East Thurrock United 5-1 Gosport Borough

(Gardner ‘8, Honesty ’53,’65, Ellul ’57, Freiter ‘74: Bird ‘36 )

From the FutureFuel Stadium

National League South

EAST Thurrock United walloped Gosport Borough 5-1 to record a hugely impressive result in the National League South.

East Thurrock were playing against the wind in the first-half but began much brighter than Gosport, passing the ball freely and building attacks through the midfield.

The Rocks took the lead inside 10 minutes from a well worked corner. The ball was played low towards Joe Gardner 12 yards out, in line with the front post, and his first time strike nestled into the bottom right corner.

Gosport took 30 minutes to get into the game, but they had two very good chances in close succession.

The second effort resulted in an equaliser as Ben Harding's powerful strike on the edge of the box was parried away, but left back Tom Bird reacted quickest to score from close range.

After the break, the Rocks were just as lively and they re-took the lead on 53 minutes, courtesy of a coolly taken strike by Harry Honesty.

Substitute Michael Freiter worked the ball into Reece Harris, who played a piercing through ball for Honesty to strike home.

Joe Ellul made it 3-1 on the 57th minute, nodding the ball in at the back post from an excellent curling corner by Freiter.

Star man Honesty got his second and the Rocks’ fourth goal in the 64th minute, with some assistance from the wind.

Goalkeeper Lukas Lidakevicius claimsed an assist as his huge goal kick found Honesty in behind the defence to score.

Gosport then gifted East Thurrock their fifth as a defender played a loose pass across goal, which Freiter latched onto to finish from close range, albeit at the second time of asking after ‘keeper Martin Rice parried his first effort back out.

East Thurrock United: Lidakevicius, Sammons, Nesbitt, Clark, Ellul, Craddock, Marlow (Burns), Gardner (Wood), Walker (Freiter), Honesty, Harris