Smith sees red as Urchins lose

Hornchurch 0 Welling 3

Urchins were left fuming after falling to Conference South defeat in front of a crowd of 483 at Bridge Avenue.

The home side saw Lewis Smith sent off before half-time for two bookable offences, the first for diving when they thought he deserved a penalty.

Frankie Curley and Tambeson Eyong had their names taken by referee Wood inside the opening quarter of an hour, with Welling’s Loui Fazakerley also cautioned by the card-happy official.

Hornchurch striker Wayne Gray saw a shot deflected behind for a corner and saw Sam Mott smother the ball at his feet as he looked to latch onto Eyong’s through ball.

Smith had his claims for a penalty when going down under the challenge of Jake Gallagher, but Wood waved away the protests and instead book the Hornchurch playmaker.

Welling broke the deadlock when a long ball fell kindly for Kieran Hughes-Mason to place it past Joe Woolley as Urchins looked for an offside flag.

And the home side were left with a mountain to climb a minute before the break when Smith was cautioned for a mistimed tackle and given his marching orders.

Rimmel Daniel replaced Elliot Styles during the interval and sent a shot over when Duran Reynolds headed an Andy Tomlinson free-kick into his path.

Daniel fired another effort wide from Gray’s cross but the Wings doubled their lead before the hour mark as Hughes-Mason run through the home defence unopposed and slotted home his second.

Leon McKenzie went close to a reply after good work from Eyong, while Mott grabbed Alex Bentley’s shot at the second attempt as Urchins kept searching for a way back into the match.

But the visitors made sure of the points with a third goal 18 minutes from time when Fazakerley headed home a left-wing cross.

And Daniel sent another attempt too high before late Hornchurch penalty claims were waved away after Duran Reynolds clashed with Mott.

Hornchurch: Woolley, Bentley, Reynolds, Tomlinson (May 58), Styles (Daniel 46), Noel, Eyong, Curley, McKenzie, Smith, Gray (Tuohy 68).