Grays extend lead at top. Fine victory for East Thurrock. Reality check for Tilbury as three first half strikes make it a long journey back to Tilbury.
Gray steadily applied pressure: Cowley had a thunderbolt charged down but he was a villain at the other end in the 25th minute as he needlessly scythed down a Chatham attacker on the edge of the area. Grays easily headed the free kick away but they would have heard Hakan's demands for the team to 'Wake up!"
Last Saturdays victory will have rallied the troops as Fleet look forward to getting out of the relegation zone. Second play first and this will be a big test of Grays table topping form.
THE funeral of former ten mile record holder Mel Batty takes place at 2pm this Friday at Basildon Crematorium. It is expected that stars from the world of athletics since the sixties will be present to a man who was seen as an athletics trailblazer both on and off the track.
It took Tilbury 21 minutes to get back into the tie when Aaron Matthews played in Emiel Aiken behind the Biggleswade defence to chip over the goal keeper to level the scores. Kevin Malthouse went close five minutes later but hit wide. Right on the half time whistle, Matthews went in to the box and was tripped, leaving the referee no choice but to award a penalty. Centre-Half Sam West scored to the keeper's right.
GRAYS ATH made heavy weather to win 3-2 victory in the heart of Bedfordshire against AFC Dunstable in the preliminary round of the FA Cup.
The first chance came in the 2nd minute when Junior Baker's header flashed across the area. Debut keeper Andy Hall showed why he is so highly valued with a great low block in a crowded area in the 4th minute.
EAST Thurrock United welcomed back free-scoring winger Kris Newby and defensive acquisition Ricky Hayles for Saturday's Ryman Premier clash, but the newcomers were largely anonymous in an indifferent Rock performance that saw them well beaten.
IT was not as easy as it sounds. Ruislip kept in touch until the last fifteen minutes but as the temperature rose on a sweltering day then so Thurrock also turned up the heat.
A goal in the ninety-seventh minute secured Thurrocks first three points of the season and lifted them from the bottom of the Blue Square Bet South division. In a game that was played out at a sedate pace throughout with Thurrock taking the lead twice and being pegged back twice but deservedly they took the points.
The road to recovery starts here with a great fighting victory by Robbie Garvey's men. Covo's men just can't get going this season as they are outplayed by Cray. Tilbury's unbeaten start to the season continues as they once again impress down at Chadfields.
However, when Kye Ruel bumped into the back of a canny John Easterford as he tried to recover an over-hit corner, Mr Fissendon chose the moment to award a penalty. Possibly buckling under pressure from home fans who had berated him early for denying them a handball shout he pointed to the spot, but it was the most marginal of decisions, with visiting players believing Easterford had cynically ‘bought’ the spot kick by astutely falling to the ground, while there was good case for arguing the point of contact was outside the box anyway.
1965 saw him win the National Cross Country Championship in Parliament Hills, London. He won this race by over 300m, an amazing feat considering the field contained the whole of the New Zealand Cross Country team and such running ‘greats’ as Ron Hill and Bruce Tulloch. Competing in the IAAF Cross Country Championships a fortnight later he left 4 Olympic gold medallists in his wake but found the then unknown Frenchman, Jean Fayolle, hanging on to him as if his life depended on it.
Grays had the vast majority of the possession but nearly every attack ended with them hitting the ball at the keeper. Joao Carlos and Dave Cowley out a vast number of crosses in from the left and right but to no avail. There was no tall bustling centre forward to put them in. Instead neither Jared Small nor Joe Sweeney who was as quiet and ineffective as he was on Saturday could capitalise. Indeed, neither Kenny Beaney nor Harry Agombar could impose themselves either as the game was played in diagonal direction.
Lee Boylan came on as sub at the start of the second half replacing Paul Terry giving Thurrock another option.
Unfortunately the frenetic play from Thurrock looked promising but paid no dividends and on 54 minutes Welling added a third from Loick Piers and on 61 minutes a fourth from Andy Pugh.
Welling eased of the gas and took control of the game and played out the rest of time without many chances being created by either side.
Thurrock now with just one point from 18 are firmly rooted at the bottom of the division with no easy games this season its going to be a long and tough season ahead.
Grays Ath go back to the top of the league with an entertaining win against Great Wakering. Rock bottom Thurrock are still winless after shipping four against table topping Welling.
