THURROCK’s juniors – the club’s under 17s – made their long awaited return to post Christmas league action on Sunday with a home game against third placed Rochford. T’s started well with Harry Brown going over in the corner but the conversion was missed.

The restart could not have gone worse for Tees as a mistake on the kick gave Rochford a penalty 15m out. Roch decided to run it and went 7-5 ahead at the conversion.

Thurrock then put more points on the board as Brown again profited as he went over.

T’s had more chances when Alex Vickers was held up just short and Connor Mitchell drove on and saw Sam Manning dive in for a 15-7 half time lead.

T’s Sam Coultish snapped a drop goal and with Jamie Impey going over Nick Peavot provided the coup de grace with yet another short distance try. It was one of T’s best performances of the season against a highly rated Rochford outfit.