East Thurrock defeat Tilbury to advance into first ever Essex Senior Cup final

(Higgins 40’ (p), 65’, Harris 67’: K Smith 5’ (p), Lidakevicius OG 78’)

From the FutureFuel Stadium

Essex Senior Cup semi-final

EAST Thurrock United are into their first ever Essex Senior Cup final after seeing off the challenge of neighbours Tilbury in the last four.

A Sam Higgins brace and a strike from Reece Harris proved enough against a resilient Dockers side who had taken the lead.

There was a late scare when goalkeeper Lukas Lidakevicius punched into his own net but the home side held on.

Rocks were big favourites against the side two tiers below them but that wasn’t apparent in the opening exchanges.

The Ryman North side came flying out of the blocks and deservedly took the lead inside five minutes.

The speedy Toby Aromolaran was clipped in the penalty area by Ben Wood and a penalty was awarded.

Kurt Smith made no mistake from 12 yards.

Aromolaran was proving a real handful although it was Toch Singh with the next chance, firing inches past the post of Lidakevicius.

The home side’s first chance of the evening should have seen them draw level.

A corner was collected by Harry Honesty and his shot was blocked by goalkeeper Lee Butcher with Tom Wraight’s rebound deflected away on the line.

The game was being played at a breakneck speed, with Aromolaran playing in Singh only for the forward to strike first time into the arms of Lidakevicius when he had more time than he realised.

The equaliser came five minutes before half-time. Higgins went down in the penalty area and converted the consequent kick, albeit the award looked light.

A neat move almost saw Ben Marlow put East Thurrock ahead at half-time but Butcher saved smartly.

But a three minute spell all but ended Tilbury’s hopes.

Higgins poked home an excellent Harris cross with 25 minutes to play before the latter got in on the act less than two minutes later.

A ball down the left channel released Harris and he took the ball around the goalkeeper and finished from a tight angle.

It looked as though that would be that but the Dockers got back into the match with a stroke of good fortune.

With 12 minutes to go, Lidakevicius got his punch wrong from a deep free-kick and the ball looped off his fists and dropped into the empty goal.

Tilbury pushed in search of the leveller but Rocks held on to progress.

East Thurrock United: Lidakevicius, Freiter, Ekpiteta (Gardner), Wood, Burns, Craddock, Harris, Marlow (Osifuwa), Higgins, Honesty, Wraight

Tilbury: Butcher, Mead, D Smith, Benoit, Nightingill, Norton, Aromoloran (Francis), Carlile, K Smith, Singh (Richmond), Hewitt (Conway)