Purfleet 3 Gravesend & Northfleet 1

WAYNE'S WORLD II …. HAS A GRAVE - ENDING FOR VISITORS

Purfleet continued where they left off on Monday night at East Thurrock. This was a convincing victory over the conference side with Wayne Vaughan on target again.

As early as the 5th minute Wayne showed that he was a real predator in the box when he scuffed a good opportunity in front of goal.

This seemed to sting the visitors into action and they almost scored but for the acrobatics of Alex O'Reilly in the Purfleet goal who somehow tipped the ball around his far post.

The game was played at a very quick tempo with both sides probing and putting defenders under pressure. Eventually it was the visitors who broke the deadlock when a great through ball from deep in their own half found Che Stadhart at full pace advance towards the Purfleet goal and hit an unstoppable shot that flew past O'Reilly to give Andy Fords men the lead.

Purfleet showed their true fighting spirit and pressed forward and the lively Wayne Vaughan was a constant threat. It therefore came as no surprise that he finished what was a good move down the left-hand side to fire in the equaliser on the stroke of half time.

The second half saw the usual plethora of changes that after all, is what these games are all about. However one player who stood out for the entire duration of the match was Purfleet's Danny Jones, who made a huge contribution to the Purfleet side.

Almost inevitably it when a good ball is played into the box Jimmy McFarlane will be somewhere close at hand. In the 66th minute he was on hand to head Pufleet into a well-deserved lead. Form then on the visitors looked doomed to defeat.

Such was their desire; Purfleet maintained their pace and enjoyed a long spell of attacking possession. As the game drew to a conclusion the referee saw a handball in the visitor's area and awarded the spot kick. Up stepped the classy Paul Linger to fire home and give Purfleet a comfortable victory.