East Thurrock United 3 Tonbridge 0

Match 74/15/1279 - Saturday, 5th March 2016 - Ryman Premier

East Thurrock United (2) 3 Higgins 12, Walker 32, Ruel 76
Tonbridge (0) 0
Attendance: 331

Entrance: £5 Senior
Programme: £2.00
Mileage: 87/5,539

Match Report

I have come to the conclusion that if I'm going to watch my club lose a football match, I want them to lose to a team that I can appreciate. Walking away, very disappointed, from the recent home defeat against Bognor Regis Town, that mood had changed before the car had even exited the car park. I quickly realised that I had watched a quality team and my club would have had to been on the top of their game to have won on that night. Sour grapes it might sound like, but, despite the presence of the league's leading goalscorer in Sam Higgins, East Thurrock are a difficult team to admire. In this game, Tonbridge enjoyed (definitely the wrong word) a lot of possession but this foundered on their own wastefulness and a central defensive pairing of Joe Ellul and Rickie Hayles that snuffed out every opportunity, whilst a long punt forward was the root of their creativity. But then, if you have a striker with 38 goals to his credit, why wouldn't you lump it forward to him every time?

Sitting six points adrift of the home side, but with two games in hand, nobody under-estimated the importance of this top-of-the-table clash, least of all the contingent of supporters from Tonbridge who turned out in great numbers. Sadly, their team just didn't turn up.

Corringham isn't one of Essex's beauty spots, in fact the word bleak springs instantly to mind. After 12 minutes, the outlook for the visitors was, indeed, bleak as a long punt forward (not even the first of many) found its way between the two central defenders to Higgins, who slotted the ball past the advancing Anthony Di Bernardo for a cool finish.

Tonbridge responded, but an inability to string together a couple of passes, found possession being lost with the ball disappearing over the roof of the stand each time it found its way to the feet of a defender. The pitch was far from easy, but if the ball doesn't spend any time on the ground, it doesn't really matter.

East Thurrock had really done their homework. They restricted the supply from Nick Wheeler, whilst on the other flank, Charlie Webster had a very poor afternoon. When the wingers managed to get in a cross it was headed away by Ellul or Hayles, time and time again.

After 32 minutes, the league leaders doubled their advantage. Luke Allen gave away the ball for the umpteenth time and when it was dispatched to Tom Wraight, a class act, the winger fired in a shot that Di Bernardo failed to hold and as the ball squirmed from his grasp, James Walker squeezed it in at the near post.

The second half produced more of the same, Tonbridge with bucket loads of possession but doing absolutely nothing with it. After 50 minutes, from a Luke Blewden throw-in, the clearance fell to Allen, who blazed over and, just after the hour, a good Tonbridge move set up Wheeler, for their best chance, who shot wastefully over. After 72 minutes, substitutes Tommy Whitnell and Bradley Woods-Garness combined but the latter put a very good heading opportunity wide.

A minute later came the sucker punch and a nightmare moment for Sonny Miles. Tonbridge's central defender dallied on the ball and was robbed by Kye Ruel who went one-on-one with the goalkeeper and produced a composed finish.

Tonbridge created a couple of chances for a consolation goal but asked nothing more than comfortable saves from Lukas Lidakevicius (a valiant effort made by the announcer reading out the teams!).

At the end of the match, East Thurrock's huddle showed a team spirit to admire. There you go, I've found something admirable!