Tilbury vs Grays Athletic (From Thurrock Gazette)

5:20pm

Full time scores from elsewhere:

Met Police 2 - 2 East Thurrock United

Wealdstone 2 - 2 Thurrock

Aveley 3 - 0 Brentwood

4:56pm

Great entertainment here.

Blues win it with a fantastic performance from their midfield three.

Baker excellent at the back, Hall superb going forward and Beaney and Lalite a class above the Tilbury midfield.

They had the best chances in the second half, particularly after the dismissal of Barnett for violent conduct, which also saw Danny Bunce sent off.

But a deserved win for Grays. There first here for 26-years.

Dockers unbeaten start to the season comes to an end.

4:51pm

Tilbury's last chance now, surely!

Long throw is cleared by Baker and that's it!!

Grays win here, 1-0, and it's a super performance from them!

4:50pm

Grays have the ball in the Tilbury corner. Dockers have three on the half way line.

4:49pm

Whistles from the Grays fans now urging the referee to blow the final whistle.

4:48pm

Grays sub:

The excellent Jake Hall is replaced by James Bunn to an ovation from the Blues fans.

4:48pm

Chance for Tilbury! Long ball over the top is missed by Kirby, allowing Matthews to burst through, but Kamurasi just beats him to it.

4:48pm

Chance for Tilbury! Long ball over the top is missed by Kirby, allowing Matthews to burst through, but Kamurasi just beats him to it.

4:46pm

Tilbury very committed to getting the equaliser leave three up top after losing the ball. Grays have acres of space as they move towards Dockers goal.

The way the game is, Grays looking more likely to get a second than Dockers are to equalise.

4:45pm

Grays have the upper-hand now. The sending off hasn't done Dockers too many favours. They're wide open now.

Grays squander a great chance to double their lead.

Joe Sweeney collects Lalite's long ball. He crosses into Hall but it's just behind the Blues number 15. He gets a cross in to Sweeney. That's half cleared to Carlos who leathers the ball low towards goal, but Marrable gathers.

4:42pm

Lee Flynn crosses from the left. It beats everyone, except Hall who's waiting at the back post. He turns out but his shot is scuffed wide.

4:40pm

Grays Athletic sub:

Harry Agombar replaced by Lee Flynn

4:39pm

In for an exciting last five minutes here. Tilbury applying a little more pressure, but again the Grays defence hold firm, with Waters eventual cross being caught by Kamurasi.

4:38pm

It was never likely that this game would end with all 22 players on the pitch come the end of the game.

As Danny Smith's corner is flicked over the acrobatically by Henty.

4:36pm

Tilbury sub:

Conor Mead on for Danny Francis

4:35pm

4:35pm

Grays Athletic sub:

Joe Sweeney replaces Jack West.

4:35pm

Rain coming down at Chadfields now. It's not the greatest surface at the best of times, so this could really affect the game.

Grays Athletic look to be playing three at the back and Llewellyn looks to have moved up front as an out-and-out striker following the earlier dismissals.

4:31pm

Carlos has a shot cleared off the line! He unleashes a fierce volley from ten yards as Tilbury fail to clear their lines, but it's blocked by Pooley.

4:30pm

To confirm, Barnett and Bunce have been sent off. Barnett for violent misconduct and Bunce for, presumably the same thing. Though his original challenge on Henty was certainly worthy of at least a booking.

4:28pm

Melee of players. It's kicked off a bit.

It comes from the original challenge by Bunce for which the referee had called a free-kick.

I think Barnett and Bunce have both been sent off for the altercation that followed.

4:25pm

Little to report at the moment. Both sides are probing. Tilbury have been a little better on the ball in the last few moments.

But Grays still looking relatively comfortable at the back.

4:20pm

Free kick in by Waters winds up with Francis at the back post. His volley is easily collected by Kamurasi at the near post.

4:19pm

Kamurasi comes for a cross. His enormous frame allows him to get to the ball first, but he can't hang on to it.

Another corner for Dockers, but again Grays deal with it well.

4:18pm

Better from Tilbury now though. As they move the ball from left to right and are a bit more patient in their build-up.

Blues working hard though.

4:16pm

West lays the ball off to Hall, with the latter striking from outside the box. Marrable palms it away to his right though.

4:15pm

After a positive start, Tilbury are second best again here. Carlos having more an impact as Grays control possession.

Dockers looking a little bereft of ideas at this point.

4:13pm

There's a pile of bodies in the Tilbury box as the home side just about deal with a nice Grays attack.

It's a lovely ball by Lalite out to Carlos, who beats Waters. His cross is blocked by Marrable. Hall then flies in and sends teh ball goalwards, but all aforementioned end up in a heap on the floor!

Still 0-1 here.

4:09pm

It looks like Llewellyn is tucking back into midfield this half. It's giving Tilbury an extra man to combat those three Grays midfielders who were so dominant in the first half.

Paul King has been replaced by Jake Pooley at half time. King suffered an injury late in the first half. Another blow for Dockers, but they've started this half well.

4:04pm

Dockers have seen more of the ball in the opening three minutes of this half than they did for the whole of the first period.

4:04pm

Early pressure from Dockers then. Free kick played in and cleared for a corner. Long throw now and Barnett hits an ambitious volley at goal which is easy for Kamurasi to deal with.

4:01pm

We're about set for the second half.

