East Thurrock Community FC 1, Great bentley 2

EAST Thurrock CFC hosted a pulsating EBL Knockout Cup semi-final on Saturday (18 April), in front of a record crowd, as the Rocks saw their cup campaign end in heartbreak, edged out by Great Bentley despite long spells on the front foot.

From the first whistle the home side set the tempo, pressing high and forcing hurried clearances that kept Great Bentley pinned back.

The first chance should have brought the breakthrough inside five minutes. Tommy Barnacle pounced on a loose pass from the visitors' back line and fed Harry Prince, whose clever lay-off set Kieron Miles on the edge of the area; the strike was sweet and true, but it thudded back off the crossbar with the keeper beaten.

Moments later the Rocks went close again as a corner was recycled and Miles' header looked destined for the net, only for a defender to scramble it off the line in dramatic fashion.

Great Bentley offered their first real threat on 20 minutes when a long ball wasn't fully dealt with, but their number nine could only prod wide from six yards.

The home side responded with a spell of sustained pressure. Tommy Barnacle tested the keeper with a drilled effort from the edge of the box, and Lewis Rowe then delivered a free kick from the right that was met with a firm header, forcing another strong stop from the keeper as the Rocks searched for a deserved lead.

But football can be brutal. On 43 minutes, and very much against the run of play, Great Bentley struck first: the ball was worked into the feet of their number nine, who turned sharply and slid a pass across the face of goal for a simple tap-in from close range to send the visitors in ahead.

Trailing at the break, the Rocks emerged with renewed purpose and were level five minutes into the second half. Lewis Rowe got across his man and drew a clumsy challenge inside the area, leaving the referee with no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Harry Prince dispatched the penalty from 12 yards, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.

With momentum firmly back on their side, the hosts pushed for a winner. Kieron Miles cut inside from the left and bent a teasing cross into the danger area that Tommy Barnacle glanced goalwards, only for the Great Bentley keeper to produce a smart reaction save. Joey Purdy was introduced for Harry Daly soon after as the Rocks looked to introduce fresh legs.

At the other end Tommy Bruley was called into action, tipping an effort over the bar after a loose ball broke to a visiting player just outside the box, before the match swung again in a tense final quarter.

The Rocks thought they had turned the tie on its head on 73 minutes when the ball found its way into the net directly from a cross, but celebrations were cut short when the referee ruled a foul on the goalkeeper. And in a cruel twist of fate, that is so often delivered in football, a minute later came the decisive blow, with Great Bentley reclaiming the lead to make it 2-1 with an unmarked header at the far post.

Freddie Barrett made way for Kelly Nwaehi as the home side chased the game, and Bruley kept hopes alive with a fantastic save on 79 minutes. Kieron Miles was booked for a late challenge as the urgency increased, before Bailey Morris and Marcus Adebayo-Bella were thrown on for Kieron Miles and Harry Salter in an attacking double change.

There was further controversy when Kelly Nwaehi took a heavy collision from the visiting goalkeeper while challenging for a cross, looking like a cast-iron penalty, only for the decision to be a drop ball. Time was now running out quickly and there was a sense of urgency to the play.

Kieran McGowan replaced Zac Bussell late on and nearly carved out an equaliser in stoppage time, his cut-back picking out Bobby Reeman, but the connection was never clean and the spinning ball looped over.

Full time brought disappointment for the Rocks as Great Bentley held on to book their place in the final, despite the hosts' chances, pressure and late push. The afternoon did, however, produce a landmark moment off the pitch: an attendance of 339 for the EBL Knockout Cup semi-final, a new Rocks home attendance record.

To add to Rocks' sense of frustration, in the Essex and Suffolk Border League Premier Division Thorpe Athletic extended their lead to four points with a 2-0 win against Tiptree Heath.

ETC have a match in hand with three to play and Great Bentley have two in hand with four to play so the season couldt to go down to the wire.

Thorpe travel to ninth-placed Cressing United next weekend, Great Bentley host 12^th placed Gas Recreation and Rocks will be back at the Wyldecrest to play bottom club Arlesford Colne Rangers. Logic and form says all three will win but Rocks will be hoping for a change of fortune from the footballing gods!