Isthmian Premier: Hornchurch 2 Wingate & Finchley 0

Romford Recorder: Ahmet Rifat of Wingate and Daniel Uchechi of Hornchurch during Hornchurch vs Wingate & Finchley, BetVictor League Premier Division Football at Hornchurch Stadium on 31st August 2019Ahmet Rifat of Wingate and Daniel Uchechi of Hornchurch during Hornchurch vs Wingate & Finchley, BetVictor League Premier Division Football at Hornchurch Stadium on 31st August 2019 (Image: ©TGS Photo tgsphoto.co.uk +44 1376 553468)

Hornchurch bounce back to winning ways in the league with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Wingate & Finchley to move them up to third in the league table.

Goals from Chris Dickson and Joe Christou sealed the three points for Mark Stimson's side at Bridge Avenue.

Urchins full-back Mickey Parcell whipped a free-kick in which found experienced midfielder Matt Johnson who flicked it towards and forced Shane Gore to push it wide in the eighth minute.

The hosts continued to pile the pressure on with a string of lovely passing before it went out to the left flank for Parcell.

The former Enfield Town full-back picked out striker Chris Dickson but it just evaded his head as he leaped up into the air.

Both side's had a bit of a coming together in the 14th minute as Ahmet Rifat went in late on Urchins captain Lewwis Spence.

In the 18th minute winger George Saunders turned on his man and had a dig from distance but sent it over the bar.

Wingate had a half chance as Anthony Mendy chipped a free-kick from the edge of the box over the bar shortly after.

But Hornchurch soon took back the momentum and went ever so close in the 37th minute as Dickson just fired over the bar after Rickie Hayles header allowed him to break free.

The visitors then had their first real chance in the 43rd minute as Marvin Morgan held off his man and laid it off for Mendy to run onto but his effort went spinning into the side netting.

Daniel Uchechi twisted and turned in midfield before setting Dickson free.

The former Gillingham forward fired the ball under Gore to give the Urchins a 1-0 lead on the stroke of half-time and bag his sixth goal of the season.

The hosts continued to dominate early in the second-half but didn't really create a real good chance until the 58th minute.

Dickson tracked back to win the ball and played it out to Matt Johnson, the midfielder raced down the pitch, but couldn't beat Gore once through on goal.

Hornchurch doubled their lead in the 67th minute as Joe Christou fired into the bottom left corner past Gore from the edge of the box.

Christou and Uchechi linked up well before playing the ball into Spence, his effort was steered wide of Gore and cleared of the line by the Wingate defence in the 72nd minute.

The visitors substitute James Ewington cut inside from the right and shot but his effort was straight at goalkeeper Joe Wright before they also had a free-kick headed at home by Rifat once again into Wright.

In the 86th minute the visitors right-back Luke Ifil sent an effort wide of the target.

Hornchurch: Wright, Parcell, Cooper (Clark 62), Dickenson, Hayles, Christou, Johnson, Saunders, Spence (Winn 80), Dickson (Stimson 89), Uchechi.

Unused subs: Goode and Edwards.

Wingate & Finchley: Gore, Ifil, Abrahams, Rifat, Njie, Cronin (Hall 61), Ochieng (Kennedy 66), Oluwatimilehin, Morgan, Mendy (Ewington 61), Tejan-Sie.

Unused subs: Eadie and Fleming.