Tilbury 1, Ilford 1

TILBURY go into the last weekend of the season with a great chance of avoiding relegation from the Ryman Division One North, though had they taken their chances in a blistering first half performance today, they could have been celebrating early - though the spectre of a one point deduction still hangs over the club.

Dockers remain undecided about whether to appeal the league's decision to dock them a point for playing an ineligible player, but it would be irrelevant if things go their way next weekend.

Tilbury travel to Arlesey on Saturday and a win would secure safety even with a point deduction, unless Ilford manage to beat Witham Town by three goals more than Tilbury beat Arlesey.

There are other permutations in the three way tussle with Ilford and Wivenhoe, but at least Dockers control their own destiny, something which is not lost on Tilbury boss John Lawrence.

"We have our fate in our own hands, which is something Ilford and Wivenhoe would love to have," says the genial manager who has won many admirers in a troubled season for the Chadfields side.

Avoiding the drop is his first priority but there are encouraging words coming out about the future of Tilbury, who are expected to release news shortly about their future development plans.

Today though, the job was all about making sure they did not lose to a much-improved Ilford.

Tilbury's near neighbours looked dead and buried several weeks ago but they have shown great resilience to haul themselves back into the dogfight.

However, they should have been put out of sight as Tilbury produced on of their best 45 minutes of football of the season with a strong start.

The only thing lacking was a cutting edge and they were made to pay.

Dockers could have opened the scoring on two minutes when Jamie Gray's through ball caught the visiting defence flat-footed and released striker Kurt Smith. He rode Ricky Simmonds' challenge but keeper James Marrable came off his line and blocked Smith's shot.

The ability to convert one-one-ones is a rare chink in the armoury of Tilbury's highly promising young striker who has attracted widespread interest from other clubs this season.

When he starts to convert a higher percentage of this sort of chance he really will become a player to be reckoned with.

However, it is his all-round play that marks him out and once again he performed well and was a constant threat to the visitors. He is not just a striker, he's a provider and it was his strong run on 15 minutes that created the opening goal.

He picked the ball up out wide and got to bye-line before delivering a teasing cross that left centre half Paul Olima kicking air and Tom Poole had the confidence to take a touch before rifling the ball home.

Things could have been even brighter for Dockers on 24 minutes when Keith Wilson, making his latest Dockers debut after signing from Great Wakering, bravely won the ball with his head in midfield. He surged through the Ilford ranks and was left with just Marrable to beat but he didn't make a great connection with his shot and the keeper smothered the strike gratefully.

And it was a miss Dockers were to rue as, on 31 minutes Ilford drew level with their first real threat. Former Dockers youth team captain Carl Bruce, who has been instrumental in Ilford's revival, found time and space to carve out an opening for Petrit Elbi and the Tilbury defence gave him the room needed to smash the ball past Richard Wray.

Dockers continued to dominate the half but were unable to make it pay.

In a bid to things up Lawrence introduced Luke Stanley for Calum Dodkins and he almost made a dramatic impact.

Just seven minutes of the half had gone when Kurt Smith picked ball up inside his own half and he went on a mazy run before picking out the unmarked substitute. Stanley had time to take a touch but instead lashed at the ball, ballooned the chance high and wide.

After that the game became scrappy and edgy, as the nerves kicked in. Smith became isolated from his team-mates and Poole was in the game even less. The loss of a striking threat hampered Dockers and Ilford came much more into the encounter.

So much so that it looked as if they might get the decisive breakthrough and as Tilbury fans lived on the edge of their emotions, a 72nd minute Bruce corner was headed over by Olima, who should have done better.

Lawrence threw on Chris Brown for Wilson last ten minutes to try and give impetus to his side but it made little difference and it was Ilford who continued to have more of the attacking possession, though in truth they didn't really trouble Wray, with Elbi and Bruce both firing wide of the target when well placed.

Lawrence's last throw of the dice was to throw on Chris Stowe for the closing moments but he failed to come up with a headline-grabbing moment.

However, having him back in action after what looked like a season-threatening rib injury was a boost for Dockers and he is another weapon in the armoury for the manager as he plots the seasons climactic Saturday.

Also likely to be back for the trip to Bedfordshire next week is Hugh Ashman, who missed todays clash through illness, giving Lawrence a full squad to pick from.

While Tilbury go to Arlesey, Ilford entertain Witham Town, whose ground plays host to homeless Waltham Forest's clash with Wivenhoe. Forest, who have been on a dreadful run of results, surprised everyone by confirming their own safety today with an impressive win at promotion chasing Enfield Town.

Tilbury: Richard Wray, Jay Taylor, Calum Dodkins, (Luke Stanley), Bradley Smart, Paul King, Nathan Philip, Danny Smith, Jamie Gray, Kurt Smith, Tom Poole (Chris Stowe), Keith Wilson (Chris Brown).

Today's other Ryman One North results: Bury Town 3, Northwood 0; Edgware Town 2, Dartford 1; Enfield Town 0, Waltham Forest 3; Great Wakering Rovers 6, Arlesey Town 2; Maldon Town 0, Canvey Island 3; Potters Bar Town 0, Brentwood Town 0; Redbridge 1, AFC Sudbury 0; Wingate & Finchley 1, Waltham Abbey 1; Witham Town 1, Ware 3; Wivenhoe Town 2, Aveley 2.

Ryman Division One North, up to and inc Sat, April 19

		P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	Pts
C	Dartford	41	26	8	7	106	42	+64	86
2	AFC Sudbury	41	24	8	9	86	39	+47	80
3	Redbridge (-1)	41	24	9	8	70	41	+29	80
4	Ware	41	22	10	9	105	56	+49	76
5	Canvey Island	41	22	10	9	80	39	+41	76
6	Bury Town	41	22	9	10	75	49	+26	75
7	Brentwood Town	41	21	11	9	68	49	+19	74
8	Edgware Town	41	20	14	7	51	34	+17	74
9	Maldon Town	40	19	9	12	76	59	+17	66
10	Northwood	41	17	12	12	70	61	+9	63
11	Aveley	41	17	12	12	64	64	0	63
12	Enfield Town	41	18	9	14	60	61	-1	63
13	Great Wakering Rovers	40	13	8	19	62	63	-1	47
14	Arlesey Town	41	12	9	20	62	80	-18	45
15	Waltham Abbey	41	11	10	20	40	78	-38	43
16	Witham Town	41	12	5	24	73	104	-31	41
17	Potters Bar Town	41	9	9	23	44	77	-33	36
18	Wingate & Finchley	41	8	11	22	45	71	-26	35
19	Waltham Forest	41	7	12	22	43	71	-28	33
20	Tilbury	41	6	12	23	45	94	-49	30
21	Ilford	41	7	8	26	42	93	-51	29
22	Wivenhoe Town	41	7	7	27	43	85	-42	28

10:07pm Saturday 19th April 2008

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