A
late strike from Dennis Peck secured the points for La Chiesa in the eerie gloom of Hainault Rec this Sunday. In a match
in which the momentum constantly swung from one side to the other, Chiesa upped their effort late on and turned the game around.
A
keeper crisis meant Iain Gay continued to wear the infamous yellow jersey, while Darren Hodsolls absence at right back was
covered by the return of Colin Williams. Cy Taylor was unavailable, so Samuel Knowles returned to the centre of midfield with
Jonny Gray moving to the right.
It
has been all change on the goal scoring front this season at LC/DC, with defenders popping up all over the place with crucial
strikes. Terry Soteriou had never even had a shot on target in the previous two campaigns, but he popped up after fifteen
minutes to head home his third goal in as many games and give Chiesa a deserved lead.
Matt
Gillham was still picking his jaw up from the deck in amazement at 'The Stallions' new found goal scoring antics
when Adam Jeffers missed a chance to double the lead, side footing past the post when faced with a one on one. At the other
end Bryant were proving dangerous from corners, and it took goal line clearances from Williams and Soteriou to keep the score at
one-nil.
The
lead was not to last for much longer however. When Gay rushed to the edge of the area to cut off a long ball, he was beaten
to it by a Bryant forward who looped his header into the unprotected net. Chiesa were dealt a sucker punch soon after, when
a stray piece of control from Williams fell kindly for a Bryant midfielder to unleash a fantastic skimming shot from 25 yards
that left the Chiesa keeper with absolutely no chance.
It
was a deserved lead that Bryant took into the interval. Chiesa had rested on their laurels since opening the scoring, and
the home side had looked dangerous going forward, with their midfielders showing some excellent tricks and footwork on
a difficult icy surface.
If
the Hornchurch Rossoneri were to get anything from the game, they would have to match the effort put in by defensive midfielder
Chris Young, who was winning first and second balls all over the pitch while his team mates were hoping, rather than expecting,
to win 50/50's.
As
the smoke cloud from the Hemel Hempstead petrol explosion moved ever closer to the Hainault area, an surreal feeling of playing
under floodlights was emerging. The opening quarter of an hour of the second period plodded along with no real change in proceedings
- Bryant were dominant while Chiesa were strangely subdued. Knowles saw a long range effort fly wide, and Young forced a great
save from the Bryant keeper and defensively, 'Hornchurch Hatchet' Warren Hardwick and Steve McCathy were sound but it
was time for the Red and Blacks to up their effort and take the game to the opposition. After a spell in which they pressed
the opposition harder and more quickly, they drew level. Matt Gillham, who had been having one of his quieter games, tricked
his way past two challenges only to see his shot deflected wide, and after a clever corner routine, Williams curled in
a perfect cross for Adam Jeffers to nod home at the far post.
Anyone
who is anyone in football will tell you that a team is at its most vulnerable when they have just scored, and Chiesa
almost proved that saying to be true immediately as Bryant broke from kick off to force a couple of corners. Although they
were dealt with adequately, it wasn't long before Chiesa were behind again. When a ball was played down the left hand side
of the away defence, arms went up for offside, but as LC/DC had failed to provide a linesman, they can have no complaints
that Referee Dhillon failed to give the decision. Bryants forward was through on goal and he dinked a delightful finish over
Gay and into the far corner.
Chiesa
were demoralised, but had an instant chance to level things up again when Dennis Peck was released on the left side of the
box, only for the in form striker to smash a left foot effort wide of the far post. Jonny Gray was denied a certain penalty
when he looked odds on to score, but Chiesa finally drew level with ten minutes on the clock, again from right wing corner.
Williams again swung over the cross, and when Bryants towering centre half mistimed his jump, Knowles was on hand to steer
the ball past the keeper for a rare headed goal.
It
was all to play for now, and the momentum was with Chiesa. Dennis Peck had scored in each of his previous four appearances
and with his confidence high, he dummied, Chrissie Waddle style past a statuesque defender and fired low and hard into the
bottom corner to restore LC/DC's lead. Adam Jeffers had a fantastic opportunity to make the game safe but spooned his shot
over the bar, but Chiesa held on under a sky that felt more like midnight than midday to take the points and climb to
fourth place in the table.
