AFC HORNCHURCH v WEST HAM UNITED XI
PRE-SEASON MATCH
HORNCHURCH STADIUM
SATURDAY 3 AUGUST 2013
KICK-OFF: 3PM
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Full time - AFC Hornchurch 2-4 West Ham United XI
90 mins - Into the final throes of this one, as Griffiths again tests Spiegel with a well-directed free-kick. Spiegel, however, only has to move a couple of yards to his left to gather above his head. With that the final whistle sounds, drawing to a close a thoroughly enjoyable 90 minutes here at the Hornchurch Stadium.
89 mins - Moncur shows his fine vision with a delightful ball into McCallum. The centre-forward partially turns, but can only stab into the side netting. Good football though.
87 mins - A long Billy Coyne throw is not dealt with at the first attempt, but there's no damage done, as the ball ricochets towards Spiegel who is able to collect without too much fuss.
86 mins - Some amusing contributions coming from the stands, as the natives start calling out instructions by way of buttons they'd be pressing on certain well known video games. Triangle is the cry. Interesting.
85 mins - One of our numberless friends should really have reduced the deficit, as he skies over the bar from little more than eight yards. It's head in hands from him and many of those around me. Yet another switch and I'm happy to confess that I no longer have a clue who's on the field for today's hosts.
82 mins - We now have a hoard of Hornchurch players joining the fray without numbers on their shirts. Very helpful. I suspect confusion may well ensue! Back to the football and Sadlier sees his low drive palmed around the post.
80 mins - GOAL! Sadlier goes the long way round the full-back and his attempted cross ricochets kindly into the path of McCallum, who can barely believe his luck as he neatly stabs past a stranded Echepare.
77 mins - Not much in the way of attacking intent from the Hammers at the moment, as Hornchurch are coming on strongly in these latter stages. Fresh legs may well have something to do with it, with the Urchins readying a fifth change.
75 mins - Half a chance for the hosts, as substitutes Rook and Gumbs combine. The latter receives it some 12 yards from goal, but skews it high and wide. Meanwhile, Junior Lawrence comes on for Joey May.
73 mins - McCallum's straight into the action, firstly taking down Sadlier's long ball to relieve the pressure somewhat. He lays it off, before chesting down another long ball, this time from Whitehead. Just as he prepares to turn, Mr Parsons pulls it back for a handball to stop the big man in his tracks.
71 mins - There's a change apiece here, with Kieran Sadlier coming on for Tombides, while Andre Gumbs replaces Bourne for the Urchins.
69 mins - At the other end, left-back Shaw has a pop from range. It's perfectly well struck, but always rising and sails a good yard over the Hornchurch crossbar.
67 mins - Clearly intent on adding to his tally, Purcell is on the charge again. He lets fly from an acute angle, with his drive flying into the side netting. The ripples of the net worried one or two around me, but I don't think Spiegel was ever concerned.
66 mins - It's Nick Haycock's turn now to shuffle his pack, as Paul McCallum joins the action in place of Maguire.
63 mins - A second swap here for the hosts, as Ade Yusuff makes way for Carl Rook. Meanwhile, Griffiths is stood over a free-kick from 25 yards. He whips it towards Spiegel's near post but he's equal to the task, diving low to his left to gather at the first time of asking.
60 mins - GOAL! Seb Lletget is felled just inside the area and the referee has no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Moncur steps up and dispatches the penalty low to the keeper's right. It's no more than West Ham deserve for an excellent start after the interval.
57 mins - Spiegel clearly isn't suffering from a lack of confidence after his first-half mishap, as he calmly and stylishly evades the on-rushing centre-forward.
55 mins - Lots of huffing and puffing from both sides just now, but not a great deal in the final third. That said, West Ham should really be in front for the first time this afternoon. Shaw picks out Maguire at the far post, whose side-footed effort looked destined for the corner, only for a somewhat scrambled goalline intervention.
