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Thurrock played brilliantly to record their first home victory over
Sutton in the last four attempts. Fleet were quick out of the blocks and
Lee Hodges bossed the first ten minutes, looking like the player of last
season again. On 2 minutes he beat two on the edge of the box and
blasted just wide of the goal. Moments later he got the ball in the box
and shot across Phil Wilson in the Sutton goal but Wilson managed to
hold the shot at full stretch. On 7 minutes a quick Hodges run and pass
found Steve Harper, whose low shot was tipped around the post by Wilson.
Thurrock continued to press and were stretching the Sutton defence at
will but couldn’t work a decent opportunity. Sutton hit Thurrock with a
goal after 18 minutes with their first chance. Eddie Akumoah spun and
shot from 18 yards giving Glenn Knight no chance as the ball flew into
the corner of the goal. All of a sudden Sutton were oozing confidence
and looked a different side. Minutes after the goal Jimmy McFarlane had
to be alert to head behind for a Sutton corner after a goalmouth
scramble. Sutton poured forward in droves and the impressive Matt Gray
spun Mark Goodfellow and shot from 20 yards only to see a tremendous
save from Knight deny him. Thurrock struck back on the half hour as
Harper’s pass found Mark Janney who flicked the ball one side of the
defender and went the other. Through on goal, no-one was going to deny
Janney his first goal in Thurrock colours as he slotted past Wilson,
giving him no chance. Thurrock resumed their domination as they looked
to lead at the break with Richard Goddard heading against a post with
the keeper beaten and Hodges hitting a shot against the post from the
edge of the box after beating two challenges. Garry Cross nearly scored
at the death but Wilson held onto his shot and McFarlane headed wide
from 12 yards.
Thurrock started the second half in the same fashion as the first with
Harper breaking clear out wide and heading towards the goal. Harper shot
from a tight angle and Wilson saved with his feet, the rebound fell to
Goddard who laid off to Janney but his shot was blocked and cleared.
Thurrock were always going to take the lead the way they were playing
and the goal came after 53 minutes. Hodges got the ball on the left wing
and ran 20 yards, he then slotted a ball between two defenders into the
path of Cross who controlled and shot past Wilson. Fleet were swarming
forward now and Harper was pulling all of the strings. His defence
splitting pass found the excellent Cross who pass to Janney for a first
time shot that went just wide. On the hour Harper went clear,
Scarborough in the Sutton defence appeared to make a tremendous
last-ditch tackle but the referee ruled that he had fouled Harper and
gave a penalty. Having given a penalty Scarborough had to get a red card
but was ridiculously given only a booking. Hodges stepped up to take the
penalty from a short run up but only succeeded in putting the ball at a
saveable height for Wilson to tip around the post. Thurrock would not
let that put them off and the third came five minutes later. Harper’s
defence splitting pass found Janney who crossed low and left Goddard
with the simple task of tapping home from a yard out. Sutton did make a
rare foray into the Fleet half but Gray could only shoot over from 25
yards. A minute later Fleet had a goal dubiously disallowed when Harper
slotted home but he was denied a deserved goal by a linesman flagging
for offside. Thurrock did continue to press and the 4th came
with just under ten minutes on the clock as Cross’ deflected volley hit
the back of the net for the midfielder’s fifth goal of the season.
Sutton got a goal back on 86 when the linesman flagged for a challenge
in the box. Gray dispatched it brilliantly, giving Knight no chance.
Thurrock were not finished though and scored a fifth with a minute to go
when Goddard chased a long ball and lobbed over the stranded Wilson from
the edge of the box. Dave Collis nearly scored a sixth a minute later
when his fiercely drilled free kick was tipped over the bar. Sutton did
get a third with virtually the last kick of the game with another
penalty. A handball was giving against the otherwise excellent Ronnie
Fletcher and Gray once again smashed home effortlessly. Thurrock’s
fourth straight home league win pushed them into the playoff places and
the push for promotion carries on from here.
Man of the Match:
Steve Harper.
Thurrock: Knight, Collis, Fletcher, McFarlane ©, Goodfellow, Heffer,
Cross, Hodges (Wallis 85), Janney, Goddard, Harper.
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