Thurrock came from behind to win for the second league game in a row to continue their recent good run of form in the league. Billy McMahon came back into the Thurrock team after his recent injury for only his first appearance of the season. The first half was a dull affair with the only chance of any note coming from a Mark Goodfellow volley on the stroke of half time that went just over the bar.           

The second half was a far more exciting spectacle which started with an excellent through ball from Goodfellow to Craig O’Connor whose shot was well saved by former Hornchurch stopper Danny Gay. Moments later O’Connor’s shot was saved by Gay at his near post. From the resultant corner Steve Harper missed from close range when he should have scored. Stortford took the lead just after the hour when an incisive break left Louie Evans with the simplest of tasks to tap home after a cross to the far post evaded the Fleet defence.

With just over twenty minutes to go Harper missed another gilt edged chance from O’Connor’s pinpoint cross. Fleet were entirely dominant now and Harper and Martin Carthy seemed to swap positions in order to find a way through. The switch worked well and Carthy played a through ball to Boniek Forbes, whose shot was well saved by Gay. Harper then played a lovely through ball to Carthy who should have done better with his header. That miss became irrelevant after 80 minutes when Carthy smashed home from Harper’s excellent cross. Thurrock had their tails up now and Carthy scored his second five minutes later after another good ball into the box, this time from Goodfellow.Carthy had another chance to make it a hat trick in injury time but was fouled in the box, the ref however, saw nothing wrong with the challenge and waved play on!

Man of the Match: Mark Goodfellow

Thurrock: McMahon, Collis, Goodfellow, McFarlane ©, Purdie, Goddard, Forbes (Williams 90), Heffer, Carthy, O’Connor, Harper.