Hornchurch lifting their first FA Trophy in 2021 – Credit: The FA
The FA Trophy is a competition which is often dominated by Vanarama National League teams, but that wasn’t the case in the 2020/21 season.
Hornchurch of the Isthmian Premier Division progressed to the final and secured a 3-1 victory over Hereford to lift the trophy, the first in the club’s history.
The FA Trophy was at the centre of the Urchins’ attentions following the postponement of their division due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
They played ten league matches before the season was called to a halt, bowing out of the Emirates FA Cup with a penalty shootout defeat over Hampton & Richmond Borough as well.
Hornchurch entered at the third qualifying round stage where they faced local side Bowers & Pitsea, also members of the Isthmian Premier Division.
Alex Osborn, Ellis Brown and Charlie Ruff goals cancelled out Luca Albon’s penalty for Bowers, ensuring the Urchins would be in the hat for the first round.
A comfortable 4-1 win over Wingate & Finchley followed before a 1-0 away victory over National League South outfit Tonbridge Angels.
Now at the third round stage, more sides from the lower divisions were being knocked out – with more reputable sides in the National League and National League North and South progressing.
It was a National League South side Hornchurch faced in the third round, Dulwich Hamlet. Ruff netted four minutes from time to complete yet another upset for the Urchins, notwithstanding the fact that they had to come from behind from an early penalty from the Hamlet.
They encountered another team from a higher division, this time King’s Lynn Town of the fifth tier. The spoils were shared in a 1-1 draw in normal time at Bridge Avenue but the Urchins sealed a 3-0 shootout victory to defy the odds again.
The Urchins were now into the fifth round and the only team from the seventh tier to have progressed this far. To say their tie with Maidstone United was eventful would be an understatement.
Two goals from Sam Higgins and Jordan Clark, the latter being an own goal, gave Hornchurch a 2-0 lead on 16 minutes. George Porter responded for the visitors just before the half-hour but goals from Ronnie Winn and Higgins restored the two-goal advantage.
However, the Stones weren’t finished there. Porter was on the scoresheet for the second time, before Scott Rendell netted on the 71-minute mark to equalise.
Forward Liam Nash bagged the winner in the sixth minute of added time to conclude a chaotic affair, simultaneously going through to the quarter-finals.
An away trip to Darlington was next and a 2-1 victory for Hornchurch ensued thanks to goals from lethal striking duo Nash and Higgins.
In their semi-final, the Urchins were huge underdogs as they faced Notts County away from home – a Football League side as recently as 2019 and desperate to return.
Their class showed early on with Kyle Wootton’s strike on ten minutes but Lewwis Spence drew level 28 minutes later.
Rúben Rodrigues, now at Oxford United, regained Notts’ lead but Nash cancelled his goal out just before the break.
Elisha Sam thought he had secured the winner 12 minutes from time but Nash had other ideas, slotting home in added time.
Notts midfielder Jake Reeves missed his penalty while the Urchins scored all five which meant they would be making the journey to Wembley Stadium to face Hereford in the final.
Due to the ongoing COVID pandemic, only 6,000 fans were allowed to end the game on a special occasion for both clubs.
Hereford, occupants of the National League North, were favourites going into match and would be a significant achievement after they were founded as a phoenix club to Hereford United in 2014.
Tom Owen-Evans gave the Bulls the lead 12 minutes in from a corner kick from the training ground, resulting in the former Newport County midfielder firing home from inside the box.
The Urchins didn’t give up easily however. Hereford were rightly ahead following a dominant first-half, but Hornchurch staged an incredible second-half comeback.
Joe Christou’s long-throw was headed on by Chris Dickson which gave Ruff the simplest of jobs of heading in from close range on 75 minutes.
The momentum had well and truly swing in Mark Stimson’s sides favour with the second coming 11 minutes later. Nash rifled home from Dickson’s flick-on to all but seal the victory.
Urchins’ fans afternoon got even better in added time when Ellis Brown went on a marauding run in the final minutes and slotted past Hereford ‘keeper Brandon Hall.
The decibels were raised considerably once again upon Brown’s strike to complete an extraordinary cup win for Hornchurch.
Still in the Isthmian Premier Division, the Urchins have been in the last two play-off finals but have fallen to defeat in both. With former Cardiff City boss Steve Morison at the helm, they will be hoping to go one better this term.
