Carshalton Athletic 0,

Thurrock 1

RYMAN PREMIER: RHYS Paul scored his first goal for Thurrock at the weekend – and it was an important one.

Fleet snatched their second win in as many games, propelling them a little higher up the Ryman Premier league.

Thurrock climbed to 19th, still with three games in hand on those above them and in turn, ensured their hosts remained rooted to the foot of the Ryman Premier League.

In horrendous Surrey weather, Paul’s 59th minute goal turned out to be decisive as Carshalton failed to capitalise on a decent first half, despite having several chances.

But it was Mark Stimson’s men who forged the two best chances of the half, forcing the hosts German stopper Nick Hamann into three saves.

Harry Honesty, again playing up front where he was so effective against Kingstonian the week before, was impressive.

Honesty showed great footwork to shrug off Michael Kamara before seeing his shot saved.

Ben Smith then hit a half-volley from 20-yards on the half-hour mark, which Hamann again gathered.

On the cusp of half-time, Jack Paxman then opted to shoot himself rather than lay the ball across goal. But he still forced a decent save from the on-form Hamann.

The hosts continued to have a lot of the ball as the second half of the match got underway.

But, as in the first half, they failed to get the better of Fleet stopper David Hughes. And despite being stuck in their own half for the first ten minutes of the second period, it was Fleet who took the lead. Carshalton tried to break following a Fleet attack.

But Ben Walster collected the ball before slipping a pass through to Honesty, whose effort as he made for goal was parried by Hamann.

And it fizzed into the path of Paul, who bagged his first goal in yellow.

The visitors had to hang on for an extra seven minutes, as time taken due to injuries to two Athletic players was added at the end. But in the end, Fleet won with relative comfort.

Frank Griffin almost turned a Nathaniel Pinney cross into his own goal, but that was as close as Athletic came to an equaliser.

Thurrock: Hughes; Jones, Walster, Guest, Paul; Jefferies, Wanadio, Smith, Paxman; Berry, Honesty.