Grays Athletic vs Needham Market (From Thurrock Gazette)

4:58pm

Full time scores from Thurrock's other games:

FA Cup:

East Thurrock United 3 - 0 Maidstone United

Welling 1 - 1 Thurrock

Ryman Division One North:

Chatham Town 1 - 2 Aveley

Wroxham 2 - 3 Tilbury

4:55pm

Huge header out by Baker is the final touch of the game.

And that's it.

The Great Escape tune comes on over the PA. Disappointing second half, but following the dismissal of Jake Hall, the draw isn't a bad result.

4:53pm

Been a very stop/start second half. Joao Carlos has just played a corner in, but it doesn't beat the first man.

4:51pm

4:51pm

4:50pm

Grays substitution: James Bunn coming on for Jack West.

4:49pm

Pope and Duane Wright booked following a coming together.

4:44pm

Sub for Needham Market: Danny Bloomfield and James Hubbard replace Kieran Leabon and Jack Wilkinson.

4:43pm

Agombar strikes over for Grays from 20 yards. Great stuff - the mood here has changed.

4:42pm

Cool finish by Marshall, who sprints through the Needham defence, lathes on to a through-ball, getting a little bit of luck as the ball seemed to bounce off his hand, but he slotted past the keeper to draw the ten-men of Grays level!

4:39pm

Should be two for Needham. Sam Newson picked the ball up, jinked inside of Baker but shot straight at Larkins

4:37pm

Another aimless ball from the back brings groans from the Tilbury fans.

4:36pm

4:36pm

Great stuff by Agombar!

The ball ricocheted into the corner and looked to be a lost cause. But Agombar gave chase, kept it in, beat the full back and put a great cross in. Marshall volleyed at the back post but the ball was blocked on the line.

4:33pm

Grays seeing more of the ball in this period, but there's no final ball at the moment. Needham not needing to come out of second gear at the moment.

4:28pm

Jack West is booked for dissent after the referee gives a throw in the wrong way. The Grays fans aren't impressed.

4:25pm

Nice stuff from Grays in the final third of the Needham half. Luke Marshall puts in a cross but again Barber is there.

He and Wright have been completely dominant for Needham Market.

4:21pm

Been a very frustrating afternoon for Blues so far. They've really struggled to get their foot on the ball.

4:17pm

That's the best position Grays have worked the ball into for a while as Luke Marshall takes on the full back in the corner of Needham's half, but his cross is poor.

4:16pm

4:14pm

Grays sub: Luke Marshall on for Danny Bunce - not a great day for Bunce. He's been largely anonymous today.

4:13pm

Good opener from the visitors, ten minutes into the start of the second half.

They broke well as Louis Johnson collected a Grays corner. The ball was played to Newson from the right, who slipped it into Wilkinson, who strode into the box and put a low shot across Larkins into the bottom right of the goal.

4:10pm

Great introduction from Agombar who hits a super free kick from 25 yards, striking the bottom of the post.

4:09pm

Oh great chance for Needham. Sam Newson, fires a header goalwards and Jake Larkins tips it onto the bar. The ball is then played across for Newson, who is unmarker, who gets his header wrong and sends it wide.

4:03pm

Jake Hall was sent off for violent conduct, by the way. He raised his arm to Ollie Fern. The two had been niggling at eachother all game.

Grays sub for the second half. Harry Agombar replaces Tyrone Scarlett.

4:00pm

So ten-man Grays face a stern test in the second half.

Needham have looked pretty decent and with a man advantage it could be a long half for Blues.

They've had a handful of chances themselves, but Needham who had two great chances blocked by Larkins within the first ten minutes and have hit the post have had the better of the game.

They've been a little over-run in the middle, and with Hall gone, that might be something that Hakan will look to address.

3:57pm

Half time scores:

FA Cup

Welling 1 - 1 Thurrock

East Thurrock 2 - 0 Maidstone United

Ryman Division One North

Wroxham 0 - 1 Tilbury

Chatham Town 0 - 2 Aveley

Grays Athletic 0 - 0 Needham Market

3:50pm

Good chance squandered by Blues. Jack West did well down the Needham left, allowing the ball to drop over his shoulder before cutting the ball back to Flynn, who scuffed his shot from 16 yards.

3:48pm

Flynn again shoots into the wall. It was a near identical position.

3:47pm

Great stuff from Joao Carlos to earn Grays a free kick in a dangerous position, from nothing.

3:44pm

Needham hit the post! Should have buried that. Sam Newson cuts the ball back to Kieran Leabon who from four yards, adjusts himself and fires into the post. It looked a certain goal. Newson afforded so much space on the right as Grays pushed up after winning the ball.

A first time ball from midfield found Newson.

Lucky escape for Blues.

3:39pm

3:38pm

Jake Hall has just been sent off for Grays. It's a straight red! Bizarre decision, Hall must have said something pretty bad, he wasn't cautioned earlier - he'd been spoken to by the ref.

Grays down to ten then.

3:35pm

Needham seeing significantly more of the ball at the moment, but Kirby's marshalling the Grays defence well.

3:34pm

3:33pm

3:31pm

3:30pm

Great ball into the box by Hall from just inside the Needham half, it causes all sorts of confusion, and breaks loose, but there's no one there to turn it in for Blues.

3:27pm

3:27pm

3:24pm

173 here at Rush Green as West receives some treatment. Think he's winded.

3:22pm

3:21pm

Gone a bit quiet here after a flurry of early chances. Thurrock seem to be playing two up top - Scarlett and West, with Carlos joining in at times, too - and look good on the break. Needham are posing problems with balls into the box - but are yet to capitalise.

3:17pm

3:16pm

Elsewhere today, it's the third qualifying round of the FA Cup.

Thurrock have taken a one goal lead against Welling, East Thurrock vs Maidstone is goalless.

Will keep you updated on all the games as best I can!

3:13pm

Good break again from Blues, who have begun breaking at the Needham back four. Tyrone Scarlett, a bit of a surprise choice in the Blyes attack has just put two balls in.

He's operating wide on the left and getting a lot of joy. Feels like a Blues goal is coming.

Baker has just headed over from a corner.

3:11pm

Good start to the game here.

Larkins has been forced into two terrific stops early on - the first came after Wilkinson found some space on the left hand edge of the Grays area. He rifled a shot at goal and Larkins tipped it over.

From the resulting corner, Larkins saved well again, with Newson side footing from point blank range.

Grays have settled since though and Jack West has just flashed a cross-come-shot across goal that went just wide of the far post.

3:08pm

He strikes it into the wall.

The teams then:

Grays Athletic:

Larkins; Pope, Baker, Kirby, Flynn (c); Hall, Beaney, Bunce, Carlos; Scarlett, West

Subs: Agombar, Marshall, Bunn, East, Lalite

Needham Market:

Johnson; Boyland (c), Fox, Barber, Wright; Clarke, Evans, Fenn, Wilkinson; Newson, Leabon.

Subs: Bloomfield, Bowden, Hubbard, De'Ath, Condon.

3:03pm

Phew, well, better late than never. But I apologise for the late start of this feed, on kick off.

A mix of bad traffic in the area and a couple of internet glitches have contributed to that.

I'll bring you the team news in just a second, but first Lee Flynn is lining up a free kick in a dangerous position for Blues