A goal midway through the first half seemed to be enough to secure a home win, but Charlie Stimson came off the bench to salvage a point with a goal deep into stoppage time, on a day when all the other championship contenders won away from home. Never was a point more precious.

Saturday 18-March-2023
HARINGEY BOROUGH 1 HORNCHURCH 1

HB – Ovenden, Ismail, O’Donoghue, Richards, Mitchell, Durojaive, Bawling, Owusu, Allen, Young, Kennedy
Unused Subs – Georgiou, Bridgeman
72 – Erald Desa replaced Ben Allen
72 – Jorge Djassi -Sambu replaced Matthew Young
83 – Mekhi Leacock – McLeod replaced Alfred Bobson Bawling

HFC – Wright, Mascoll, Sutton, Hayles, Bertram-Cooper ©, Wraight, Brown, Muldoon, Clark J, Yusuff, Dickson
Unused Subs – Joseph-Johnson, Nash, Christou, Allen
69 – Charlie Stimson replaced Ollie Muldoon

Officials – John Perry with Jonathan Was and Dani Mansour

Scorers – Bawling 23 (HB) – Stimson 90+1 (H)

Bookings – Ismael 51 (HB) – Owusu 62 (HB) – Cooper 75 (H) – Wraight 90+2 (H) – Richards 90+2 (HB)

Duration – 46.00 + 49.00

Attendance – 587

A quiet opening period, apart from a fine Jamie Mascoll pass to Ellis Brown that Haringey cleared, and a Michael O’Donoghue free kick that was headed away by Rickie Hayles.

Midway through the half an Alphonso Kennedy shot deflected off Remi Sutton for a corner, and Haringey went ahead two minutes later when Alfred Bobson Bawling finished off a cross from the left. 1-0.

After a shot from Ben Allen was blocked Hornchurch made their first dangerous move when an Ade Yusuff shot was blocked and Jordan Clark was fouled 25 yards out. Tom Wraight took the free kick, the ball being headed away for a corner, also taken by Wraight and headed over by Yusuff.

At the other end Joe Wright saved from Allen, and back upfield where Wraight fired wide from an Ellis Brown cross. A minute later Samuel Owusu sent his shot high and wide, and back to the other end where a Hayles shot also went wide. Close to half time Haringey broke along the left, with Wright conceding a corner. The ball was swung over and only cleared as far as Allen, with Hayles making an excellent block.

Half Time – Haringey Borough 1 Hornchurch 0

The second half began with a shot by Matthew Young that went high, and a booking for Callum Ismael. From the resulting free kick Remi Sutton moved rapidly along the left, and his cross was turned out for a corner. Ollie Muldoon sent the corner into the middle where Chris Dickson headed over.

Haringey came forward, and Wright turned a Kennedy cross over for a corner, which Dickson cleared. A second corner was also cleared by Dickson, the ball falling to O’Donoghue, whose shot went wide. Owusu became the second home player to receive a yellow card, for a foul on Dickson.

Dickson was back in action at the other end, with a run and cross that just eluded Yusuff, and Hornchurch made a change, Charlie Stimson coming on in place of Ollie Muldoon. Yusuff sent a shot over the bar, and Haringey made a double change – Erald Desa replaced Ben Allen, and Jorge Djassi-Sambu replaced Matthew Young.

Nathan Cooper was shown a yellow card. With 15 minutes left Haringey threatened when Desa missed a good chance to increase their lead, sidefooting wide from close range after Sambu had squared the ball into the middle. Wright made a fine save from Desa shortly afterwards, and play switched to the other end where a Dickson shot was saved, with a defender clearing from Dickson as he followed up. Wraight swung the ball over from the corner, and the it was cleared off the line.

Haringey made their final change – Mekhi Leacock-McLeod replaced Alfred Bobson-Bawling, but time was now at a premium. Stimson made a neat flick on to Dickson, but his shot was too close to Ovenden in the home goal.

Four minutes was indicated for stoppages, and with the seconds ticking away all too rapidly Jordan Clark sent the ball over and Charlie Stimson turned it over the line – 1-1.

Tom Wraight was booked, so was Rakim Richards, but Hornchurch had salvaged a precious point.

FULL TIME – HARINGEY BOROUGH 1 HORNCHURCH 1

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