Vanarama National League South
East Thurrock 5 v 1 Truro City
Report by David Osborne
EAST Thurrock walk away with all three points after a commanding victory against Truro City saw them win 5-1 at the Future Fuel Stadium. Tom Wraight sealing his second hat-trick to ensure the double against their Cornish opponents.
Despite the home side’s dominance, Truro actually took the lead in the 26th minute. Andrew Neal headed home from the front post, putting the ball through the keepers legs after meeting Zane Soles curling corner.
The Rocks equalised 10 minutes later after Tom Wraight pounced on some poor defending, to go through on the keeper. Wraight sold the keeper with a drop of the shoulder and took the ball around him, before passing the ball into the net.
East Thurrock continued their positive response to going behind and took the lead themselves just before the break. Tom Wraight was the scorer again in the 43rd as he crashed the ball home from inside the 6 yard box after Truro were unable to clear from Ben Marlow’s cross.
After half time, East Thurrock continued their dominance and almost immediately scored, as Wraight met a cross at the back post, but his strike was denied by the upright.
The Rocks eventually got their third goal in the 63rd minute and then added their 4th and 5th in the 65th and 67th minutes in a crazy attacking spell. Kane Ferdinand got the 3rd goal after steering home the rebound from a blasted freekick by Higgins. Tom Wraight he clinched his hat-trick in the 65th minute, with a fantastic solo effort. He left his defender behind with some magnificent skill, before sending the ball into the bottom left corner from the edge of the box.
Just a minute later, Ben Marlow made sure he wasn’t left off the list of scoring midfielders with a cracking effort from 30 yards out; his effort also finding the bottom corner.
East Thurrock United: Lukas Lidakevicius, Michael Freiter, Teddy Nesbitt, Lee Burns (James Walker 75), Joe Ellul, Ben Wood, Reece Harris, Kane Fedinand, Sam Higgins, Ben Marlow (George Craddock 75), Tom Wraight (Joe Gardner 81)
Scorers – Tom Wraight (36′,44′, 65′), Kane Ferdinand (63′), Ben Marlow (66′)
Truro City: Martin Rice, Ben Adelsbury (Rory Fallon 75), Jamie Richards, Zane Sole, Aaron Bentley, Arran Pugh, Erick Panzer (Ryan Brett 75), Naill Thompson, Andrew Neal, Ollie Knowles (Dan Smith 75), River Allen
Scorer – Andrew Neal (26′)
The results means they are ninth in the league on 31 points just seven points off the play offs.
Next up for the Rocks is the Christmas holiday double header derby against Concord Rangers. Rocks make the short trip to Thames Road on Boxing Day, with the return at Rookery Hill on New Years Day.
Both games kick off at 3pm.
