EAST Thurrock United were in seventh heaven after qualifying for the FA Cup First Round with a 7-1 thumping of Bath City.

Strikers Sam Higgins and Lewis Smith were the stars of the show as John Coventry’s men humbled a side one step above them in the football pyramid.

Higgins took home the match ball after netting a hat-trick while Smith scored twice as they proved just too much to handle for the Conference South outfit.

“They were amazing,” said Coventry. “They imposed themselves on the opposition and showed their quality. Their defenders couldn’t handle them.”

No one could have predicted such a result before kick off and there would have been many in Rookery Hill who would have scoffed at the thought of a win of any sort after Rocks fell behind just past the half hour mark.

Bath full back Dan Ball intercepted a pass directed towards David Bryant and then ran unopposed from the half way line to the edge of the East Thurrock box before guiding a well-directed shot into the bottom corner.

Up until that point the game had been fairly even-stevens but there was certainly the fear that once the visitors had got their noses in front, their Conference South pedigree would shine through.

That may well have been the case if they had been allowed to hang on to their lead for any length of time.

Instead, Rocks were back on level terms within a minute as their strike duo showed they are more than capable of giving any Conference South defence a torrid time.

Higgins’ collected a short corner from Smith and drove low across goal from the left-hand channel.

Visiting keeper Jason Mellor, who just seconds earlier had saved superbly to deny David Bryant from close range, did not cover himself in glory as he got down to the shot but let it squirm through his hands and into the net to give Rocks the momentum.

By this point Higgins’ strength was giving the Bath defenders all sorts of problems as they bounced off him as if he had forcefield around him.

And if they were not being bullied by Higgins’ physicality then they were being wrapped up in knots by Smith’s skill and pace.

And it was that exact combination that led to Rocks going ahead seven minutes before the break.

Higgins brought the ball down mid-way inside the Bath half, knocking defenders out of his way before releasing Smith who after putting a defender on the seat of his pants while fainting to shoot, cut back inside and fired home.

That was enough to send East Thurrock in at the interval leading but by no means comfortable.

That all changed within 15 minutes of the re-start.

Just two minutes into the second period, Smith was chopped down in the area and Higgins crashed home the penalty to make it 3-1 and then Ross Parmenter bundled home from close range after Higgins’ free kick was spilled by the hapless Mellor.

Rocks were in such dominance it looked as though they would score on every attack – and they pretty much did.

Higgins completed his hat-trick on the hour mark when he was left all alone at the back post and swept home a Smith cross to make it 5-1 and then, in an almost identical goal but from the other flank, Smith was left all alone to make it 6-1.

And that was that. All that was left on a magical day for Rocks was for Bryant to put the cherry on the cake with a sublime seventh.

He capitalised on a slip from Bath’s last man Pat Keary to run through on goal and as Mellor dived at his feet, he delicately chipped the ball up and over the Bath stopper and into the back of the net.

The whole day was almost like a dream for Rocks boss Coventry.

“It is dreamland,” he admitted. “We had them watched a few times and knew they were a good side so we did not expect this.

“It’s a special day for the whole club and now the exciting stuff starts. We have been in the First Round before and know what to expect with the build up and everything like that. It’s an exciting time.”

And who would he like in the next round? “Sheffield United away would obviously be the big one but because I’m a Coventry, Coventry City would be my choice!”