THAMESMEAD emerged winners of this clash of the Ryman One North high-fliers at something of a canter and a poor showing from the home was compounded when midfielder Kye Ruel was sent off in the closing minutes.
A lack-lustre start from both sides, with Thamesmead having the only efforts of any note in the first ten minutes when two long distance shots drifted well wide.
The first strike of real menace came on 13 minutes when Andy Constable turned and shot but keeper Richard Wray dropped in the ball comfortably.
New Rocks striker Hakeem Araba started to make his presence felt with some strong challenges, but by an large the threatening action was at the other end and Raphael Momodu gave notice with a run and shot across the face of goal.
It was a threat that Rocks didn’t deal with and on 24 minutes another pacy burst down the right saw the ball pulled back into the box and Marcus Perona coolly slotted it home.
And the second Thamesmead goal came five minutes later when Raphael Momodu again cut loose and laid the ball into the path of Constable who drilled it home.
Rocks’ first bit of venom cam with a Max Cornhill shot on the half hour that Sam Mott fumbled but gathered at the second attempt and then Araba did get the ball into the net but he was adjudged to have fouled James Campbell in the build up.
The half was played out without either side threatening again, with Thamesmead having to reorganise their attacking options when Constable succumbed to an injury he had picked up in the early stages, being replaced by Danny Crouch.
East Thurrock improved in the second half, it would have been had not to, but they lacked the guile to break down a well-marshalled visiting defence.
The closest East Thurrock were to come to a goal was six minutes into the half when Joe Keith’s curling free kick was pushed wide at full stretch by Mott.
Ruel picked up a booking soon after with a late tackle born out of frustration after another good East Thurrock position came to nothing, this time from Kris Newby’s shocking free kick that hit the wall.
Rocks’ best move of the game came soon after when Lee Hodges and Joe Keith combined to work the ball to the near post but Araba’s lunge at the ball was in vain as his effort was bundled away for a corner.
Max Cornhill then saw a header hooked off the line but that was as good as it was going to get for the home side.
Thamesmead might have extended their lead when Gabriel Momodu thumped the ball against a Tilbury upright and a goal would have been just desserts for his hard running all afternoon.
The closing stages were very low key as Thamesmead shut up shot and another reckless challenge from Ruel saw him head for the showers.
Report courtesy of The Essex Enquirer.
