Spalding started brightly but never looked like creating any chances. Thurrock’s first after 19 minutes saw Tresor Kandol slot in left footed past Pledger after Cliff Akurang’s slide rule pass. The stuffing was knocked out of Spalding and there was only one team going to win from then on. Lee Hodges shot just wide after a short free kick from Dave Collis and Jimmy McFarlane was unlucky with a header from another Collis free kick. Just when it looked like Thurrock were only going to go into half time one up, Pledger in the Spalding goal committed the cardinal sin of failing to clear a back pass. Akurang nicked the ball from him and slotted into the open goal.

The first fifteen minutes of the second half was the Cliff Akurang show. On 53 minutes he scored his second when he headed home from McFarlane’s flick. Three minutes later he was bundled down in the box and stepped up to complete his hat trick. The best goal of the game came after 58 minutes. Kandol received the ball on the right wing and held off two challenges. He laid back to the marauding John Purdie whose cross was dummied by Steve Heffer and Akurang flicked another past the helpless Pledger. The tie was over and Colin McBride decided to bring off Kandol and Akurang. This led to Thurrock slowing down and only one more goal followed when Kris Lee bundled home after a cross by Marc Goodfellow. Lee Hodges was unlucky not to score when he went close twice in the dying minutes but it was irrelevant and Thurrock will look forward to playing against former player David Lee’s club Oldham in the first round.

Man of the Match: Cliff Akurang

Thurrock: McMahon, Collis, Purdie, McFarlane©, Goddard, Buffong (Goodfellow 71), Heffer, Kirby, Hodges, Akurang (Martin 66), Kandol (Lee 65)