On the missing list for the Rouge et Noir this week were Adam Jeffers (back), Matt Gillham (ankle), Steve McCarthy (Fulham v Orient), Terry Soteriou (family bereavement) and Jonny Gray (Thailand  - say no more...). Frontman Danny Trew returned from injury, while Dean Jordan was back for the first time in two months to bolster the midfield. Disaster struck when skipper Darren Hodsoll phoned in sick just before departure from The Chequers, so Matt Pallett was plucked from Chiesa's feeder club Mansard to fill in at right back. With Jordans post Christmas fitness in doubt, LC/DC decided to go with a five man midfield with Gay & Knowles alongside Deano in the centre,  Dennis Peck and Cy Taylor supporting Trew up front.

Chris Young dropped into defence to cover McCarthy.

 

Whether it is just coincidence or pollution from the power plant next door, it just never seems to be sunny when Chiesa take oin Bakers, and it was under a murky grey sky  and in bitterly cold conditions that the game got underway.

 

After an uneventful opening quarter of an hour, it was M&B that took the lead. A cross from the right seemed to be heading out of play until 'Hornchurch Hatchet' Warren Hardwick intervened, deftly heading the ball past a dumbfounded Mark Harris and into the Chiesa goal, with not a shout of 'behind you' to be heard...

 

LC/DC were knocking the ball around with more composure than they had all season without really threatening the Bakers goal. Colin Williams was linking  with Peck on the left, while Trew was playing the lone forward role as if he had been doing it all his life. Although some of the time the passes were going astray, it was encouraging that the visitors didn't resort to the long ball and tried to play the beautiful game...

 

Chiesa were forcing plenty of corners on their left, Knowles and Young both guilty of firing over from clearances from two of them, while Peck shot over from the edge of the box after getting on the end of a ball from the right of midfield. Although Chiesa had more posession, the best chances of the half fell to the home side, an unknown forward missing the targetwith the goal gaping after rounding Harris, and Tyrone Lighterness firing over the bar from six yards after getting on the end of a flick from a free kick.

 

At half time Chiesa were annoyed at being behind, but pleased with the football they had played. The five man midfield appeared to be working, and Youngy, despite his reluctance to play in defence, was having a blinder alongside Hardwick, who, one blip aside, was equally assured. The visitors were sure that , if they kept their patience, it would not be long before they were back on level terms...

 

...And, after a quiet opening five minutes of the half, indeed they were all square. Hardwick made a fantastic interception on the edge of his eighteen yard box and fed the ball to Jordan who found the run of Peck with a superb through ball. Peck who has played in a variety of positions this season but is happiest when through on goal, made no mistake in lobbing the ball over the advancing keeper into the Bakers net. One-One, and Chiesa were on the front foot...

 

For the remainder of the match the Hornchurch Rossoneri took the game to their hosts. One minute it was slick interpassing between Jordan, Gay and Knowles in the heart of the midfield, the next Danny Trew was winning the ball in the air from Harris' pinpoint dropkicks, but try as they might LC/DC could not get that all important second goal. Jordan came close when put clean through but decided to try and take the ball round the keeper and was denied by a combination of keeper and defender, while Knowles was put through by a Steven Gerrard style headed pass from 'Soul Provider' Cy Taylor but couldn't finish the move off, directing his lob over the keeper but wide of the far post. Trew came agonisingly close to getting on the end of a Williams free kick  at the back stick while Iain Gay was winning everything in the middle of the park, while Peck was showing energy level that few people knew existed on the left.

 

Bakers almost caught LC/DC on the hop with a long range effort that seemed to be dipping under the bar before it was plucked out of the air with disdain by Harris, whose handling was superb all morning, while at the other end corner after Chiesa corner was coming to nothing, until the 80th minute when Gay's attempted cross was handled and referee Marsh had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

 

Finally the chance had come for Chiesa to get their noses in front. Various penalty takers had been used this season for the boys from the Church of the Horn, but it was last seasons regular taker Knowles that stepped up to the oche on this occasion. The usual two step run up was again in evidence, but the kick was weak and placed poorly, and Bakers keeper had no problem keeping it out. Peck was first to the rebound but his shot was deflected behind and, with time running out, LC/DC's best chance of victory had surely been and gone.

 

Ten minutes of constant pressure from Chiesa ensued with heroic defending, poor decision making, and slack finishing preventing them taking the lead before Bakers almost snatche dvictory in the last minute. Dean Rowland beat he offside trap and seemed destined to claim all three points until under pressure from Colin Williams he was unable to beat the despairing dive of Harris .

 

Points shared at Brian and Cheryls place for the second consecutive season, then, and Chiesa maintain their unbeaten record against the Dagenhamites, but this was a game they will feel that they could and should have won. Just how costly will that shambolic penalty be come the end of the season??

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gol - Peck