Bromley 4 Hornchurch 0

Hornchurch slumped to the bottom of the Conference South table after a comprehensive defeat at the hands of Bromley last night.

Jimmy McFarlane’s side had their hopes reduced before kick-off when centre-back Paul Goodacre was forced to pull out after turning his ankle in the warm-up.

But the Urchins boss would not use that as a reason for their poor performance.

“Paul Goodacre turning an ankle was no reason for us to perform like we did,” he said.

“When I took over two and a half years ago we lost 7-1 to Tonbridge and I tried to erase it. It’s as bad as I felt on that day.”

Hornchurch fell behind with only four minutes on the clock when a well-worked move opened up the visiting defence and Pierre Joseph-Dubois coolly slotted past Joe Woolley.

The hosts doubled their lead on 11 minutes when Michael Malcolm’s inswinging corner from the left found Richard Pacquette rising highest to head home.

The game was over as a contest following the next attack of note as Moses Swaibu curled a ball in from deep in the Hornchurch half to Ali Chaaban who flicked the ball on for Joseph-Dubois to slot home his second and Bromley’s third.

Martin Tuohy limped off with an injury late in the half to add to Hornchurch’s woes, which increased further on 52 minutes when Reiss Noel pulled down Moses Swaibu in the box and referee Brook pointed to the spot.

Paquette coolly converted to inflict more misery on the Hornchurch travelling support.

A fluid move resulted in Tambeson Eyong pacing his run across the pitch from the right, but his left-footed shot was high, wide and not very handsome.

The Urchins fans remained in jovial spirits as things improved slightly on the pitch, but it was clear Bromley had taken their foot off the pedal.

It was 80 minutes until the Urchins gained their first corner of the match, but even that came to no avail.

With six minutes remaining a free-kick was headed goalwards by skipper Elliot Styles, but it thundered back off the bar and away to safety.

Hornchurch: Woolley, Bentley, Spencer, Glover (May 59), Love, Noel, Curley, McKenzie (Gayle 46), Tuohy (Eyong 41), Smith, Styles.