Hornchurch (1) 2 Greenidge 45+3 Balenta 83
Tonbridge Angels (2) 2 Botti 43 Greenidge (o.g.) 45+1
Attendance: 374
Admission: Pass
Mileage: 92/5,012
On a dreadful pitch that was only ever going to produce a game of very little quality with both sides reduced to heaving the ball into the night Upminster sky to negate the jeopardy that the surface posed, Jay Saunders and his management team left satisfied with a point despite holding a two goal lead a couple of minutes from the break.
Assistant manager Tom Parkinson referenced the pitch after the game: “From the sidelines, supporters might not have realised how tough that pitch was, how soft it is and how much it cuts up. It’s the same for both sides but to play any sort of football on it was extremely difficult.”
Another miserable evening at The Bridge, weather-wise saw Bailey Akehurst, Mo Dabre (injuries) and Scott Wagstaff dropping out of the starting XI to be replaced by Liam Vincent, Ryan Hanson and Gialuca Botti.
So it was for 40 minutes in which neither team came to terms with the pitch and an absolute slog ensued. The best chance fell to the home side on 28 minutes when a well worked move between Will Greenidge and Darren McQueen opened up a shooting opportunity for Tom Wraight who pulled his shot narrowly wide of the post.
The game, from nowhere, exploded into life in the final five minutes of the half. On 43 minutes, Taylor Maloney’s in-swinging corner from the left got the deftest of headers from Botti to record his first goal for the club.
Three minutes later the Angels doubled their advantage when a free kick from Maloney was headed towards the post by Jamie Fielding from where a combination of deflections from the goalkeeper and Greenidge saw the ball dribble over the line.
The mad five minutes was completed when Greenidge unleashed a rocket into the top corner from 25 yards to reduce the deficit on the cusp of the break.
As the pitch deteriorated, the game further suffered and, after six minutes of the second half, Jack Wood was sent clear but as he took aim, the ball bobbled up and he lifted his shot over the bar.
Tonbridge needed a goal line clearance to deny Wraight on 56 minutes but the momentum was clearly with the home side as the Angels struggled to retain any sort of possession.
On 83 minutes, Hornchurch got the equaliser they deserved when a cross from Bailey Clements was met with a powerful header from fellow substitute Angelo Balenta.
The Angels endured an extended period of added time including a set piece defended with 10 men as Sutcliffe needed to leave the field for a bloodied nose and shirt.
Parky added: “It was disappointing that we’ve been two-nil up but the amount of games that we’ve had and the bodies we have the moment, we can’t complain, a point was probably fair overall.”
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