Hornchurch

[euphoric]

what was our performance like

[Andy K]

Their goal to their credit was a cracker - Hornchurch film their games so i'm sure it will pop up on their website later on.

Put simply we were not good enough today - it took till the 2nd half to carve out any real chances. We didn't have much luck today, and the ref really didnt know what he was doing e.g. blew the whistle for no reason today, then saw that he blew it for no reason at all and gave a drop ball when we were on the attack.

But even if those things didn't happen we were pretty well second best against a well organised, if simple side. They again were quite physical like Tooting, but we just never got going. The only player who springs to mind who had an alright game was Billy Hawes, I think a lot of other players would be disappointed about their performance, albeit in heavy condition.

Our 2nd defeat this week where the defeat was our own doing. Dos has a task on his hands to inject a bit of confidence into a side that is leaking it. Tough game next Saturday against K-scum, but as we've shown already this season this can lift our game.

Hornchurch - well I can see why people chose to do other things than go there today. Never liked it there, you are miles away from the pitch and it seems like every supporter under the age of 20 there is a total tool, but I really can't begrudge them their win, 1-0 was a pretty fair result.

Today showed where our weaknesses are, and we need to address a lot of them to get back on the right track

[os]

Agree with Andy!

Just back, poor performance and I think for once I am going to say that the better side on the day won, they marked us tightly fought for every ball and we never really settled at all. Our passing was poor often cut out or the receiving player crowded out, we could of nicked something at the end with one headed off the line but we rarely threatened until that final 10mins. Hx without being world beaters defended well, won most of the high balls and their goal was a 30 yard pile driver which beat KS all ends up, although he was not closed down at all and was allowed to pick his spot. On a bumpy pitch against a resilient side we were again found wanting a lot coming down the middle straight into a Brick wall. We lacked invention or the basic skill of picking out a team member in space and did not match Hx for sheer determination.

Give us a flat pitch and a team that allows us space and time and we will be ok, but we have to adapt to the more typical style of the RP or we will not get out of it?

[Millsy]

Another day where the chances that we did have just didn't go for us; that header looked destined for the top corner; great save from Watts' free kick; Sonny Cobbs' shot that nine times out of ten would've deflected in to the net as opposed to the keeper's arms.

The video doesn't do justice to the finish, it was an exocet! Hornchurch goal - video clip

[Beaney]

Wow, just shows that there are better ways of scoring than passing your way to the goal.

[wellie]

Their goal was a fantastic strike but the ref missed a clear handball in the build up.
When we are ALLOWED to play football we can look very good but like today when we were pressed and challenged for every ball we look VERY ORDINARY.We hardly won a header all afternoon and only in the last 10mins did we create any chances.
Very very dissapointing.

[gatekeeper]

IF we manage to get in the playoffs at the end of the season. There won't be a team we should fear as every side in this league bar Dartford are very ordinary.

After seeing the last two games DP will need to modify the pattern of play. We have looked very average recently.

BTW have we seen the last of Matt Hann

[os]

I think this season we have the flair the inter passing like Dover and Staines had last season but we don't have that grit you sometimes need and get with players such as Westie or Dundas. We simply had nothing on the bench today to change the game and make a physical contest of it. A good example was our game last season at the Bobbins when we battered them and earned the right to play, I have some sympathy with the lads out there as they are just not those sort of players.

Some days you need a technician to get through the door and other days you need dynamite??

Having said that we have not had much luck in our games, none of the loose balls in the box are dropping to us plus we have hit the woodwork twice in a week and had 2 cleared off the line?

[vern]

Lovely goal fairplay. We need a friggin cameradude at GGL...there were some peaches last weekend that will never be seen again by human eye.

[Millsy]

Photos from Hornchurch snapper: not Paul's

[Duke]

Thought we were very poor today, lacked the passion of football that we've come to expect from our boys.

The oxygens surrounding us goes to show who populates Essex these days!

[Amber Aleman]

It sounds as if I picked a good game to miss.

Interesting to see the comparisons with last season. We've now got one point fewer than at this stage a year ago.

[bh]

Sounds like another bad day at Hornchurch (not the first). Sort of makes me happy not to be able to go there again!!

[Del]

I thought we were the better team for most of the match but lacked the guile to break them down.Apart from their goal KS didn't have a lot to do.I thought Danny Phillips would be the one but he warmed the bench all day and Matt Hann also but he wasn't included!

[frakey]

Their excellent goal apart, tere was little between the two sides. The first half was probably the worst 45 mins I've seen this season, with neither side getting any pattern of play going.

The second half was an improvement. There was a definite element of handball in the build up but you can't argue with the finish. Perks & Steve W were both close to scoring & Cobbsy had a shot blocked at the death.

As for the ref, if you gonna attract attention to yourself with hair like that, it would help if you had a consistent approach to the game. Started off whistle happy, chatted to their players & booked ours for similar offences.