A real game of two halves saw Thurrock emerge from Earlsmead with three points. Harrow belied their league position of seventeenth, winning every ball in midfield as Thurrock were pinned back. A poor header from Dave Collis nearly led to Harrow taking the lead after 15 minutes as Charles flicked the ball past Gothard from the attempted back pass but the ball miraculously went wide. However, two minutes later Harrow took the lead. An excellent cross from the left hand side led to Jimmy McFarlane putting the ball past Goths. Jimmy had little choice but to play the ball as one of the Harrow strikers lurking behind him. The rest of the first half petered out with neither team able to control the game and the Harrow defence clearing everything thrown at them, the outstanding Dean Marney winning everything at the back.

 Thurrock came out for the second half a different team. Colin McBride’s team talk obviously working wonders. Thurrock pressed from the first minutes of the second half, although the defining moment of the game was the withdrawal of Cliff Akurang, who was strangely ineffective and was replaced by Lee Allen after 53 minutes who had an immediate effect on the game by providing some much needed bite in the midfield as did Paul Linger, who was now pushing further forward. Thurrock won a corner after 62 minutes. It was delivered to the edge of the 6 yard box by Collis Harrow Keeper Karamoko flapped at the ball and it was not cleared, Terry Bowes scored for the second game in a row with an excellent volley from the edge of the box. Five minutes later Thurrock took the lead. A throw in by Collis led to flick-ons by TK and Simon Martin and Allen drilled the ball home from 20 yards on the half-volley. Five minutes after the second goal Paul Linger was unlucky not to double the lead with a brave header that was tipped over the bar.

Thurrock cruised home after that, with Linger and TK coming close to making the game safe. The referee, however, did not want the game to end. He played 9 minutes of injury time even though there was only one injury in the half. Steve Heffer, Purdie and McFarlane were excellent in those last minutes winning many balls in the box and clearing their lines effectively.

Man of the Match: Lee Allen
 

Thurrock: Gothard, Collis, Davidson, Purdie, McFarlane, Heffer, Linger, Akurang (Allen 53), Bowes, Kandol (Lee 86), Martin (Lawrence 90)