Grays Athletic 1– 3 East Thurrock United

From Mill Field

Ryman Premier

 

SAM Higgins took his goal tally for the season to 22 as his double helped East Thurrock United overcome rivals Grays Athletic.

Three first half goals – the other from Mitchell Gilbey – were enough for the visitors to claim their seventh success on the road this season, with Joao Carlos’ consolation coming too little too late.

It had been a turbulent week for both sides, with Grays losing manager Jody Brown to Conference Premier Welling United last week, while Rocks were crushed 5-0 in their last league outing.

Athletic owner and temporary manager Andy Swallow opted to hand a first start since returning from a nine-month ‘ban from football’ to Lamar Johnson, with Conor Gough relegated to the bench, but Johnson had a start to forget.

With only four minutes on the clock, an arrowed cross found the run of Gilbey and, as Johnson closed in, he nodded the ball beyond the goalkeeper.

He was clattered by Johnson and, 20 minutes after sustaining the head injury, was taken off, although not before he had a hand in the second goal.

With only 10 minutes on the clock, Higgins scored a sumptuous second. A cross found the head of Gilbey and his cushioned header fell into the path of the striker and he struck across Johnson into the top corner.

Ex Southend United man Merrick James-Lewis tested the returning David Hughes in Rocks’ goal but that was one of few bright moments for Athletic in the first half.

Harris was denied by Johnson, while a slip from the keeper almost let in Higgins.

But there was nothing Johnson could do to stop Higgins notching his 20th goal of the campaign. Running at the defence, he hit a 20 yard effort beyond the stopper into the far corner.

Grays had no reply to Rocks’ free-flowing football and, despite introducing Bradley Fortnam-Tomlinson at the break, they still looked no closer to finding a way back into the game.

But, midway through the first half that changed. A deep free-kick from Grays skipper Kenny Beaney was nodded back across the face of goal and Joao Carlos was in the right place to slot home.

Buoyed by that lifeline, Grays pushed on. Immanuel Parry was inches away from prodding home after he was found in the box, but Rocks still looked dangerous on the counter-attack.

Harris had a goal ruled out for offside before Grays’ Zefara was denied by the linesman’s flag.

Higgins, searching for a third hat-trick of term, came within inches of another treble when his chipped effort bounced off the crossbar although Grays were still in the hunt.

Substitute Jey Siva’s wicked delivery took a nick off a striker, and Hughes had to be at his best to divert the ball away from goal.

The Rocks Number One was at full stretch to deny the quiet Freddie Ladapo, but Grays couldn't match their opponents as they fell to a fourth home defeat of the season.

 

Grays Athletic: Johnson, Best-Riley, Zefara, Wilson (Bentley), Parry, Leader, Wickham (Siva), Beaney, James-Lewis (Fortnam-Tomlinson), Ladapo, Carlos

East Thurrock United: Hughes, Sammons, Stephen, Peddie, Goodacre, Wood, Bryant, Symons (Anderson), Higgins, Gilbey (Paxman), Harris