Ryman Premier
Lewes 2 v 2 East Thurrock United
ON the face of it, a point for the visiting Rocks, who have spent the season in the lower half of the Ryman Premier, at the play-off chasing Rooks is a good one.
But the Essex side left the Dripping Pan very disappointed after dominating possession and playing much of the game against ten men.
They looked to have taken a stranglehold on the game going into the closing stages with the lead, but they ended up hanging on for the draw after a brave Lewes fightback – and the home side came close to winning the game late on.
The visitors made the brighter start and Petrit Elbi had scuffed an effort wide and Sam Collins lashed a venomous drive just past an upright before a catastrophic fourth minute back-pass from Matt Hall gave Paul Booth the chance to bear down on goal and though Rocks scrambled back to put him under pressure, Booth stayed calm and picked his spot with an angled shot past Richard Wray.
Rocks had been upset by several decisions by referee Andrew Laver through the opening stages but the young ref found himself on the receiving end of the wrath of home fans with two very contentious decisions.
First, on 13 minutes, he cautioned Jack Walder for a tackle on Hall, when it looked like the Lewes player had done little wrong and then, just three minutes later, Walder appeared to win the ball fairly in another challenge but Mr Laver thought otherwise and dished up a second yellow.
East Thurrock were already in the ascendancy at that point and the extra man was a real advantage. They should have got back on level terms when the ball broke for Petrit Elbi in front of goal but he hesitated and the opportunity was lost. Soon after Collins fired a shot straight at keeper Matt Ingram.
The action was largely in and around Ingram’s box and he did well to keep out a well-placed free kick from Greg Cohen and just before the break Marc Gorbell headed over in a crowded six yard box.
The second half followed the same pattern, with Rocks producing some sumptious approach play but they lacked a cutting edge with main striker Sam Higgins sidelined through injury.
However, the pressure finally told on 54 minutes when Reiss Gilbey completed a flowing move with a pass into the path of Cohen who drilled a low angled shot past Ingram.
Rocks came close to taking the lead when Kris Newby delivered a fine ball into the box. Collins clipped a header goalwards which came back off the post. He was well-placed to nod home the rebound but incredulously he headed wide with the net gaping.
It was a miss that epitomised the lack of conviction from Rocks up front and it took a special goal to give them the lead. It came on 74 minutes when sub Kye Ruel did well to hold the ball up and lay it into the path of Hall, who atoned for his earlier mistake with a thunderous shot from the edge of the box.
The goal should have left Rocks home and hosed but they began to go backwards, dallying on the ball when they should have shown more urgency or positve commitment and on 84 minutes they were undone when they failed to deal with a forway on the right flank and allowed the ball to be delivered into the box where
Bill Medlock was given time and space to pick his spot and head home.
In the closing moments Lewes came close to winning the game, Matt Sumner forcing a fine save from the otherwise barely worked Wray and then scrambling the ball wide of an upright twice.
In the end honours were shared and though East Thurrock will feel it was two points dropped, Rooks will feel they deserved something for their tenacity, playing for so long with ten men.
