East Thurrock United 1-1 Aldershot Town

(Higgins 22’: Mensah 27’)

From the FutureFuel Stadium

FA Trophy first round

AN inspired second-half performance from East Thurrock United goalkeeper Lukas Lidakevicius ensured a 1-1 draw against Aldershot Town in the FA Trophy.

The Lithuanian made a string of top saves after the break to ensure a replay on Monday night, after Sam Higgins had put Rocks ahead only for the hosts to be pegged back before half-time.

Aldershot boasted a host of star names, with former Southend United wide-man Anthony Straker among the starters for the National League side.

They started the brighter of the two, with Idris Kanu denied a shot at goal by the combined efforts of Joe Ellul and Ben Wood.

James Walker, restored to the Rocks starting XI, made the first foray into the away penalty area, with his flick appearing to strike the hand of the defender but the referee was unmoved.

Bernard Mensah drove the ball narrowly wide of the far post but there was little between the sides in the opening 15 minutes.

An end-to-end passage of play was to follow, with Straker’s strike cleared off the line by Michael Clark before the hosts broke up the field.

Higgins fed the run of Reece Harris and the winger beat onrushing goalkeeper Mark Smith to the ball, shooting over him only for the ball to be cleared ahead of Tom Wraight, who was waiting to pounce.

But the first goal wasn’t long in coming. Twenty minutes had passed when Walker won a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area and Higgins stepped up to lash home, with the ball nicking off a defender in the wall.

The lead only last five minutes, and it was the lively Mensah that levelled matters.

Ben Wood conceded a throw on halfway and the Shots broke down the left with intent. Kanu crossed, despite the attentions of Clark, and Mensah was on hand to guide low into the near corner.

Jim Kellerman struck an effort at goal which Lidakevicius fielded comfortably but, aside from the goals, the first-half was lacking in goal-mouth action.

Each side picked up a yellow card in the first minute of the second period and it was a fast start.

Kanu looked set to put the Shots ahead, bursting through and beating Lidakevicius but Clark got back superbly to strike off the line.

Aldershot were by far the brighter at the start of the second-half, with Lidakevicius again called upon to keep the scores level.

But a moment of madness almost cost Rocks the lead, as he came out for a cross-field ball he was never favourite for – but Mensah’s header was off target.

The Rocks goalkeeper was proving to be a key figure as he fumbled a cross shot into the path of Scott Rendall. But the stopper got up brilliantly to block away the rebound from point-blank range.

Matt McClure was the next to be frustrated by Lidakevicius as he got down superbly to deny the visitors a certain goal.

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