Hornchurch players up for FA Cup trip to Aveley says boss

Urchins make the short trip to Parkside Stadium to take on the Millers, who beat them in the Isthmian League play-off final last season to earn promotion to National League South.

Aveley have enjoyed a good start to life at step two and sit third in the table behind Yeovil Town and leaders Bath City.

But Morison’s men moved to the top of the Isthmian Premier with a 2-1 win over Dulwich Hamlet in midweek and are unbeaten in 10 games in all competitions this term.

“Definitely [up for the challenge]. It’s another game, it’s the next one, it’s the FA Cup, a great competition, we’d love to get through,” Morison told the club website in midweek.

“We had to do a job tonight and we move onto the next game and I’m sure the lads will be up for it. It’s one we’re all excited about.”

Urchins flew out of the blocks at Bridge Avenue, taking the lead after just four minutes when Sam Higgins found Tom Wraight on the left and his volleyed cross was tapped in by Liam Nash.

And it was 2-0 on 10 minutes when Higgins picked out George Saunders on the right and he found Nash to net his eighth of the season with a shot on the turn.

Hamlet hit back with a glancing header from Adrian Clifton, but Urchins took the points once again to the delight of Morison.

“We was the better team,” he added. “We started the game great, two excellent goals, should’ve been out of sight. Stonewall penalty wasn’t given. Never seen anything like it, but it is what it is.

“Then they go down the other end and get a goal where we’d stood up to them all game.

“Really frustrated to concede the goal, but we should’ve been out of sight. We weren’t, that’s football.

“But the lads were great, another victory, you have to do lots of different things.”

Urchins had come from behind to snatch a 2-1 win at Haringey Borough on Saturday.

Matt Young put the hosts ahead with a quarter of an hour to go, but Ryan Scott headed a 90th-minute equaliser then nodded down a free-kick for Ade Yusuff to hook home a last-gasp winner.

“Saturday we wasn’t great for 70 minutes then we were fantastic for 25 and go and win the game,” said Morison.

“Tonight we started great, we just had to deal with what they had, long ball after long ball, and the boys at the back stood up to be counted.

“Everyone to a man, Joe Christou in midfield I thought was fantastic, Nashy scored two great goals – it was a really good performance.

“It’s just frustrating we didn’t get a third and put the game to bed.”

Hornchurch will now be hoping to be in the hat for the FA Cup draw on Monday, having been handed a trip to Leiston in the FA Trophy third qualifying round on October 7.