East Thurrock United 4, Staines Town 1

THREE new faces made the difference as Rocks bounced back from a string of disappointing results with this emphatic Ryman Premier League victory at Rookery Hill.

One of co-manager Lee Patterson's recruits was much-travelled former Rock Elli Remy and he marked his latest debut with a goal, as did Walid Matata.

Both had been snapped up from cash-strapped Folkestone Invicta, as was the third newcomer Samuel Okikiolu and all three are likely to make a quick return to Kent as Rocks play Folkestone on Monday evening.

Friday's torrential rain left the pitch in a sticky condition and it took both teams time to adapt in a match whose flow was halted by a number of petty fouls.

Within the first few minutes Remy and Stanes' Mark Nwokeji saw attempts to lob their opposing keepers narrowly miss the intended target.

However, it wasn't long before the first goal came and it was a self made effort by Danny Harris. His attacking 21st minute run down the left wing ended with a shot that Staines keeper Shaun Allaway could only parry and Harris followed to slide the ball into the net.

Remy doubled the lead six minutes later by beating the off-side trap to run onto a perfectly weighted pass from Lee Burns and shoot past the advancing Allaway.

Staines threatened a comeback in the 36th minute when the lively Ali Chaaban broke through the Rocks defence to give Jamie Lunan no chance with his shot on target.

However, only four minutes later, the two goal lead was regained when Max Cornhill opened his account in senior football with a delightful dummy on Allaway before scoring from an acute angle. He had been set up by a well placed pass from James Bunn.

In the second period chances fell to both teams but the erratic finishing prevented any addition to score until the 84th minute. Second half substitutes Chris Lewis and Matata linked up to give Matata the honour of scoring the Rocks' fourth goal and a much needed confidence booster.

Patterson, who had released Alex Fiddes to make way for his new recruits, was in bouyant mood afterwards, saying: "In all my time in management this was the worst sequence of matches I've gone without a win so obviously the three points today were very welcome.

"I'd said to the team after the defeat at Hendon, which was one of our most disappointing performances, that I would not tolerate that level and that I would bring new faces in. We were able to do that and it appears to have lifted the squad who gave a much better all round display today.

"We know we are up against it in terms of budget and some of the teams that we have to compete against, but if we can continue this level of performance that I am sure that we can move up the table and maintain our position at this level, giving us the long term platform to build the club."

East Thurock: Jamie Lunan, Lee Burns, Scott Holding, Wes Faulkner, Samuel Okikiolu (Jon Turnbull), Max Cornhill (Chris Lewis), Lee Williams, Danny Harrison, Ellis Remy, James Bunn (Walid Matata), Danny Harris.