Bill Robinson reports from the Wessex Stadium…..
When does an away point feel like a humiliating defeat? Perhaps when the home side are languishing at the foot of the table, going into receivership with a squad full of youth team players who have already conceded 92 goals this league season, or perhaps when the away side have higher expectations than they can achieve.
Today was a sad day in Thurrock’s exceptional season, with play off hopes still in sight and a visit to lowly Weymouth, the game was built up as another three points towards their target.
Unfortunately the game started in an all too familiar fashion, with Thurrock dominating possession and creating chance after chance but as with have seen throughout the month of March, failing to kill off the game with a goal and having to suffer the consequences.
In the first half Thurrock were awarded ten corners, demonstrating their domination of the game. Most of these corners looked dangerous when the crosses came over but the Thurrock strike force seemed second best as the young Weymouth defence continued to look solid and growing in confidence ably supported by Keeper Tim Sandercombe who made a number of important stops to keep the scores blank.
As we have seen in recent matches Thurrock heads started to lose focus and the team began to get more frustrated with themselves and their passing and movement suffered as a consequence.
Perhaps the best chance of the match came in the 12th minute when Leon McKenzie rounded the advancing keeper but his touch was just too much which sent him wide and his shot was cleared off of the line by the full back, Scott Dixon.
But then again Fola Orilonishe had another marvelous chance when he went one on one with the keeper in the 19th minute, but again he made hard work of it and the keeper won.
In the second half Weymouth had grow in confidence now even believing they could win the game when at the start it was a case of damage limitation only and don’t concede too many goals.
At times all eleven Weymouth players were defending, and making Thurrocks cause even more difficult.
Manager Hakan Hayrettin made some tactical substitutions but there was no noticeable difference on the pitch.
At the final whistle the Weymouth supporters erupted enthusiastically as if they had just won promotion mainly in dismay that they had not lost.
But credit must be given to the young Weymouth squad who showed tremendous spirit in the absence of experience.
At the end of the match Thurrock manager Hakan Hayrettin was very critical of his team saying that if they do not want to play for Thurrock with full commitment to the ambition of reaching the play offs then they can go and play for someone else.