Work for Dockers to do here if they're going to continue this unbeaten run.

3:55pm

Half time scores:

Ryman Premier League:

Wealdstone 0 - 1 Thurrock

Met Police 0 - 2 East Thurrock United

Ryman Div One North:

Tilbury 0 - 1 Grays Athletic

FT: Aveley 3 - 0 Brentwood

3:50pm

Great goal by Hall and a great half from Grays.

Jake Hall scored in the 31st minute, a superb curler after a great solo run.

But he Beaney and Lalite have been sensational.

Agombar has looked good.

Tilbury have been over run in the midfield and failed to test Kamurasi at all.

There's been few chances, but Grays on top. 1-0!

3:45pm

Llewellyn catches Baker late after the Tilbury player is shrouded out in the middle.  The Grays midfield three have been absolutely immense this half.

There's a fair amount of stoppage time being played after a couple of injuries, to King and Aiken in particular.

Not entirely sure how much though.

3:41pm

Free kick to Tilbury now. It's straight out. Dockers have hardly had the ball in the Blues box this half.

3:37pm

3:36pm

Paul King is down for Dockers now. Looks like he took a knock defending that last Bunce cross.

3:35pm

Great football from Grays. Playing football in all the right areas here, with Lalite and Bunce exchanging a series of passes, before Bunce's cross beats everyone.

3:34pm

Met Police 0 - 2 East Thurrock United - Hakeem Araba, 23'

3:33pm

What a goal from Jake Hall.

Grays have bossed this first half and that's no more than they deserve.

Agombar picked the ball up on the left, deep in Tilbury's half. He gave it to Hall, who skipped between two challenges into the box, before curling a sumptuous right footed effort over James Marrable, that cannoned in off the bar.

3:29pm

Good stuff from Dockers skipper Henty. Showing great endeavour to win thw ball back. Tilbury still a little outnumbered in the middle though.

But Kamurasi, as he collects a Tilbury freekick, punts the ball up the park, by passing everyone and landing in his counter parts arms!

3:27pm

Wasted chance for Agombar who had loads of time. It was a lovely ball to him by Kirby who nipped the ball from Tilbury as they looked to break having cleared a corner. But he runs it over the touchline under pressure from Smith.

3:26pm

Carlos down after being scythed down on the half way line by Carlile. Carlos is sitting up now, but that was a poor tackle on him as he jinked in from the right and crossed the halfway line.

Carlile booked.

3:24pm

Martin Llewellyn on for Emiel Aiken. He's unable to continue after what looks to be a shoulder injury.

3:22pm

More Grays pressure. After clearing the free-kick, Blues are on the hunt for teh opener.

Agombar crosses, but Marrable collects as West eyes up the chance.

3:21pm

East Thurrock lead 1-0 at Met Police. Sam Higgins with the goal after 13 minutes.

3:19pm

A little lull in the game. Aiken is down and the physio on. Tilbury have a free kick from the right which Waters will take.

3:15pm

More good stuff from Grays as West wins the ball off Smith. It spurns loose to Agombar, who takes on Smith, crosses with Carlos laying it back to Pope. He shoots, but his effort from outside the area is well wide.

3:13pm

Grays just a little bit quicker to the ball, as Kirby nicks in to start a Grays attack. But Carlos early shot from the right is wide.

3:11pm

Great chance for Agombar, but he lashes his shot over from 16 yards, as Tilbury fail to clear their lines.

Nightinghill is furious with his defence.

3:10pm

Grays bossing the game in midfield at the moment. Beaney, Hall and Lalite seeing all the ball, with Carlile and Henty a bit overrun early on.

Dockers defending well enough though. They're a very difficult side to beat here. They look well organised today, too.

3:08pm

Nice stuff from Blues leads to them coming as close to a goal as we've seen.

Bunce, joining in from the back, exchanges passes with Agombar whose looping shot from 20 yards is just over.

3:06pm

Long ball into the box by Grays after winning back the ball in their own half. West can't nod it down to Lalite.

3:04pm

Meanwhile, Bunce has just sliced a shot well wide for Blues who have certainly started the better.

3:04pm

Great result for Aveley earlier on today. They beat Brentwood 3-0 at Millfield. Congratulations to Justin Gardner, the Millers boss, who got married yesterday!

3:02pm

Some good early possession for Grays then, who have settled into this a bit quicker than Dockers. Jake Hall has just had a shot from 20-yards blocked.

3:01pm

Bunce starts the game at left-black for Blues. Jack West, a former Tilbury player, starts up front.

2:52pm

Here are the teams then:

Tilbury:

Marrable; Smith, King, Nightinghill, Waters; Aiken, Carlile, Henty, Matthews; Barnett, Francis

Subs: Barnes, Mead, Llewellyn, Hooper, Pooley

Grays Athletic:

Kamurasi; Pope, Baker, Kirby, Bunce; Lalite, Hall, Beaney, Agombar, Carlos; West

Subs: Flynn, Sweeney, Bunn, Scarlett, Cooper

2:47pm

So this is it. One of the the Thurrock non-league football calendar.

And how fitting that it be played on Non-League Day!

It's unbeaten, Ryman North table-toppers Tilbury against Grays Athletic, looking to end 26-years of hurt at Chadfields.

It's cold, it's a bit breezy and it's pretty busy here. We're set!