East Thurrock United 1–1 Margate

From Rookery Hill

Ryman Premier League

 

EAST Thurrock United held title-chasing Margate to a draw in an end-to-end match at Rookery Hill.

Sam Higgins opened the scoring midway through the second half before an immediate response from the visitors, with substitute Luke Moore netting an equaliser.

Margate were looking to extend their lead to ten points at the top of the league, and they were the team that started on the front foot.

Good link-up play on the edge of the box saw Brett Johnson played in but, as the midfielder looked to pull the trigger, he was denied by a superb Tom Stephen tackle which deflected the ball away for a corner.

Rocks, off the back of a derby win at Canvey Island, grew in confidence as they settled down and should have taken the lead after 15 minutes.

A simple but effective set-piece routine saw veteran Ben Wood fire a ball to Stephen and his ball from the left was met first time by the marauding Mitch Gilbey. But his effort bounced off the base of the post and behind for a goal kick.

It was an open game, with the Gate looking dangerous with every counter-attack. A miscued clearance from Simon Peddie saw Jamie Taylor nip past the defender and shoot, but instead of finding the far corner his effort went inches past the post.

Next up it was Charlie Allen who came close. The away skipper picked up a loose ball and crashed a 20 yard shot off the junction of post and bar, with Taylor sweeping the rebound off target.

But the home side were always a threat on the counter-attack. A neat move saw the ball drop to record-goalscorer Sam Higgins. He jinked away from a defender but his low effort was expertly kept out by Nikki Bull.

Gilbey was next to be denied by an excellent block before Higgins’ drive was turned away before the half-time whistle.

Into the second-half it was Rocks who pushed forward in search of the elusive first goal and, after Dave Bryant and Higgins had gone close, it was the home side that seized the advantage.

Some hesitant defending by John Beales saw Higgins intercept the loose ball and chip just under the crossbar past Bull.

However, top-of-the-table Margate are there for a reason and they drew level five minutes later with their first meaningful chance of the half.

David Hughes and Pool Goodacre missed two chances to clear and substitute Moore crashed home from the edge of the box.

Both sides toiled in their search for a winner with Taylor heading wide for the visitors. Dave Bryant had a deflected effort pushed over late on but the game ended all square.

 

East Thurrock United: Hughes, Sammons, Stephen. Peddie, Goodacre, Wood, Gilbey, Witherspoon, Higgins, Bryant, Harris

Margate: Bull, Riviere (Willis), Rents, Allen (Phipp), Beales, Johnson, Taylor, Eyong, Moss, Taylor, Attwood (Moore)

 

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