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For the last three weeks, the players of La Chiesa Del Corno have enjoyed celebrity status on the streets of Hornchurch. They have been unable to buy a drink in any of the local pubs and clubs since their grounbreaking win at Bryant, and have had to switch their mobile phones off in between opening supermarkets and visiting the childrens ward at Oldchurch hospital, otherwise they would have no time to relax at all. But, on Sunday 25th January, it was back to what they know best - Sunday morning grass roots football - and the visit of Astra to Coopers Stadium. Astra arrived with confidence high on the back of four consecutive league victories, and taking the league table at face value, they would have expected to leave with the points. But this was the 2004 version of LCDC they were taking on, and things would not turn out as they might have thought...

 

Chiesa were forced into four changes from the team that trounced Bryant, Mark Ede and Alan Lamont coming into defence, Iain Gay, making his debut, and Jon Gray bolstering the midfield, while  Cy Taylor switched from the right wing to a  centre forward role. The pitch at Coopers was passed fit to play despite some puddles in the penalty areas, and It was LCDC who got us underway in their bid to keep their winning streak going. Early on, both teams found it hard to retain possession on a pitch that was cutting up more and more with each passing minute. It was fitting then, that the opening goal should arrive in similarly messy circumstances, the ball  breaking to Colin Williams twenty five yards out, and his shot taking a huge deflection that wrong footed the keeper and ballooned into the back of the net. Mind you, if you don't buy a ticket you won't win the raffle, and it wiil go down as the third goal of the season, all from distance, from the LCDC midfielder. Aside from an inviting cross from Jon Gray that narrowly eluded Adam Jeffers at the far post, and a header from Taylor that went just wide, that was about it from La Chiesa as an attacking force in the first half, the rest of the forty five minutes being devoted to backs against the wall defending, made particuarly uncomfortable by the low sun. Astra had the lions share of possession, while LCDC were finding it increasingly difficult to to keep hold of the brand new match ball, purchased in  the euphoric days after their first league win. When Astra were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box it took a fantastic fingertip save by Danny Hardwick  from Junior Francis to keep the score at one - nil, but  Francis was not to be denied for long, and when the speedy forward was allowed a run at goal ten minutes before the break, La Chiesa's defence could not catch him and he produced a calm finish to slot past Hardwick for the equaliser. Francis was denied by a Hardwick double save again before the interval, and La Chiesa breathed a sigh of relief when the referee blew for the break, more than happy to be on level terms.

 

Manager Samuel Knowles rang the changes at half time, introducing teenager Bobby O'Toole and 'G-Man' Benny Gillham for Ede and Lamont, and both made an instant impression with their first touches. Benny G produced a fabulous pass to release Iain Gay on the left, and his perfect cross was met by Cy Taylor, only for his header to be deflected for a corner. From the resulting flag kick, O'Toole rose to power home a thumping header and become La Chiesa's youngest goalscorer at 17 years and 31 days. He will no doubt now be talked about alongside Wayne Rooney, James Milner, and Fernando Torres as the most exciting teenage prospect in Europe, but will be wrapped in cotton wool by all at LCDC. That header proved to be the catalyst for half an hour of La Chiesa domination that turned the match. Although not making many clear cut chances, LCDC were controlling the pace of the game, Knowles and Gay picking the ball up in the centre of the park and feeding Gray, Gillham and the overlapping full back O'Toole, to create menace in thefinal third. It was from such a move that the third goal arrived, O'Toole sent clear down the right, and his cross catching Astra's keeper unaware as it looped over him into the top corner. A fortunate goal, perhaps, but LCDC have had their fare share of these incidents go against them, and it was time for somebody else to wear their bad luck. Minutes later La Chiesa were handed the chance to make the game safe, when Cy Taylor latched on to a through ball, only to be upended by the keeper as he took the ball round him - a clear cut penalty. O'Toole was on a hat trick but keeper Hardwick is in charge of penalties, both the saving and taking of, and he made no mistake, sending his opposite number the wrong way to make it four one to the Hornchurch Boys. Hardwick has two 100% records on spot kicks this season : faced 1, saved 1, taken 2, scored 2. Is there another player in England that can top that???

 

With a three goal cushion to sit back on, it seemed that LCDC invited Astra to come at the, and when man mountain Terry Clayton pulled one back with fifteen minutes remaining, it set up a potentially nervy last quarter of an hour for the hosts. It seemed certain to be 4-3 minutes later only for Hardwick to pull of an unbelievable triple save that had even Astra's forward shaking their heads in disbelief. Centre Halves John Riley and Darren Hodsoll were repelling Astra as best they could and  La Chiesa had their chances on the counter attack, but it was Clayton who scored the final goal of the match in the last minute, making the scoreline a bit more respectable for Astra fans. There were just seconds to go when LCDC restarted the match, and they held on for their second succesive win, enough to take them to a season highest placing of eighth, with three games in hand on their rivals.

 

So, the first home league victory for La Chiesa...  just how long will this winning streak last??? Have they really turned the corner??? Will those players absent this weekend be able to force their way back into the team??? Will those mud caked shorts be clean in time??? Find out, same bat time, same bat place on the 8th February when they take on Bryant Rovers right here at Coopers Stadium, Upminster. Until then, just savour the feeling of being associated with winners! 

 

LCDC ;(4-4-2) D Hardwick; Hodsoll, Ede (B Gillham), Riley, Lamont (O'Toole); Gay, Williams, Knowles, Gray; Taylor, Jeffers

 

Gols - Williams, O'Toole 2, D Hardwick (p)

 

Arbitro - Dave Congdon