THURROCK ENJOY ANOTHER AWAY DAY!

 After the midweek triumph at Sutton United the team continued where they left off to make it 6 points from the two games and 6 goals without conceding.

The conditions were hardly favourable for the players as the spectators enjoyed a very warm and sunny afternoon. The pitch was in immaculate condition and it was worthy of the immaculate Thurrock performance that was to unfold during the 90 minutes of football.

The game began at a very high tempo and both defences were soon being tested whilst the battle for the midfield was in all senses of the word fierce. However the signs were good as Terry Bowes and Cliff Akurang worked their respective markers very hard whilst in the middle both Paul Linger and Steve Heffer started to take control.

Thurrock took a well deserved lead in the 26th minute after Tresor Kandol had been scythed down in the area. The Thurrock man got up and coolly slammed the ball past Tarr in the Home goal.

Tarr, was tested again by Kandol just two minutes later when he dived to smother a well struck effort.

As half time approached a Terry Bowes run down the left hand side almost led to the Basingstoke defence being unlocked for a second time. Bowes’s cross was met by Kris Lee who effort was diverted for a corner. Dave Collis delivered a perfect cross and the unlucky Cliff Akurang saw his header somehow deflected over the bar for another corner. The resultant kick was somehow scrambled away to safety and the half-time whistle was a welcome sound for the home side.

The second half saw Thurrock continued to keep their grip on the game and were in no mood to surrender their lead. A rare effort on the Fleet goal was well saved by Paul Gothard in the 50^th minute and the resultant corner, was cleared by the well-organised Fleet defence.

Fleet were soon back to their attacking ways and a real goalmouth scramble in the Basingstoke box, which ended up with another Kandol effort being cleared off the line.

Thurrock’s sustained pressure was rewarded in the 57^th minute.  After an anxious moment in the home side’s six yard box, the ball fell to Tresor Kandol who fired in a goal bound shot which was cleared off of the line. However, the ball fell to Mike Basham who was fouled as he collected the ball. The referee awarded a free kick and Dave Collis’ great cross, was met on the full by Cliff Akurang who leapt at the near post to head home.

Kris Lee can count himself unlucky not to score when he got around the back of the defence and forced Tarr to dive and push the ball out for a corner.

Ten minutes had passed since Akurang’s goal when the goal of the game was scored by Fleet skipper – Jimmy McFarlane. The ball was only half cleared from a corner and was sensationally crashed into the roof of the net by the Fleet skippers acrobatic overhead kick.

The scoreline was a true reflection of the game, which, Basingstoke were mainly spectators for the large majority of the game.