Velocity Trophy: AFC Hornchurch 4 Whitstable Town 1
AFC Hornchurch progressed into the semi-final of the Velocity Trophy with a comfortable 4-1 victory against Bostik South East outfit Whitstable Town.
A brace from Sean Marks and goals from Ronnie Winn and George Purcell guided them into the next round despite a late effort from former Urchins attacker Ricky Freeman at Bridge Avenue.
They will now meet Bracknell Town in the semi-final after they sealed a 4-1 win over Folkestone Invicta.
Manager Mark Stimson made two changes from the side who suffered a 5-0 defeat to Invicta on Saturday.
Kenzer Lee and Lee Prescott made way with the later moving to the bench as Jordan Clark and Jamie Hursit came into the side for the cup clash.
The first chance of the match fell to George Purcell who drove a shot on goal from the left side of the box after a through ball but missed the target in the sixth minute.
Just a minute later the hosts broke the deadlock as Ronnie Winn fired into an empty net after Purcell won possession and squared it to the former Waltham Abbey man.
In the 17th minute The Oysterboys were close to pulling one back as left-back Harry Brown headed an effort off the post.
Shortly after the Urchins appealed for a penalty as Purcell nipped inside and was brought down, but the referee waved it off.
Midfielder Jordan Clark then made a great run up the middle of the pitch, played a one two with Purcell.
The former Thurrock man then lost the ball but it ended up in the path of Purcell, who let fly, but his shot was blocked by defender Stuart West.
The long-serving striker Purcell continued to cause trouble for the visitors as he was played in by Winn but keeper Dan Eason was equal to it.
The 30-year-old followed up his own rebound but was denied once again in the 29th minute.
Former Maidenhead United striker Sean Marks finally doubled Stimson’s side lead as he got on the end of a low cross into the box from winger George Saunders in the 33rd minute.
Only a minute later goalkeeper Callum Chafer was forced into action as he denied an effort from Tom Walmsley from inside the six yard box and pushed it out for a corner.
Nothing came of the corner and back down the other end Purcell rounded the keeper and hit the post after being played through by Taylor Miles in the 41st minute.
A minute into the second-half Clark rattled a shot off the post before youngster Saunders then sent an effort over the bar from the right.
The hosts continued to dominant the match and in the 54th minute Purcell raced clear down the left before drilling a shot off the near post.
Two minutes later they stretched their lead to 3-0 as Purcell chipped the ball wide for Saunders whose fancy footwork got him inside the box where his attempt deflected off Marks face into the goal.
The winger continued to cause left-back Brown all sorts of problems as he raced clear once again before picking out substitute Charlie Stimson at the near post.
The striker got his foot to it but not enough and it went wide of the target in the 62nd minute.
Purcell finally got his reward for his efforts a minute later as he slotted home from inside the box after Stimson squared it to him.
In the 80th minute Whitstable were awarded a penalty and up stepped former Urchins attacker Freeman, who slotted it past Chafer to reduce the score to 4-1
AFC Hornchurch: Chafer, Hursit, Bentley, Clark, G.Winn, Porter, Miles, R.Winn, Saunders (Prescott 70), Purcell (Dutton 75), Marks (Stimson 59)
Unused subs: Wright.
Whitstable Town: Eason, Welch (Walker 64), Brown, Wright, West, Bryant, Saunders (Smith 60), Morrish, Freeman, Walmsley, Trueman.
Unused subs: Sprosen.
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