The Fleet shared the points with the league leaders on Hornchurch’s first ever visit to the Kuflink Stadium.
The unchanged home side started lively, winning consecutive corners and forcing the visitors to sit back early on. Charlie Seaman looked a threat from those set pieces – the first was cleared out at the near post whilst Toby Edser’s effort forced a strong save from Arthur Nasta.
Honrchurch’s first chance came when they earned a free-kick but Mustapha Olagunju was able to comfortably head that clear. And their other chances cleared the bar with Mark Cousins not troubled.
An opener arrived just before the half-hour mark with Josh Coley securing his second of the season. Aaron Cosgrave released Ben Chapman to cut into the box and his ball across goal caused confusion between Nasta and Makai Welch, who between them sent the ball back into Coley’s path and over the line it went.
Hornchurch looked for the quick reply but had to wait until just before half-time to trouble the Fleet. Olagunju kept out Henry Sandat and then Cousins got down brilliantly to stop Josh Rees as the visitors closed out the first-half with a series of goalmouth scrambles.
Fleet kept Hornchurch at bay easily enough for the first quarter of an hour after the break but they were unable to stop Harry Gibbs powerfully heading home at the far post from a Josh Hare corner.
Hornchurch thought they’d grabbed a second when a goalmouth scramble ended with Cousins bravely gathering the ball on his line while at the other end, Gibbs snapped away at Cosgrave until the Fleet forward went down in the box but the referee waved away any appeals..
Seaman came close to securing his first goal got the club when he carried the ball through the Urchins defence and got goal side of them but his low shot was kept away.
An injury to Will Greenidge when he suddenly went down by the halfway line meant a long delay and after the defender was stretchered off, the referee called time immediately.
EUFC: Cousins, Seaman, Coker (Kennedy 76), Olagunju, Ehmer, Fielding, Hessenthaler, Edser (Moncur 89), Chapman, Coley, Cosgrave. Subs not used: Dallison, Barnes, Nelson, Peake, Bellagambi.
HFC: Nasta, Greenidge, Hare, Gibbs, Rees (Brooke 88), Wraight, Hearn (Balanta 84), Pegrum (Scannell 46), Welch (Ruff 66), Kuffour, Sandat (McQueen 71). Subs not used: Bertram-Cooper, Byrne.
Attendance: 1,566 (198 away)
Photos: ©EUFC/Tom Harris
