East Thurrock v Hendon LIVE

Posted by GerryXGerry Smith Info:
Look, let's face it, I'm great. I just don't let it show in any way, shape or form on either the Brighter Breakfast or any sports reports.Posts by the author (66) in Sports News | 0 comments

East Thurrock United  0-0  Hendon

Bury Town  2-0  Canvey Island

Concord Rangers  0-0  Billericay Town

East Thurrock United  0-0  Hendon

Leiston  2-2  Grays Athletic

Romford  1-1  Tilbury

Thurrock  1-1  Woking

Burton Albion  1-1  Dagenham & Redbridge

Basildon United  0-3  Witham Town

Bowers & Pitsea  1-4  Hullbridge Sports

——————————

FULL TIME:  Hendon could have nicked it at the death when a shot at goal from 8 yards cleared the Manorway itself.  Disappointing.  The Rocks had their chances to win, especially the second half, but didn’t make it count.  Two points dropped, definitely.

No matter, at least we weren’t out Christmas shopping.  Next live updates will be on Tuesday.  Until then, enjoy the weekend, and your football.

ETU – Hendon 90 mins  (right click then save link / target to download)

Injury time:  And 3 minutes of it.

85 mins – Nice time to get internet connection problems.  Bah.  Still the same.  Attack v defence.  The Rocks just can’t find a way through.

ETU – Hendon 80 mins  (right click and save link / target to download)

74 mins – Oh, what a chance!  Kris Newby superbly disposses his opponent and his curling cross into the right hand side of the area finds Sam Collins unmarked.  It’s a powerful shot but straight at the keeper.

72 mins – A Sam Collins piledriver from 22 yards fizzes inches over the bar.

70 mins – Attack v defence at the moment.  Shots from Reiss Gilbey and Sam Higgins are coming in regularly, and from one free kick a Hendon defender almost deflected the ball into his own net.  My fingers are freezing, too, which explains the longish delay in updates.  Plus my dulcet tones on the airwaves for the live report, of course.

 

58 mins – What did I say?  The Rocks go forward again, Reiss Gilbey has a go at Ryan Wharton and gets past him, and his shot from 20 yards glides inches past the right hand post of the Bus Stops End.  Much better

Attendance:  A very hardy 109 souls are here, braving the freezing elements.  East Thurrock are certainly on top now.  They just need to isolate Hendon’s Ryan Wharton, who’s booked and injured, and perhaps an early Charistmas present will come their way.

52 mins – A Sam Collins shot from 20 yards just fails to miss Corringham Social Club.

48 mins – The Rocks strike back, well, sort of.  The go down the right channel, and Kris Newby’s cross into the area is cleared for a corner.  Which soon turns into a Hendon free kick for an obvious push.

47 mins – Lively start to the second half from the visitors.  They attack on the left, get to the left hand bye-line inside the area, and their shot at goal is scrambled for a corner.  From that, Richard Wray is impeded and a free kick is given.

4.06pm  - KICK OFF!  Come on, give us something to cheer!

——————————

Half time:  It’s definitely the conditions winning this one.  Very cold, very muddy.  East Thurrock United are the better of the two sides, but not by much, and 0-0 is probably the right score at the break.

My fingers are freezing so I’ll be back after I’ve thawed out a bit.

ETU – Hendon HT  (right click then save link / target to download)

Injury time  A foul midway inside the Hendon half gives the Rocks a late opportunity but Kris Newby’s low cross only succeeds in hitting the one man Hendon wall.  Disappointing.

42 mins – Sam Higgins cleverly runs onto a Hendon defensive header and from his efforts, the Rocks win a corner.  Which come to the sum total of one less one.  Ho hum.

38 mins – In a rare Hendon break, Jerome Federico, who sounds like he should be working tonight in a cabaret club Christmas do, sends a 22 yard shot well over the bar.

35 mins – Richard Wray comes out to collect a hopeful Hendon punt and is subjected to a late, elbow leading challenge for his trouble.  The ref, however, does nothing.  The natives are less than gruntled.

33 mins – Good work on the right from the Rocks, the cross comes in, and it finds Sam Collins in plenty of space of the left hand side of the area.  He drills his shot wide of the far post though.

ETU – Hendon 30+ Mins  (right click then save link / target to download)

28 mins – Another Rocks free kick, this time on the left hand edge of the area.  Sam Higgins curls it round the wall this time, but is easily saved.

25 mins – Hendon’s Ryan Wharton is also booked for a foul on the surging Kye Ruel.  Sam Higgins’ free kick, from around 30 yards, bounces harmlessly off the wall, despite protests for handball.

23 mins – A slight moment of panic as Hendon pressed down the right.  On the bye-line, Kye Ruel was forced in passing the ball across the face of his own goal, which the Rocks just about cleared.

20 mins – Play has resumed but still not too much the warm the festive cockles of our hearts from either team.  Rocks have had more possession and territory but no clear-cut chances.

ETU – Hendon 15 mins  (right click, then save link / target to download)

13 mins – I should qualify that though.  The player himself didn’t appeal but that may be more to do with him being concerned about the state of his knee.  He’s stretchered off to generous applause.

10 mins – Sam Collins is booked for a late tackle on Hendon full back James Parker.  I say late tackle as the ref was waving play on until the Hendon players began wailing like girls for a foul.  Hmmmmm.

8 mins – First real shot at goal.  Sam Higgins, from a central position on the edge of the area, at the Manorway End, sends a low shot centimetres past the left hand post.

5 mins – Some distinctly unseasonal refereeing decisions already.  Two fairly obvious fouls are met incredulously from both sides with a play on signal.  Covo is not happy and rightly so.

3.02pm – KICK OFF!  Oh yes!

—————————–

2.58pm – And the teams come out to a sparse but loyal set of supporters.  Covo has wished me a Merry Christmas, but with him being a teacher, it’s always a Merry Christmas for him with a fortnight off every year.  Alright for some!

Team News – East Thurrock United go with:  Richard Wray;  Ryan Sammons, Tom Stephens, James Smith, Simon Peddie;  Matt Hall, Kris Newby, Reiss Gilbey, Sam Collins;  Sam Higgins, Kye Ruel.

2.55pm – Elsewhere, Concord v Billericay looks like being a good ‘un, with both teams on form and desperately needing the points.  Grays have a tasty looking encounter at Leiston and Tilbury’s derby at Romford could well be worth keeping an eye on.  As for Southend United last night – oops.  We can only hope this is their bad run of the season and that get back to winning ways soon enough.

2.50pm – The pitch here is soggy but playable, which sort of sums up my own personality.  Neil, the goodest of good eggs and club secretary, spent this morning freezing something brass monkeys like to hold onto making sure both the pitch and ground was in good nick.  We quite often forget such people behind the scenes, working tirelessly and voluntarily, just so we can enjoy ourselves.  Neil, I salute you.

ETU – Hendon Preview  (right click then save target / link to download)

2.35pm – Good afternoon from a very cold, sunny, and definitely non-Christmas-Shoppingy Rookery Hill (which can only be a good thing).

East Thurrock United desperately need the points as the gap from safety nears worrying proportions, even with games in hand.  Hendon, on the other hand, need the points just as badly  to sustain their own play-off credentials.

It might just be that early Christmas cracker we’re hoping for.  As even, keeep on refreshing the page every few minutes, and tune into Jimmy Lindsay online and on 97.8 FM, and you will see another thrilling afternoon, both here and across our area, unfold.

Game on!