The Abbotts kicked off, attacking Tilbury from the outset and nearly got a dream start when with just 45 seconds on the clock, a deft close range Kieron Ogunkoya lob beat visiting custodian James Marrable but rolled along the cross bar before being cleared. The Dockers struggled to control the surging Abbotts and had Marrable to thank for not going behind on 8mins when he pulled off a double save to deny Emmanuel Osei.
Which the chanceometer going into over-drive, The Abbotts finally made the break-through they deserved on 17 mins. Osei and Ogunkoya combined well to splice open The Dockers defence but, more by luck than judgment, Marrable prevented the latter from notching the opener. Within seconds an Ogunkoya shot struck the underside of the bar and bounced back into play, ala Geoff Hurst 1966, but he was on hand to head the loose ball home.
The second goal duly arrived eleven minutes later. A long range shot by Steve Cawley was saved by Marrable and with the Tilbury offensive being curtailed before it had begun, Tyler Campbell struck gleefully from an acute angle.
The game was effectively killed as a contest just three minutes later, rather aptly, in pantomime fashion. Ogunkoya, whilst hugging the touch line, was the recipient of a pin point pass. The Dockers stopped as they appealed for offside and Ogunkoya, with time seemingly standing still, made sure that he wasn’t before advancing unopposed to unselfishly set up Campbell to sweep home his second.
On 37 minutes, Tillbury had their first real opportunity to inflict some damage when Chris Stone hit a free-kick wide of virtual spectator Harry Ricketts’ right-hand post. A few minutes later another Osei run was brought to a premature end but the appeals for a free kick fell on deaf ears – which was just as well for the Tilbury player concerned otherwise he would surely have seen red ? They did not heed the lesson when virtually on time Craig White dealt with Campbell in the same heavy handed way. He was booked but their was no further punishment as The Abbotts’ free kick was wide of the target.
The Abbotts had a couple of early second half chances to increase their advantage but they slowly dried up as The Dockers adopted rather aggressive damage limitation tactics.
On 56mins Cawley, despite the close attention of a couple of defenders, swivelled on a six-pence only to see his well struck shot cannon off the bar and hacked to safety before the menacing Ogunkoya was able to profit.
Tilbury were reduced to ten men on 64mins when Michael Toner committed a spate of fouls within a five minute spell and within a matter of minutes they paid the price when Liam Farrell was upended in a crowded area. He dusted himself down and made no mistake from 12 yards unlike 10 minutes later when, from what must have been only a couple of feet, he was somehow denied by an outstretched Marrable leg after receiving a pin-point pass from Ogunkoya.
Thanks for the Report from Waltham Abbey F.C.
Man of the Match – James Marrable
Tilbury F.C. – Marrable, White (Clarke), Crowther (Gordon), Griffths, Evans, Good (Matthews), Henty, Toner (Sent off, second yellow), Cook, Taylor, Stowe
Subs not used – Malthouse & S.West
