Thurrock v Eastleigh

SATURDAY 26th APRIL 2008

BLUE SQUARE SOUTH

Thurrock wrecked Eastleigh’s Play Off dreams with an emphatic 4-1 victory over the Spitfires, as results elsewhere saw Fisher Athletic and Braintree Town seal places in the top five.

Eastleigh started the game the brighter of the two sides with Chris Piper and Mark Marshall particularly threatening down the flanks, and the first chance was created by Piper but Ashley Vickers headed over the bar in the sixth minute and three minutes later, Piper again found space down the right but this time his cross was headed over by Andy Forbes.

Thurrock’s first attempt arrived on quarter of an hour after a spell of pressure Lee Flynn saw his final shot blocked. Three minutes later, Thurrock’s Supporters’ Player of the Year Che Stadhart met Kenny Clark’s long ball to beat Jason Matthews in the air but his effort rolled agonisingly wide of the open goal.

With Eastleigh struggling to penetrate the Thurrock back four, there were several long-range efforts causing Thurrock concern. Mark Marshall’s drive on twenty minutes was saved by Thurrock goalkeeper David Blackmore and a minute later after being set up by Forbes, Karl Murray’s thirty yard pile driver was clawed away by Blackmore as the keeper on loan from West Ham had to use all his six foot four inches to fly across his goal and produce an excellent save. As Eastleigh continued with the pressure Paul Sales saw a header from a Fitzroy Simpson corner saved by Blackmore then a dipping twenty-yard volley from Murray was inches over the bar.

In the 36^th minute the deadlock was finally broken when Fola Orilonishe’s cross from the right was back headed home by Matt Bodkin.

Three minutes later and it was more heartache for the Eastleigh. From an Eastleigh corner Thurrock broke with a four-man attack. Bai Mas Lettejallow found Orilonishe on the overlap. His cross was half volleyed goal bound by Stadhart only to be denied allegedly by the hand of Anthony Riviere who was shown a straight red card. Up stepped David Bryant but the resulting spot kick was superbly saved by Matthews.

With the extra man, Thurrock began to dominate possession and both Flynn and Orilonishe had attempts saved by Matthews. With a minute to go to the interval Bodkin slipped the ball in behind the Eastleigh defence for Stadhart to slip the ball over Matthews and into the net but Eastleigh were saved by an assistant’s flag for offside.

With the game in the second minute of first half stoppage time Thurrock did add their second. Bryant turned provider for Orilonishe who sidestepped Andy Harris before smashing the ball into the near post top corner from six yards.

 HALF TIME – Thurrock 2-0 Eastleigh

Thurrock returned from the half time team talk with much of the same. In the forty seventh minute Flynn’s free kick inside the area, for a back pass award, was blocked by the Eastleigh defensive wall on the goal line, Bryant headed the loose ball over the bar. Two minutes later and Thurrock had added a third goal. Stadhart got his just deserves, heading home Bodkin’s cross.

As Eastleigh tried to repair the damage, a minute later Piper’s low cross-cum-shot was pushed away by Blackmore but Murray could not force the ball home, then Forbes headed wide from another Piper cross.

Eastleigh made a triple change hoping to get back into the game, and in the sixty fourth minute substitute Steve Watts’ left foot shot from the edge of the eighteen-yard box found its way into the bottom corner of the net. Three minutes later David Hughes’ dipping shot went just over the bar.

Thurrock substitute Alex Read was given two good opportunities but failed to capitalise on the time and space he found himself in. Lettejallow also had a great opportunity but Matthews palmed his close range shot out for a corner.

Having returned from Newport the previous Monday with a 4-1 victory, Thurrock ensured that they dismissed another Play Off contender by the same margin as Stadhart’s eighty ninth minute through ball saw a scorching strike from Bodkin giving Matthews no chance for the fourth Thurrock goal.

With the game all but over, Thurrock pushed for a fifth and when Bodkin crossed to Stadhart, the front man could only volley high over the bar.

A bad afternoon for Eastleigh and a disappointing way to finish their season, but with a dismal three point haul from their final eighteen available, Eastleigh slipped out of a play off place that they had occupied for the past ten weeks.

FULL TIME – Thurrock 4-1 Eastleigh 

RAY MURPHY