Tilbury 3, Brantham Athletic 0

TILBURY delivered the expected Isthmian North victory against hapless bottom club Brantham at Chadfield on Saturday (20 December).

Kieran Jones returned to the starting line-up and Sam Carter replaced the suspended Mo Amir. Jack Hayes also started, as he made his 100th appearance for the club.

Jack Hayes

Dockers took the lead after just six minutes, when Sam Carter's lofted pass sent Tyler Forbes on his way. Forbes bore down on goal and drilled his strike into the bottom left-hand corner.

On the stroke of halftime, Tilbury crafted a brilliant move down the left flank involving Lester Ward, Kieran Jones and Ronnie Winn. Winn set the ball across to Sam Carter, who slipped a pass through to Dan Trendall, but the eventual effort was cleared off the line.

But the hosts would eventually double the lead four minutes into the second half courtesy of their leading goalscorer this season, Jones. Tilbury worked the ball out to the right, and Trendall's pinpoint cross found the head of Jones as he helped the ball on its way past Jack Dudfield and into the net.

And the third goal soon followed on 55 minutes, after another weaving run from Forbes and a flick around the corner to release Alfie Fry, discombobulated the defence. Fry's cross was towards the edge of the area, where Trendall was waiting, and the forward took a touch before emphatically firing into the side netting.

The home side came close to increasing the deficit even further after some magic in the middle of the park from Forbes. The winger brought the ball out of the air with a Cruyff turn to disappear from two Brantham players. Forbes spread the play out wide, but Trendall was just inches away from Fry's whipped cross towards the back post. That was all the action at the EMR Stadium, and a comfortable victory for Tilbury put them a big step further away from the drop.

SQUAD: Henry, Fry (Forbes J), Reeve, Hayes ©, Elliott, Ward, Carter (Brocklebank), Winn, Jones (Braney), Forbes T (Agyiri), Trendall (East). 

The Dockers are back in action on Saturday 27 December for a festive 'El Chavico' against Grays at Chadfields.