Ryman Div One North
Thurrock 2 v 3 Brentwood Town
Report courtesy of Thurrock FC
THURROCK knew that they would be facing a very different, improved Brentwood Town from the team they beat 3-0 in the first game of the season.
And so it was to prove. For the first 25 minutes the game was played very much in Thurrock’s half although Brentwood weren’t particularly bothering Andy Walker in goal.
Brad Warner beat his man on the left wing and sent in a low cross that Mark Onyemah couldn’t quite get to, Brentwood went straight down the other end and James Goode’s block very nearly crept in for an own goal. A free header from the resulting corner was smartly palmed away by Walker.
Thurrock gained some composure, started to keep the ball, simplify their game and pick their passes which saw them getting back into the game but as the half wound down Andy Walker slipped whilst coming to gather and Marcus Milner managed to get a toe to the ball which agonisingly slowly made its way inside the post and over the line.
Thurrock had two penalty shouts turned down as a handball in the area and a trip on Ross Wall went unpunished.
Ten minutes into the second half and Brentwood nearly increased their lead as an audacious scissor kick flashed across Walker’s goal and hit the post before he could safely claim it.
New signing Ishmel Demontagnac replaced Brad Warner on 56 minutes and had an instant impact by placing a 58th minute corner onto Ross Wall’s head which Wall powered into the corner of the net.
The scores were level for ten minutes before Andy Walker brought down a Brentwood forward receiving a yellow card in the process. Louis Baucutt slammed his penalty straight down the middle to restore the lead.
Rob Clark came very close to levelling straight from the kick off dragging his shot just wide.
Then a bit of magic from right back Loui Hazelwood, pushing high up the pitch he first beat one defender and then pushed the ball one side of a second defender whilst going the long way round himself. A cross to the back post looked to have cleared Ross Wall but Wall managed to get his outstep to the ball to put it inside the post.
Again, the scores were level for just five minutes before Hazelwood lost the ball on the halfway line and a ping-pong goalmouth scramble ensued before Sherwin Stanley managed to stab home.
Mark Onyemah was unlucky to see his header bounce off the top of the bar and Ishmel saw his cross brilliantly cleared from under the bar.
Having come from behind twice time ran out before Thurrock were able to repeat the feat for a third time.
Team: Andy Walker, Loui Hazelwood (Lamar Reynolds 87), Aaron Waters, John Osonowo, Simon King (Rob Gilman 62), Greig Stewart, Rob Clark, James Goode, Mark Onyemah, Ross Wall, Brad Warner (Ishmel Demontagnac 57)
Unused: Jordon Warren
