ten minutes in, should have seen them open the scoring but Charman’s header thumped against the crossbar and, when Westcott drilled the loose ball back into the danger zone, Hemsley could only deflect his effort wide. Cooper kept Riley on his toes with a snapshot volley from the edge of the box and, three minutes later, the former AFC Wimbledon hitman was celebrating his first goal for the Hornets after finishing off a move of surprising quality. Rook had been well shackled by Kevin Mully but he escaped his marker by dropping into the midfield and played a delightful ball inside the full-back for Westcott to race in and square the ball for the predatory Cooper to tap the ball home from close range. The striker has failed to live up to his reputation since making a promising debut for the Hornets but the goal seemed to inspire him and he was instrumental in a move that should have extended the visitors’ lead when his excellent ball into the box found three Horsham players unmarked but Taylor could only despair as he volleyed wastefully wide of the gaping goal after beating Rook to the cross. Stuart Myall went close with a thumping volley before the home side made a double switch, the ineffective Gabriel replaced by Darren Grieves and Gary Ansell coming on for Harris. Maggs’ side continued to prove the dominant force and only a goal line clearance from Bradley Stevens prevented a sensational goal after a sublime move involving Cooper, Rook and Charman had opened up the Rocks defence. However the visitors, without a clean sheet in ten games, were almost undone when Lee Williams got on the end of Batt’s cross but he got over the top of the ball, heading it down and over the crossbar leaving namesake Gareth to berate his defenders’ slack marking. Tom Graves was sent on in place of Cooper with a little over a quarter of an hour remaining and the blond haired substitute almost made an immediate impact when he rose to head Myall’s free-kick goalwards, the ball dropping just wide of the target. But Graves didn’t have long before he was celebrating a goal with his team-mates when Rook’s selfless running made the most of a long ball out of defence by Eddie French. Holding the ball up, he picked out Taylor who flighted the perfect cross for Mingle to head home from six yards. The goal enabled the Hornets to control the remainder of the game although Grieves almost punished Horsham for a second time this season when he headed Batt’s cross wide, unable to repeat his heroics of earlier in the season when his late goal helped AFC Wimbledon knock Horsham out of the FA Cup.

This was an excellent win, in testing conditions, and was the perfect response to Saturday’s lacklustre second half display against Ashford Town. With Bromley and Billericay Town dropping points, the chase for a promotion play-off place continues while East Thurrock’s Premier Division future remains in the balance, the nerves clearly getting to a home supporter whose angry exchanges with his Horsham counterparts provided a rare heated moment on an otherwise freezing night.

East Thurrock United: 1.Jamie Riley 2.Stuart Williams 3.Wes Faulkner 4.Kevin Mully 5.Bradley Stevens 6.Scott Curley 7.Lee Williams 8.Danny Hayzleden 9.Danny Harris (Ansell) 10.Danny Gabriel (Grieves) 11.Shaun Batt  Substitutes: 12.Ryan Sammons 14.Gary Ansell 15.Kurt Husnu 16.Darren Grieves