Thurrock (0) 0
Gillingham (0) 1 Udoji 54
Att. 125-ish
Entrance: £8
Programme: £2
Mileage: 63/354
New Ground: 233
Match Report
A low-key end to Pre-Season personally in what, in all honesty, was no more than a ground ticking exercise.That be said, throughout the course of a season I get little opportunity to see the youth team apart from the players that break through into the reserve side and it is good to see what calibre of talent is in the pipeline. Today’s mixture of youngsters and triallists featured Tom Wynter, Jack Payne and Luis Cumbers, all of whom have featured in first team action this Pre-Season.
The triallists were a imposing French central defender, Alsseny Cissoko, a nippy winger in Theo Swaine and a big lad leading the line, Cherno Samba.
Thurrock rattled the woodwork early on and Cumbers and Josh Sargeant forced saves from the home keeper in a dull first half.
As is the norm, changes aplenty were made in the second half and a couple of these brought performances that caught the eye. Into the back line came Emmanuel Odoji (pictured), a scholar from the Glenn Hoddle Academy and Nathan Ashton. Odoji, who physically looked a good athlete, rose to head home a Sargeant corner for a 54th minute winner and Ashton showed some nice touches and good pace from his left back position.Thurrock’s Ship Lane ground, situated at the mouth of the Dartford Tunnel, offers cover on all four sides, with one main grandstand that has a bit of character about it. Its proximity to the M25 lends a constant traffic drone as a backdrop to proceedings although the motorway is not visible from the ground, but the ground is visible from the motorway if that makes sense!
Pre-Season 2009 comes to an end and thoughts are now cast forward to Season 2009-10, lunchtime Saturday cannot come soon enough!
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