East Thurrock United 1-1 St Albans City

(Higgins 68’: Merson 75’)

From the FutureFuel Stadium

National League South

EAST Thurrock United were pegged back by high-flying St Albans as they continued to show they are a tough nut to crack in the National League South.

Sam Merson scored with his first touch since taking to the field as a substitute, levelling after Sam Higgins had put the hosts into the lead.

Rocks had a good chance early on as Reece Harris crossed in for Tom Wraight, but the attacker was unable to get his header on target, sending the ball high and wide.

But it was certainly the home side that were the quicker off the mark, with Higgins breaching the defence inside the first 10 minutes, but he was unable to get his shot off before the visiting goalkeeper smothered the ball.

St Albans’ first effort fell to Louie Theophanous, after a neatly worked move between him and Junior Morais, but the powerful striker’s effort was well saved by Lukas Lidakevicius.

Rocks replied with their best effort of the first-half and really should have been a goal up, but Joe Ellul was unable to keep his strike down, hitting the ball against the bar from close range.

After the break East Thurrock came out and looked dominant for the first 20 minutes with their efforts finally rewarded on 68 minutes.

Higgins scored from the edge of the box, drilling the ball low into the bottom corner.

But they couldn’t hold out, as the Saints equalised in the 75th minute from a brilliantly worked move.

Theophanous and Morais both deserve credit for their build up play, with Merson left with the simplest of tasks to tap in from close range.

East Thurrock United: Lidakevicius, Burns, Sammons, Clark, Ellul, Ferdinand, Harris (Honesty), Marlow, Higgins, Gardner (Wood), Wraight