East Thurrock United 1–1 Hampton & Richmond Borough

(Agyemang 53’: Kamara (p) 61’)

From the Future Fuel Stadium

National League South

EAST Thurrock United played out an entertaining 1-1 draw against Hampton & Richmond Borough in the opening game of the new National League South season.

A debut goal from Montel Agyemang had handed Rocks the lead only for Michael Kamara to secure a point from the penalty spot.

Rocks handed debuts to James White, George Allen and Agyemang, while Lewis Smith and Max Cornhill were playing their first game back in yellow after spells away from Rookery Hill.

It was a quiet opening, with Ryan Moss sending a volley off target for the visitors who also had a penalty shout waved away.

But the best chance of the opening 22 minutes belonged to East Thurrock.

Agyemang, Sam Higgins and Kye Ruel played their part in a lightning counter-attack, with the former seeing his strike parried away by goalkeeper Sam Howes before the danger was cleared.

But in an even match it was Hampton that created the next chance.

Following a foul which brought Allen a yellow card, Max Kretzschmar sent a curling free-kick towards the top corner, with Lukas Lidakevicius’s fingertips pushing the ball off the bar and to safety.

Kamara sent a diving header narrowly over the crossbar in the final action of the first-half.

But it was Rocks that struck first after the interval.

A fierce cross to the far post by Reece Harris was met by a sliding Agyemang and he diverted the ball inside the post.

But eight minutes later it was all level.

A ball into the box hit the outstretched arm of Cornhill and the referee pointed to the penalty spot, leaving Kamara to dink down the middle to equalise.

Rocks were pressing forward and were the width of the goal away from taking the lead.

Substitutes Harry Honesty and Ben Marlow combined and the latter struck a fierce effort off the angle of post and bar.

Cornhill, usually so reliable with his head, headed over as the clock ticked into injury-time, leaving the scores level come the full-time whistle.

East Thurrock United: Lidakevicius, Ekpiteta, Harris, Burns, White, Allen, Agyemang (Marlow 77’), Cornhill, Higgins, Smith, Ruel (Honesty 77’)