Dereham gained a point from an excellent game against the league leaders on a sticky Aldiss Park pitch.

AFC Hornchurch won an early free kick 20 yards out but George Purcell fired tamely into the wall. Dereham had their first chance when Andy Howell found Rhys Logan with a great ball to the right and the winger passed inside to Ryan Crisp who cracked a fierce effort narrowly wide.

Hornchurch replied with Theo Fairweather-Johnson forcing home keeper Elliot Pride to produce a tremendous save to turn his goal bound drive over the bar.

Dereham came close twice following crosses from Logan and Floris Burgers. In the 29th minute home keeper Pride made another superb save to deny Sean Roberts from inside the box. As play switched ends Crisp just failed to make contact with Logan's centre.

After the goalless first half Matthew Castellan headed Jamie Forshaw's free kick wide in the 52nd minute.

From their next attack Danny Beaumont fed Forshaw, who fired into the side netting from an acute angle.

As play remained competitive Hornchurch's Warner picked up Ebbage's wayward clearance but shot off target from just outside the box. The visitors pressed but Andy Howell was commanding in the home defence. Logan fired into the side netting after a flowing move from the Magpies in the 75th minute as both teams continued to search for the elusive first goal.

Hornchurch won a free kick 25 yards out late on but Pride leapt to his left to turn Warner's curler over the top to safety at full stretch.

Dereham: Pride, Castellan, Taylor, Burgers (Anema 80), Ebbage (Eastoe-Smith 67), Howell, Logan, Hinton, Crisp, Forshaw, Beaumont. Subs not used: Murphy.

AFC Hornchurch: Mott, Bentley, Porter, Lee, Cooper, Olluwatimilejin, Fairweather-Johnson, Roberts, Assombalonga (McKenzie 72), Purcell (Joseph 86), Warner. Subs not used: Hursit, Livings, Styles.

Referee: H Callum

Attendance: 146