East Thurrock United 3, Bishops Stortford 4

FAR from the goalfest that the scoreline might suggest, Tuesday night's Velocity Cup tie at the Grayers Graphics Stadium was an underwhelming affair played out in driving rain and wind.

What was bizarre about the match was that hosts and eventual losers, East Thurrock, probably enjoyed 75 per cent of possession throughout the evening, but calamitous defending robbed them of the chance to turn that into victory.

In front of a paltry crowd 75 the match was played out in a low key way throughout.

Neither set of players - drenched as they were from the first minute in really unpleasant conditions - really showed an appetite or passion for the competition. East Thurrock's already small squad was diminished by a number of injuries and resembled something of a makeshift outfit.

They found themselves behind after just six minutes when Mark Haines forced the ball home after a tortuous scramble in the Rocks' box.

It took just eight minutes for the hosts to regain parity when Alex Clark's mazy run resulted in a low cross that was forced home from close range by captain Ryan Scott - playing up top as centre-forward rather than his customary centre-half position.

Four minute later more dreadful defending saw Jordan Wescott put Bishops back in front and by the break Louie Johnson (22 minutes) and Shomari Barnwell (41) had put the visitors into a commanding 4-1 half time lead.

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East Thurrock, with the wind and rain at their backs, enjoyed the lion's share of possession in the second half but it wasn't until five minutes from time that they clawed a goal back through Darren Foxley.

And when Sean Bonnet-Johnson poached a goal in the last minute an unexpected penalty shoot-out became a possibility.

It might have become reality two minutes into added time but Scott scuffed his shot with just keeper Frederick Burbidge to beat and seconds later time ran out on Rocks' hopes.