East Thurrock United 2-3 Whitehawk

(Wraight 14’, 67’: Woods-Garness 33’, Osborn 51’, Mills 82’)

From the FutureFuel Stadium

National League South

EAST Thurrock United were pegged back late on by struggling Whitehawk as they secured a vital three points in their battle to survive the drop.

Tom Wraight’s brace had given Rocks the lead and also pulled it back to 2-2. But a goal in the final 10 minutes saw them fall to defeat.

Rocks opened the scoring in the 14th minute. Sam Higgins fed Femi Akinwande and he played in Reece Harris. His first time cross found Wraight alone at the back post to tap home.

Wraight was denied a second by Hawks stopper Lucas Covolan, although Frankie Sutherland’s superb free-kick almost brought parity only for Rocks goalkeeper Lukas Lidakevicius to tip the 30-yard effort wide.

Whitehawk equalised on 33 minutes through Bradley Woods-Garness, latching onto a ball at the edge of the box to strike into the bottom left corner.

After the break, the Hawks took the lead after a dubious free-kick was awarded on the edge of the box.

The initial strike was cleared, but the ball was lifted back into the box and Alex Osborn showed some great skill to make space and smash into the bottom corner.

Wraight levelled again after fine work by Akinwande, in the final game of his loan spell.

But the visitors’ Danny Mills scored the winner, swivelling from close range to net.

East Thurrock: Lidakevicius, Osifuwa (Sammons 60’), Marvel Ekpiteta, Marvin Ekpiteta, Burns (Peddie 15’), Craddock (Freiter 42’), Harris, Heard, Higgins, Akinwande, Wraight