Ryman Div One North
Thurrock 6 v 2 Romford
AN emphatic Easter Monday derby win and results else where saw Mark Stimson’s Thurrock move into the Ryman North play-off zone. And with relegation rivals Cray producing another in a string of wins, Romford have now dropped into the relegation places at the other end of the table.
It was Thurrock who made the first breakthrough within ten minutes as captain Lewwis Spence hit a half volley with a load of back spin that dipped underneath Aaron Omand’s crossbar.
Five minutes later and Charlie Stimson was nearly on the score sheet as he stooped to meet a low Leslie Thompson cross drawing a fantastic save from Omand but Omand couldn’t prevent Leslie Thompson from getting his first goal of the afternoon from the six yard box on 14 minutes after Joe Christou held the ball before threading his pass through the crowded defence.
Romford tried a cheeky lob from the centre circle from the restart and Rhys Madden had to be on his toes to palm the ball away for a corner.
With half hour played Leslie Thompson held off two defenders before his shot was blocked, ex-Thurrock player Loui Hazelwood picked up the deflection and played an outstanding diagonal cross field ball that split Thurrock’s defence and allowed Tyrone Scarlett to run onto the ball and score.
Thurrock remained in the ascendency and a couple of further chances from Lewis Clark and Ross Wall went agonisingly wide before the half drew to a close.
The home side were in no mood to sit on this slender lead. In the first minute Wall flicked on a throw in to Spence whose shot was deflected. Spence went close again on the fifth minute but again Omand was able to save well,
Thurrock restored the two goal advantage in the 53rd minute after Remi Sutton passed to Wall and then onto Spence who had yet another shot saved. Stimson scrambled around in the box before Thompson blasted home his second .
Six minutes later Spence got his second. Thompson brought the ball down the right wing and fired in a low cross towards Wall, Wall responded to a shout from Spence and allowed the ball to run through his legs for Spence to drill in.
Romford responded immediately and got back to a two goal deficit through Ryan Imbert.
Thurrock stepped up the pressure and it became somewhat one way traffic with Romford barely able to get beyond Thurrock’s midfield.
Thompson got behind the defence from a free kick but couldn’t keep his cross out of Omand’s reach, Sutton and Wall enjoyed some interplay before a one-two between Spence and Stimson saw Spence hit it wide. A Gareth Madden throw found Wall who dropped a shoulder, allowed the ball to cross his body before hitting a clinical strike for Thurrock’s fifth on 71 minutes.
Mark Stimson made a double substitution with 12 minutes left, Steven Carvell replaced Thompson and Charlie Stimson gave way to the returning Jordan Clark. Clark has been scoring freely in the reserves lately and took only four minutes to get on the first team score sheet after Ross Wall lifted the ball through to him.
