With all of Colin’s 5 summer signings making their debut for Thurrock, and a couple of players in new positions, it was always going to take a while for the players to get to know each other, Saturdays game proved that with a somewhat shaky first half.

Kingstonian made a lot of the running with a couple of shots over the bar before Stafford Brown, formerly of Aldershot, scored for Kingstonian after good work down the wing.

Thurrock gradually settled down and recent singing Jeran Meah playing down the left hand side of midfield had a couple of long range efforts going just over. On 27 minutes, after good work by Linger and Meah in Midfield, Kris Lee used his strength to turn the Kingstonian defence and hit a left footed shot just over.

Ten minutes later Meah picked up the ball thirty yards out from goal and hit a wonderful shot that Lance Key some how managed to get his finger tips to and pushed it on to the post.

A long ball from defence was picked up on the left hand side of the box by Kandol, who powered into the box only to be brought down by a desperate Kingstonian tackle. Kandol stepped up to coolly strike home the resultant penalty.

In the second half the defence seemed much more solid, with today’s captain John Purdie, outstanding. Thurrock had more of the play, but still had to be wary of the pace of the Kingstonian attack.

Kris Lee, working as hard as ever, picked the ball up on the left wing but his cross was just too high for TK at the far post. Cliff Akurang found himself with a shooting chance just afterwards but Key made another save, pushing the ball around the post for a corner which David Collis took and Kandol was just wide with the header.

Colin made a couple of substitutions bringing on Martyn Lawrence for Kris Lee and Mark Goodfellow for the tiring Meah before the real incident of the match – Paul Lingers through ball gave Akurang the chance to run through on goal before he was brought down by the keeper in the area but neither the referee not his linesman was brave enough to give the decision which would have surly resulted in a penalty and a red card for Key. The last few minutes were fairly tetchy with both side giving away silly fouls.

Subs

86min Kris Lee Off, Martyn Lawrence On

88min Jeran Meah Off, Mark Goodfellow On