Thurrock 0 v 3 Basingstoke Town
Blue Square Bet South
Bill Robinson reports from Ship Lane……
With just two draws and four defeats from their last six games Thurrock needed to put in a good performance to avoid dropping into the relegation zone.
The opening 25 minutes saw both sides struggling to stamp there mark on the game without any clear cut chances being created by either side the game was played out between the two eighteen yard boxes.
On 28 minutes Joe Woolley pulled off a fantastic one handed save to at his near post to keep the scores level. A free kick for Basingstoke wide on the right was driven into the near post for Matt Pattison to head the ball was goal bound until Woolley intervened.
Thurrock’s best chance of the half fell to David Knight, a long ball through from Marlon Patterson found Knight on the edge of the visitors back with two defenders around him he jigged his way into spce before firing a left footed shot low down into the corner but keeper Chay Morris was able to push it wide.
HT 0-0
When the second half resumed we saw an explosive Basingstoke exploit the Thurrock back four on three separate occasions first in the forty seventh minute when possession was lost on the wide right, the ball was sent over where Darren Wheeler found himself in space to blast a left footed shot passed the outstretched hands of keeper Woolley.
Stunned by the quick goal Thurrock once again failed to clear there lines in the 53rd minute this time the first shot was blocked but ran out to Delano Sam-York who hit a high driving shot into the top corner of the net.
On 60 minutes Basingstoke sealed the win when Greg Draper bounced on a loose ball in the Thurrock 18 yard box and fired between a body of defenders into the net.
Thurrock Manager Grant Gordon made three tactical changes to try and recover the game but lots of determination and effort failed to break the Basingstoke defence.
Three defeats in a row see Thurrock perilously close to the relegation zone with the visit of high flying Woking on Saturday its going to be a worrying few days for the Fleet supporters.
Thurrock Woolley, Pope, Patterson, Swaine, Olima, Clark, Bodkin, Cracknell, TJ Sie, Richards, Knight.
Subs: Carlos. Murphy, Harris, Scanln, Duncan
