East Thurrock United match report
match report by Taimour Lay
This was Kingstonian’s best attacking display of the season. It really was. Chance after chance, from beginning to end. Eddie D’Sane was a man possessed, running the opposition ragged, dovetailing with Dan Hector and helping Dan Bennett and others operate high-up and in space. This was the Bird philosophy in action. Three off the line, two open goals and endless antics.
We simply couldn’t believe that it was 2-1 to East Thurrock at half-time nor 3-3 at the end of the 90 minutes. 7-3 to K’s would have been a fair enough result. Or even 7-0, bearing in mind that all three Thurrock goals were so freakish they belonged in a Victorian circus.
The first was an own goal by Harry “Ozzy” Osbourne, who tried to hook the ball clear but instead unluckily fired it past Rob Tolfrey into the net. Then Ben Marlow swung in a speculative cross which somehow sailed straight in. 2-0.
Still, K’s kept attacking and deservedly got one back before the break, Sean Clohessy capitalising on a Jack Giddens’ fumble.
And it was little surprise when we equalised on the hour, Clohessy again, who marauded like Cafu all afternoon, got his second – snaffling up a Hector shot that was hovering tantalisingly on the line - and looked odds-on for a hat-trick.
But Kingstonian’s third. Oh Kingstonian’s third. Truly it is a travesty that no one captured it on film. At least 20 passes, three one-twos and then Hector lashed an unstoppable shot across the keeper which hit the inside of the post and nestled in the net. It was purest, uncut, A-grade Bird.
There was still time, however, for a final freak from the Rocks. Matthew Price seemed to vaguely send a shot on target towards Tolfs but a massive deflection carried it over his head. 3-3.
Is the playoff dream dead? No way. 75 points will probably be enough. We have 22 matches left to hoard the requisite 46. That’s 14 wins, 4 draws and 4 defeats.
East Thurrock United: 1 - Jack Giddens, 15 - Jason Ring, 5 - Ryan Scott, 6 - Danny Cossington, 3 - Jordan Brown, 8 - Ben Marlow, 10 - Michael Tweed, 12 - Ayodeji Olukoga, 7 - Darren Foxley, 14 - Mitchell Gilbey, 9 - Frankie Merrifield.
Subs: 2 - Danny Harris (for Mitchell Gilbey, 74m), 17 - Matthew Price (for Michael Tweed, 82m), 16 - JJ da Cruz, 19 - Philip Brown-Bampoe.
Kingstonian: Rob Tolfrey, Sean Clohessy, Fabio Saraiva, Simon Cooper, Harry Osborne, Tom Kavanagh, Dan Bennett, Gus Sow, Eddie Dsane, Aaron Lamont, Dan Hector.
Subs: Ben Harrison, Calum Davies, Dan Thompson, Jerry Puemo, Tutu Henriques.
Goal scorers: Mitchell Gilbey (13m, 1-0), Ben Marlow (35m, 2-0), Sean Clohessy (40m, 2-1), Sean Clohessy (60m, 2-2), Dan Hector (76m, 2-3), Matthew Price (87m, 3-3)
Attendance: 208
