URCHINS GET THE PARTY STARTED
ELATED boss Daryl McMahon hailed an ‘excellent’ display after his Hornchurch side wrapped up the Isthmian Premier title with a dramatic victory against closest challengers Chatham Town.
Needing just a solitary point to seal the deal, the hosts took the lead through Femi Akinwande on 64 minutes, but were pegged back by Rowan Liburd with two minutes left.
With the game seemingly heading for a stalemate, Hornchurch produced one last moment of magic in the fourth minute of injury time.
Akinwande broke free down the wing and squared the ball to Liam Nash, who checked and fired into the opposite corner of Mitchell Beeney’s net.
McMahon reflected on his side’s achievement and the efforts of Chatham throughout the season.
“It felt like fate today to play against a team who have been chasing us down all season and I thought we were excellent today,” he said.
“The work put in by all the players, backroom staff and board culminates in this moment.
“We wish Chatham all the best for the play-offs and beyond.”
The Urchins had looked hungry for all three points early on – Joe Christou’s neat pass found Akinwande, who turned on the edge of the box and shot sharply but Beeney dived well to parry.
Eze Ebozoeme placed a curling shot into the hands of Joe Wright before Hornchurch initiated a swift counter-attack which ended with Nash letting fly from range but it travelled narrowly wide.
Tom Wraight’s set-piece deliveries were causing havoc for the visitors’ back line in the closing stages of the first half - a free-kick broke to Nash who volleyed inches wide before Tommie Hoban headed over at the back post from a corner.
After the break, the Chats advanced – a long throw found
James Dunne on the edge of the area but his effort failed to trouble Wright’s goal.
Then the deadlock was broken – a backpass clearance was skewed by Beeney and Wraight’s header found Akinwande. Back to goal and under pressure, he turned and fired low into the corner of the net to send the home crowd into raptures.
The Urchins striker was then denied by a superb Simon Cooper goal-line clearance.
Sean Scannell picked up the pieces from another dangerous Wraight free-kick but his drive clea Chatham didn’t give up and were rewarded on 88 minutes. A neat passing move resulted in sub Liburd volleying into the top corner before the visitors were reduced to ten men when Khale Da Costa was shown a straight red card. Then came the dramatic finale.