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By Bailey Howard
Hornchurch were made to settle for a point at Bridge Avenue in Storm Amy as a resilient Horsham side came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw, in a well-contested affair, in the Enterprise National League South.
Daryl McMahon’s men entered the match off the back of strong recent performances and looked to continue their momentum at home.
The Urchins boss made three changes to the starting line-up as he gave loanees Harry Brooke and Frankie Edwards an entrance to the pitch, with a return for striker Henry Hearn.
The game got underway and the hosts started with intent and were on the front foot early. In the third minute, Horsham’s Shamir Fenelon drew a solid save from Arthur Nasta with a strike from just outside the box.
Minutes later Hornchurch responded swiftly, with Charlie Pegrum flashing an effort over the bar after a deflected shot from Charlie Hester-Cook was comfortably gathered by Lewis Carey.
On the sixteenth minute, Horsham had another sight of goal when Greg Leur attempted a lob from a tight angle, but saw his effort drift over.
At the other end, in the twenty-third minute, Darren McQueen turned provider, squaring for Tom Wraight, but the midfielder’s finish lacked composure and cleared the bar.
The match’s most unexpected moment came just after the half-hour mark when Charlie Pegrum was brought down near the touchline and accidentally collided with the assistant referee, falling theatrically and ending up holding the linesman’s flag, momentarily looking like he might take over his duties!
The game slowed down as the first half wore on, with both sides unable to find the rhythm in the final third and just before the half-time whistle, chances came from Angelo Balanta and Darren McQueen, but both failed to break the deadlock.
Half-Time – Hornchurch 0-0 Horsham
Daryl McMahon made two changes at the interval, introducing Henry Sandat and Giles Phillips in place of Harry Brooke and Charlie Pegrum.
The deadlock was finally broken six minutes after the restart and it was the home side, who took the lead. A dangerous ball into the box found Angelo Balanta, whose initial shot looked to be heading wide, only for it to take a heavy deflection off a defender, wrong-foot Carey and went highly into the net, 1-0 Hornchurch.
The Urchins continued the positive momentum and nearly doubled their lead minutes later, with shots from Gile Phillips and Henry Hearn blocked in a crowded box to receive a corner. From the resulting corner, Harry Gibbs rose highest, but his header was comfortably held by Carey.
Just past the hour mark, Horsham hit back and found their equaliser. A delivery from the right caused panic in the Hornchurch back line, and an attempted clearance from Harry Gibbs sliced off his boot, looped over Arthur Nasta and into his own net to level the score at 1-1.
Sensing the need to regain control, Daryl McMahon rang the changes introducing Sean Scannell, Charlie Ruff and Myles Weston in an attacking triple substitution to chase the three points.
The game remained finely poised as the minutes ticked down and Horsham looked dangerous from set pieces, in the eighty-second minute, as a header, at the back post, was well saved by Nasta to preserve parity.
In stoppage time, Hornchurch pressed with intensity to try and clinch all three points and Jake Elliott produced a heroic goal-saving challenge to deny Tom Wright, which looked like a certain winner, before Sean Scannell unleashed a fierce effort that was brilliantly parried away by Carey in the 93rd minute.
Despite all the late pressure, the referee blew his whistle and it ended all square, a result that keeps Hornchurch unbeaten and top of the league, but they will have work to do in the coming weeks as they continue to keep the positive momentum going as they take on Bath City at the Bridge in a fortnight’s time.
Full-Time – Hornchurch 1-1 Horsham
Enterprise National League South
Saturday 5th October 2025
Bridge Avenue
Attendance: 881
