Aveley 2, Tilbury 1

AVELEY emerged victors in Monday night's Isthmian Velocity Trophy derby at Parkside but the visiting Dockers drew a number of positives from the outcome.

The home side were gifted the lead on 18 minutes when a misjudgement by Tilbury keeper George Marsh allowed Kayne Diedrick-Roberts to score and three minutes later George Sykes netted Millers' second.

That would have set alarm bells ringing in the Tilbury camp after the way they capitulated in Saturday's heavy league defeat at Heybridge but the visitors knuckled down to their task and made a real match of it.

They got a goal back on 53 minutes when Alex Clark won and then converted a penalty and generally dominated the rest of the match against a side from the league above them.

However, the final ball from Tilbury was always a little wayward and on several occasions they were well-placed to threaten new Millers keeper Jonathon North but they couldn't press home the advantage.

The action wasn't all at one end, Diedrick-Roberts thumped a great effort against the upright but on the balance opf play Tilbury will have felt they merited a draw and the lottery of a penalty shoot-out but it wasn't to be.

Tilbury boss John Coventry was philosophical and picked the positives out of defeat. He said: "I was very disappointed on Saturday when we suffered a heavy defeat that I just didn't see coming.

"To me tonight was all about how we bounced back and the lads did themselves credit. I thought we made a good start and then a couple of mistakes let Aveley in.

"I can't deny at that point I was worried but the boys showed great character and knuckled down.

"I thought we were the better side the second half and dominated the game, we just didn't get the breaks but that's football.

"To me the performance was more important that the result. Obviousyl I hate losing any game but we have been betaen and we can live with that because we also know we have taken away something that we can build on in our next game."