Brentwood Town 1, East Thurrock United 1

IT was honours even after these two evenly matched sides produced a competitive and highly entertaining Isthmian North game to keep the fans on their toes throughout, on a cold and misty Valentine's Day evening at the Brentwood Centre.

Over the full ninety plus minutes, play had swung from end to end, with both sides enjoying several spells in the ascendancy, and on reflection, both clubs, although obviously disappointed not to have won, would surely agree that it was a game neither side really deserved to lose.

We certainly witnessed a game which deserved more goals, and the fact that only two were scored was down to some excellent, sometimes brave defending by both sets of players, while Rocks new keeper Anthony Page, along with his counterpart Melvin Minter in the Blues goal, should be rightly proud of their own personal performances.

Rocks welcomed back their leading scorer Brian Moses, who had missed Saturday's win at Witham through suspension.

The Rocks drew first blood, when 18 minutes in the home side won a throw in down by the corner flag on Rocks right. Some great pressing resulted in Rocks gaining possession from the throw, and the ball fell to the returning Moses, who cut in from the bye-line and from the narrowest of angles fired past Minter for his thirteenth goal of the season, much to the delight of the impressive Rocks travelling support.

On the half hour, Rocks were denied a second goal by a double save from Minter following a Harry Critchley corner. First the keeper did brilliantly to block a Jack McQueen drive from almost point blank range, then saved Moses' follow up from the rebound.

The Blues had been well in the game however, keeping the Rocks defence on their toes, and they drew level on thirty six minutes when Jack Adlington found himself it space on the edge of the box to fire a cracker past Page.

Moses then missed a great chance in first half added time, heading just wide after finding himself unmarked in front of goal, from Carter's delightful floated ball into the box.

There were chances at both ends during a pulsating second half, but Rocks had two great chances to win it right at the death.

First Minter dived to his left to keep out Johnny Ashman's powerful header from a trademark precision cross from Ryan Boswell.

Then Moses burst clear, cleverly chipping over the advancing Minter, but as he was about to fire into the open net, a last gasp challenge from a recovering Blues defender nicked the ball off big Brian's toe.

So a point each it was then, now Rocks move on to Saturday, when Bury Town come to Rookery Hill.