Ryman Premier
East Thurrock United 0 v 0 Lewes
AS goalless draws go, Tuesday’s Ryman Premier encounter at Rookery Hill was out of the top drawer reports The Thurrock Enquirer.
There was plenty of goalmouth incident and lots of fluent football that kept the crowd entertained despite the fact that neither side could break the deadlock.
East Thurrock started at a really high tempo and for the first 15 minutes bossed the game, pinging the ball around the visitors’ box with only a cutting edge missing. They might have got the break they required when Mitchell Gilbey was clattered from behind on the edge of the si x yard box but referee Gary Jerden was reluctant to give the penalty. After the game he conceded contact was made and it was a foul – but he didn’t give the decision because Gilbey didn’t appeal! Perhaps he should take up cricket umpiring.
Having weathered the early storm Lewes moved through the gears themselves and they created a succession of chances with adventurous counter-attacking play that earned a succession of set pieces that had Rocks scrambling to defend.
And the visitors were to spurn the game’s best chance when a shot from Jack Dixon was deflected and looped over keeper David Hughes as he back-pedaled and came back off the bar. With Hughes spread-eagled on the deck Fraser Logan had the goal at his mercy as the ball dropped but somehow he headed wide of the target.
More Lewes pressure and frantic defending saw the ball hacked off the line by Connor Witherspoon, with Lewes claiming it was over the whitewash.
So, having been denied three great scoring opportunities Lewes ended the half grateful to defender Sam Cole who denied Gilbey a goal close to the break after David Bryant had cut the ball back. It was a fraction behind the young Rocks midfielder but he still got in a goalbound effort only for Cole to stretch a leg and get the ball away.
The second half was marginally less frantic but still contained some flowing football from both sides. In the second 45 the better chances were created by the home side. Most of them fell to iconic striker Sam Higgins but he was to have an off night, failing to make the best contact with a number of half chances, the best of which saw him fed by Bryant but he slotted his shot wide of keeper Rikki Banks – but also the post.
Mr Jerden compounded a less than perfect night when he failed to award Rocks what looked a cast iron spot kick when Higgins was poised the pull the trigger from close range, appearing to assume that striker would stand his ground and walk the ball home despite being knocked out of his stride.
The closing 20 minutes were played out with possession evenly distributed and neither side appearing willing to risk conceding a share of the points and the goalmouth action waned, though the game remained on a knife edge until Mr Jerden’s final whistle after four minutes of added time – yet another strange decision as neither side’s physio entered the field of play during the evening.
