Match photo's

Thurrock put in a weak second half performance to lose to relegation threatened Maidenhead United. Thurrock started under pressure from Maidenhead but never really looked like conceding until John Purdie’s hurried clearance from Craig O’Connor’s shot after he had beaten Andy Woodman outside the box. On half an hour Thurrock were desperately unlucky not to gain a penalty. Lee Hodges was unceremoniously hacked down in the box in front of the referee who ridiculously waved play on! Minutes later Danny Shipp was unlucky to see his shot deflected over the bar for a corner. The Thurrock pressure was beginning to tell on the Maidenhead defence and Kris Lee scored a brilliant goal on 38 minutes. He cut in between two defenders before rifling a left footed drive into the top corner from 12 yards. Thurrock piled on the pressure trying to double their lead before the break, but were unable to get the second.

Richard Goddard replaced the injured Mark Goodfellow at half time and Maidenhead emerged for the second half a better side. They equalised on 54 minutes after a clumsy challenge by Purdie on Yaku led to the referee giving a penalty which O’Connor classily dispatched by sending Woodman the wrong way. On the hour Kris Lee had Thurrock’s best chance of the second half when he sent a 20 yard bender just wide of the post. Maidenhead took the lead with just over fifteen minutes left. Ekwalla was left completely unmarked to head home from close range as the Thurrock defence went to sleep. Colin McBride shuffled his pack bringing on Brayley for the ineffective Hodges with 10 minutes to go.

Thurrock huffed and puffed to get level and looked a better bet with Brayley pulling the strings just behind the forwards, but the only time they came close was when Dave Collis bent a free kick just wide on 83 minutes.

Thurrock: Woodman, Goodfellow (Goddard 45), Collis, McFarlane ©, Purdie, Hodges (Brayley 80), Heffer, Parker (Buffong 90), Poole, Lee, Shipp.