52 mins - Familiar story here as Driver is involved once more. He gets to the by-line, before his cross is diverted behind. Moncur, as ever, takes responsibility for the set-piece, but can't beat the first man on this occasion.
50 mins - West Ham surge down the right once more and Turgott is again the provider. He plays Driver in behind, but the full-back can't quite control his centre and it drifts behind for a goal kick.
48 mins - Leo Chambers wins it well and then brings it ouf of defence. He feeds Lletget, who in turn finds Turgott. The lively winger cuts it back for Maguire, but his effort strikes a Urchins defender and trickles harmlessly behind for an umpteenth West Ham corner.
46 mins - Right, here we go again and it's as you were for both sides in the second half. Moncur dinks a lovely ball out to Tombides, but he's dispossessed as he attempts to cut inside and the chance has gone.
3:57pm - While we wait for the teams to re-emerge, this is an opportune moment to remind you that this time next week the doors will swing open at the Boleyn Ground, as the Hammers welcome Champions League qualifiers Pacos de Ferreira to east London. You can check out all the ticket information here, to make sure you get a glimpse of Sam Allardyce's men prior to the big kick-off against Cardiff City the following weekend.
46 mins - GOAL! West Ham have themselves an equaliser on the stroke of half time. Maguire feeds Moncur, who unselfishly squares for Turgott at the far post. His effort might not have huge conviction about it, but it takes a significant deflection as it flies beyond Echepare. That's more or less it for the first half and 2-2 is probably just about fair. Not the prettiest but entertaining all the same.
45 mins - Another long ball looks for goalscorer Purcell, but he opts to have a go very early, and can only direct it a good yard or two wide of the far post.
43 mins - As Haycock bellows at his troops to make runs in behind the Hornchurch defence, Maguire attempts to do just that. But the ball over the top has too much air and drifts through to the 'keeper. The idea, at least, is a good one.
39 mins - West Ham are straight down the other end, as Moncur cuts in menacingly off the left flank. He curls one toward the far post which trickles inches past the far post. West Ham's No8 is convinced it should be a corner and is furious to discover otherwise.
38 mins - More pressure from the hosts as a low ball flashes across the face of goal. Purcell appears to get a toe on it as it flies behind, but referee Gary Parsons awards the corner. No danger on this occasion, as Spiegel confidently makes it his.
36 mins - The Hammers have it all to do again, as Hornchurch start to boss proceedings for perhaps the first time this afternoon. A free-kick is swung into the Hammers box and though Hornchurch have numbers over at the far stick, no one's able to get on the end of it.
33 mins - Goal! The resulting free-kick is not well dealt with, as George Purcell is able to loft the ball over an advancing Spiegel and into the Hammers' goal. Expertly taken.
31 mins - Not a great deal to report just now, as Bourne takes an awkward looking tumble on the athletics track surrounding the pitch. He's back on his feet though, before Turgott is rather harshly penalised for handball.
28 mins - Trouble here for the Dev Squad as Yusuff bears down on goal. But the experienced Jordan Spence has not given up the chase and manages to toe it away from the forward before he has the chance to take aim. Top defending.
25 mins - At the other end, Hornchurch have a free-kick some 25 yards from goal. It's not the best as it's slammed into West Ham's well-assembled wall. The Hammers are perhaps not quite as fluent as at Roots Hall on Monday, but fair to say the playing surface has something to do with that. Suffice to say the grass appears rather long.
23 mins - What an effort that is. West Ham have it on the edge of the box but can't find a way through. It eventually drops to Whitehead, who guides an audacious effort, with the outside of his right boot towards goal. It has 'keeper Inigo Echepare completely beaten, but cannons back off the crossbar. Tombides tries to make something of the rebound but is flagged offside.
21 mins - Bourne tries his luck again from the left, but this time his centre is underhit and Spiegel is on hand to tidy up at his near post.
19 mins - There's more trouble down the West Ham right as Ade Yusuff scampers clear. But Leo Chambers scurries across to snuff out the danger.
