IT WAS cold, it was bitter, it was hardly champagne football but it was three vital points as Grays Athletic continued their pursuit of promotion.
Wakering should have scored in the first minute when a free kick just outside the area found the diminutive Billy Johnson. He had a free header but debutant keeper Tony Tucker made a wonderful save low and to his right.
Kris Newby and Sam Higgins do the trick again as the Rocks rack up another impressive victory.Things starting to look very serious as the Millermen suffer another defeat.
Alex read opened the scoring on the 24th minute. Matata equalised three minutes later. But the Dockers dominated the second half and it was only right and fitting that Joe Nightingill struck home the winner in the 78th minute.
Aveley continue to be competitive but once again fall short and see themselves now second from bottom of the league. It is going to be a real challenge.
And they found themselves behind on nine minutes when they gave the ball away cheaply and Zac Attwood cut inside before shooting from just outside the box, his low drive taking a deflection that saw the ball evade the outstretched arm of diving keeper Richard Wray.
It is the quiet ones you have to watch out for and the Dockers have now moved into a play-off positions and on equal points with Grays.It has been a very fruitful festive season for the Rocks with their third win in a row. It is looking much brighter.
"It is a move that is happening with full acknowledgement and supervision of the FA, the Ryman Football League and Essex FA - and also Companies House. The process is fully scrutinised at all levels and is recorded and recognised in administrative records of the Ryman League of which Grays Athletic officials will be aware.
A SAM HIGGINS hat-trick in the first fifteen minutes of this match secured a great local derby win for East Thurrock. The win saw the Rocks climb to fourth from bottom but also saw Aveley slump to second from bottom.
A TYPICAL Boxing Day local derby played with passion between two teams determined to take all the points. Despite the three red cards towards the end of the game this did not reflect the physical but fair manner in which the game was played.
After the game a delighted Tilbury manager Paul Vaughan said he was "Very happy with the performance, we created good chances and it was nice to go back to the old ways with the amount of goal scoring chances created. If we carry on like this, our next game against high flying Enfield Town will be competitive and looking forward to it.
LET'S be frank. This is not promotion winning form. Then again: what is? Needham Market lost 5-0 at home to Leiston.
Let's be proportionate: Grays are still only four points off the the top of the table. There are twenty games still to play and sixty points at stake.
Let's be fair: Gray's had a bit of a patched up team. Andy Hall was away, Lee Flynn was injured, Danny Bunce has left, Anthony Ryan was injured.
Fleet went away empty handed but will have plenty to be encouraged by.The Dockers keep plugging away and welcome another three points as they continue to plug away for those play-off places.Another unconvincing performance by Grays who should have been out of sight but instead let Romford back into the game.
Fourteen matches for you to choose from over the eight day festive period. Thurrock have a stiff challenge both home and away versus Chelmsford. East Thurrock and Aveley face a keen derby on December 27th whilst Grays have three very winnable games to help sustain their promotion challenge.
It came 35 minutes into the first half which was largely dominated by the Rocks, who started brightly though the evening's first real chance came on ten minutes when Laurent Hamici's drive was blocked by Simon Peddie, who was to go on and play an emphatic and dominating role at the heart of the visitors' defence alongside Ben Wood.
However, Lee Hodges' Millers are made of sterner stuff and Aveley substitute Jake Cass, recently recruited from East Thurrock United, was introduced on the hour and he made an instant impression, scoring exactly ten seconds after play resumed.
