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Saturday 22nd November – Basingstoke 1 – 0 Thurrock

FA Trophy – 3pm

Basingstoke	Teams	Thurrock
1	Goals	0
1	Shots on	4
4	Shots off	6
2	Offside	8
12	Fouls Against	9
1	Yellow	1
0	Red	0
2	Corners	7
	Att
	Star Man

REVENGE may be a dish best served cold but Basingstoke Town enjoyed offering up a lukewarm helping to Thurrock.

Town had suffered a 6-0 reverse when the sides met at Ship Lane just two weeks before Saturday’s FA Trophy clash but were able to get their own back by knocking their Blue Square South rivals out of the competition with a battling performance at the Camrose.

However, Basingstoke manager Frank Gray – once of Grays Athletic – is clearly a vengeful man.

While he was pleased with the result he wants his side to avenge their heavy defeat by beating Thurrock when they visit Basingstoke again in early April.

“It’s just nice to be in the next round,” Gray said.

“The best revenge would be to get three points back in the league when they come here.” Phil Ruggles’ second half strike settled a match low in quality but high in effort.

Both teams clearly wanted to win but failed to find their best form during a scrappy encounter.

Grays aid: “It was a real cup tie where both sides gave 100 per cent. They made a mistake and we capitalised with a good finish by Phil Ruggles but it could have gone the other way so it’s nice to get the result.”

The game was a war of attrition from the start, with both sides struggling to control the ball and maintain possession. Thurrock had the better of the early stages, with Town unable to get out of their own half.

However, they were largely reduced to wild shots from distance, though it did take good blocks from Rob Watkins and then ’keeper Ross Kitteridge to keep Danny Hart and Che Stadhart at bay in the eighth minute.

While Thurrock shaded a poor opening 45 minutes, the best chance of the half fell to Basingstoke’s Sido Jombarti, who failed to find the target after the ball broke to him six yards from goal.

Jombarti then went close to scoring at the other end, Hart’s low ball hitting him and rolling goalwards, but Kitteridge was able to collect.

Bristow did well to deny Stadhart a chance as the half came to a close, heading over the bar for a corner under pressure from the front man.

Thoughts that the second half might be a more high-quality affair were short-lived as both sides continued to struggle, with the ball in the air for long periods.

The breakthrough came two minutes after the hour and was the result of a mistake by Thurrock defender Rob Swaine, who allowed Bryant to nick the ball away from him, putting Ruggles in the clearand and while Joe Woolley was able to get a hand to his shot, he was unable to prevent it nestling in the corner of the net.

Thurrock began to play with more urgency, piling the pressure on a Basingstoke side who have struggled to hold on to leads this season.

The Town defence bent, with crosses flashing across goal and shots blocked, but did not break.

Thurrock’s best chance came when Kitteridge failed to hold a through-ball on the edge of his area.

The ball dropped to Fola Orilonishe just outside the box but the Basingstoke ’keeper made up for his error by blocking the winger’s poorly-hit effort.

Thurrock: Woolley, Clark, Wright (sub Lechmore 80min), Swaine (sub Spencer 67min), Paine, Flynn, Hart, Sambrook (sub Hughes 23min), McKenzie, Stadhart, Orilonishe. Subs (not used): Gilbey, Anderson.

The Official site of Thurrock Football Club

Saturday 15th November – Thurrock 2 – 0 Worcester City

League – 3pm

Thurrock	Teams	Worcester
2	Goals	0
4	Shots on	3
4	Shots off	7
5	Offside	2
17	Fouls Against	12
2	Yellow	1
0	Red	0
5	Corners	9
	Att
Paine	Star Man

Thurrock made light work of Worcester, dispossessing City with a comfortable 2-0 win.

The home side took the lead after just 15 minutes as Danny Hart’s delicate through ball found Che Stadhart. The experienced front man cut in from the left and despite Danny McDonnell getting a hand to his chipped shot, the ball floated into the top left hand corner of the net.

Moments later the feat may have been repeated as Leon McKenzie sent Stadhart clear, but this time McDonnell saved.

In the 21st minute Mark Wright’s tremendous cross field ball found McKenzie unmarked in the box and his stunning volley was equally as impressively saved by McDonnell to ensure the advantage was not doubled.

Stadhart would feel aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty as he looked to have been brought down by Jemiah Richards but the referee waved play on.

City’s only real chance of the first half fell to Robert Davies but his dipping half volley from 25 yards went narrowly over the bar.

Thurrock extended the lead six minutes into the second half as Andy Sambrooks cross from the right was flicked on by Stadhart to McKenzie who controlled and smashed his volley into the bottom right hand corner.

Outstanding defensive performances by Kenny Clark and man of the match Matt Paine resulted in Worcester attempting efforts from long range but both inaccuracies and the solid Joe Woolley ensured that Thurrock kept their third consecutive clean sheet in the League.

Thurrock: Woolley, Clark, Wright, Sambrook, Paine, Flynn, Hart (75, Lechmere), Howard, McKenzie, Stadhart, Orilonishe – Subs not used: Gilbey, Anderson, Hughes, Spencer – Booked: Sambrook, Howard

Worcester: McDonnell, Ward, Kahn, Richardson, Richards, Walker, Davies (71, Dodd), Dinsmore (55, Bampton), Wilding (75, Barnes), Adaggio, McGarth – Subs not used: Price, Fitzpatrick – Booked: McGarth

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Saturday 8th November – Thurrock vs Basingstoke

League – 3pm

Thurrock	Teams	Basingstoke
6	Goals	0
9	Shots on	2
7	Shots off	4
3	Offside	3
14	Fouls Against	6
0	Yellow	2
0	Red	1
9	Corners	4
	Att
Orilonishe	Star Man

An excellent Thurrock performance saw them move up to mid table as they destroyed Basingstoke Town 6-0.

The early exchanges saw the visitors on top, but the first chance after 15 minutes fell to Fola Orilonishe but the winger shot straight at Chris Waller in the ‘Stoke goal.

Neither side created anything for the next 15 but the game changed on 33 minutes when the visitors forward Ross Montague was shown a red card for an over the top challenge on Matt Paine. Thurrock then dominated the rest of the half with Orilonishe having a header well saved by Waller before Mark Wright scored a fantastic 35 yard volley on 37 minutes.

The lead was doubled two minutes before half time when Thurrock scored a fantastic goal. Paine played a lovely pass with the outside of the foot to Orilonishe whose cross was smashed against the bar on the volley by Che Stadart, on loan midfielder Charlie Howard was composed as he drilled home the rebound from 12 yards out.

The second half saw the home side dominate, after 52 minutes Leon McKenzie had the ball in the net, only to see if disallowed for an offside. The third goal was coming and it was scored by the impressive Orilonishe with a fantastic rising shot into the top corner.

With 20 minutes left Orilonishe doubled his tally when he was sent clear by McKenzie’s flick and he lifted the ball over the onrushing Waller. Waller then made a good save to keep the scoreline respectable when Stadhart was sent clear but there was nothing he could do when substitute David Bryant scored a flick header from Wright’s cross. Bryant then added a sixth in stoppage time after excellent work from Danny Hart.