17 mins - We have a brief stoppage as Phil Starkey receives some treatment. He's unable to continue and is replaced by No14 Michael Spencer. The Hammers take the time-out to rehydrate.
15 mins - The visitors are straight back on the attack and win another corner on the far side. This time Moncur plays an astute one-two with Maguire at the near post, before his low centre is shoveled behind.
12 mins - GOAL! The Hammers are back on terms. Moncur swings in the corner to the near post and an unmarked Dylan Tombides powers a fine near-post header into the opposite corner. His celebration is nonchalant in the extreme, as he shakes a hand or two on his way back to the halfway line. First-class response from Haycock's men.
11 mins - Whitehead and Moncur are running the show in the middle of the park thus far. Meanwhile, Frazer Shaw looks to play in Maguire and it's stabbed behind for a West Ham corner.
8 mins - Despite that bizarre setback, West Ham are still enjoying much of the possession here, though yet to fashion an opportunity of note.
5 mins - Goal! A horrible moment for Spiegel! Chris Bourne swings one in from the left and though the 'keeper collects he cannons into the post in the process and rolls back toward the line, with the ball still in his grasp. The linesman on the far side awards the goal to give the Urchins the perfect start.
4 mins - Josh Griffiths lumps it forward for the Urchins, but it's a rather aimless ball and Raphael Spiegel collects very comfortably.
3 mins - Former Stockport County man Whitehead dinks a lovely ball into the path of Maguire, but it takes some good defending to prevent the Hammers No9 from collecting and racing toward goal.
1 min - The hosts get us underway here, with the Hammers attacking the goal to my right in this first half. West Ham look to have lined up in a 4-3-3, with Tombides on the left, Maguire down the middle and Turgott on the right of a front three.
15:00 - Here come the teams, with the Hammers sporting the Club's smart new white adidas away shirt and blue shorts. The Urchins, meanwhile, are decked out in their traditional red and white stripes. Looks like kick-off is going to be ever so slightly late here. As has become his custom, George Moncur is having a pensive moment on the pitch, looking toward the heavens prior to the off!
14:30 - The teams are in and Haycock hands starts to forward duo Sean Maguire and Dylan Tombides, both of whom appeared from the bench against Southend United on Monday. Elsewhere, Frazer Shaw and summer recruit Danny Whitehead are drafted in for Dan Potts and Pelly Ruddock.
West Ham United XI: Spiegel, Driver, Shaw, Whitehead, Chambers, Spence Turgott, Moncur, Maguire, Lletget, D Tombides
Subs: McCallum, Guzman, Onariase, Nasha, Miles, Sadlier, Pike, T Tombides, Good
AFC Hornchurch: Echepare, Coyne, Griffiths, Styles, Hayles, May, Starkey, Glover, Yusuff, Purcell, Bourne
Subs: Rook, Spencer, Love, Lawrence, Gumbs, Daley, Eyong.
A very good afternoon and welcome to Hornchurch Stadium for today's pre-season clash between AFC Hornchurch and West Ham United's Development Squad.
Nick Haycock's men, who are scheduled to travel to Southampton on Tuesday 6 August, were edged out at Southend United's Roots Hall on Monday evening, as a Barry Corr free-kick proved the difference between the sides.
The Hammers' second string have now played four preparatory clashes to date, with a 4-0 home win against Swansea City, as well as slender 3-2 defeats at the hands of both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Braintree Town.
AFC Hornchurch, of the Ryman Premier, have enjoyed mixed fortunes in pre-season thus far, with two wins, two defeats and a stalemate. Last time out, the Urchins slipped to a 2-1 home reverse against Hemel Hempstead Town on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, with Sam Allardyce's charges set for the Torneio do Guadiana in the Algarve and Steve Potts' Under-18s battling out in Belgium, Haycock is likely to have a typically youthful group at his disposal.
We'll bring you all the team news as and when we have it, before live text updates from this afternoon's 3pm kick-off.