East Thurrock Community FC 0, Letchworth Garden City Eagles 3

ROCKS' participation in the FA Vase lasted just one afternoon as they bowed out today (Saturday, 15 August) to the visitors from the Spartan South Midlands Football League Division One.

In front of a crowd of 106 the visitors made a lively start and almost opened the scoring after just four minutes, breaking through on goal before Max Seymour produced an excellent reaction save to keep the scores level.

Letchworth threatened again on 11 minutes, working the ball down the left before laying it off on the edge of the box, but the resulting effort went wide.

The Rocks were then forced into an early change on 14 minutes, with Elby Nicholls unable to continue through injury and Harry Daly taking his place.

East Thurrock began to grow into the game and a free kick from the right was curled dangerously into the area on 20 minutes, only for the Letchworth defence to clear.

However, just a minute later the visitors took the lead. A run down the right ended with a shot from just inside the box. Seymour managed to get his fingertips to the effort but couldn't quite turn it over the bar.

The response from the Rocks was positive. Lewis Rowe produced a great run down the left on 25 minutes and delivered into the box. The ball eventually fell to Tommy Barnacle, who laid it off for Kieron Miles, but his effort was blocked.

On 31 minutes, Harry Prince went down inside the penalty area, a stonewall penalty, but rather than pointing to the spot, the referee deemed it to be a dive with no consultation with the perfectly-placed assistant referee and showed Prince a yellow card.

Prince then had the Rocks' best chance of the game so far three minutes later. He raced in behind the Letchworth defence and curled an effort towards the right side of the net. The goalkeeper spilled the initial shot, but Miles couldn't convert the rebound.

East Thurrock were now firmly on top and came agonisingly close to an equaliser on 41 minutes when Miles chipped an effort across goal which struck the post.

Having fallen behind midway through the half, the Rocks finished the opening 45 minutes strongly and could consider themselves unfortunate not to have found an equaliser.

That momentum continued immediately after the restart. On 48 minutes, a looping ball into the box narrowly missed Miles' head before Daly had an opportunity to shoot, only for the ball to bobble over his foot at the crucial moment.

Letchworth then doubled their advantage on 63 minutes with a chipped effort from the edge of the box to leave the Rocks with a mountain to climb.

East Thurrock continued to push and created another couple of chances on 70 minutes. Aleem saw an effort saved at the near post before Barnacle's shot was kept out superbly by the legs of the Letchworth goalkeeper.

Despite the Rocks continuing to search for a way back into the tie, it was the visitors who found the net again, adding a third goal to put the result beyond doubt.

The 3–0 scoreline perhaps doesn't tell the whole story, with the Rocks enjoying strong spells and creating opportunities, particularly either side of half-time. On another afternoon, one of those first-half chances goes in and it's a very different contest.

Rocks are home again next Saturday when they entertain Coggeshall Town.