THURROCK are still scratching their heads at how they managed to lose 23-20 at home to Barking who managed to score eight points in injury time.

In total 13 minutes of time added on was played at Oakfield – despite no specific major stoppage – a decision that infuriated the hosts.

Barking started the London One North encounter the stonger, going ahead through an unconverted try.

A Hagen Mumba penalty cut the deficit but Barking went further ahead, this time through a converted try, Another Mumba penalty kept Thurrock in the game and just before the interval, the home scrum began to dominate which eventually led to Ross Noakes going over to put them 13-12 up at the interval.

Barking briefly got their noses in front again through a penalty after the re-start but Jake Barrand caught a long cross-field kick to score under the posts and put T’s in charge.

The game swung, however, when Reeve Levy was shown a yellow card and thanks to the earlier injury to prop Kealan Henry, the scrum was uncontested for the final five minutes.

Barking made the one man advantage pay with a try to draw level, the conversion went wide and the game seem to have ended in a draw, but the referee continued to play and play on and the visitors completed a smash and grab by drop kicking the winning points at the death.

Meanwhile, Thurrock’s fourth team took sweet revenge on Canvey II after a narrow defeat to them earlier in the season.

T’s won 29-14 and were in charge from as soon as Tony Jackson burst through to score in the first half.

Tom Laybourn’s quick-thinking stretched Thurrock’s lead further and they then stole Canvey line-out ball and the pack helped Dom Daniele roll over the line.

Canvey rallied and got the game back to 17-14 before Reece Cunningham eased the pressure with a breakaway try. Veteran Barry Magnurson delivered the coup de grace when he followed up a Thurrock kick and chase to score.