Our first Amateur Cup match of the season was staged on a bone hard pitch and we were happy to record a 2-0 win on a day when so many of the fancied clubs failed to force a decision.

Both ourselves and Hornchurch, the visitors, found that conditions made control of the ball a very difficult art. It was certainly not an afternoon for close passing, the slippery surface allowing no margin for error, while the inevitable hard bumps denied any accompanying accuracy with ground pases.

It was then a day for the long ball down the centre, a policy which our visitors pursued from the start although we had our moments, in particular after a quarter of an hour when Ray Poole, from just inside the penalty area, lobbed a ball which bounced on top of the bar.

Twenty minutes after the restart, and immediately following an escape at the other end that could have seen us a goal down, Peter Anderson broke through to shoot home number one.

Five minutes later, after Bobby Wilson had made a strong effort to break through, the loose ball was picked up by John Wilson who cut in to score his first competitive goal for the club. Very well taken and his obvious delight was most certainly shared by all of us.