Thurrock 12 Southend 35

AS the Rugby World Cup got into full swing and England scored the luckiest try in history courtesy of Joe Marler's head, Thurrock ran out of luck and out of steam at a breezy Oakfield.

The heat of the 'Indian summer' had reduced the glorious surface of Oakfield to an unrecognisable imitation of its former state and Thurrock's second half performance was equally unremarkable!

In recent years this local Derby has brought parity, with the home side usually taking the spoils and this result was quite extraordinary in the current context.

Southend began slightly the brighter, but were unable to convert territory into points until fly- half Ben Lloyd kicked an early penalty for the "Seasiders".

From this point on, it was all Thurrock as the pack gained control.

A fluid back movement saw the returning Rhys Cotter float into the line and almost put Harry Reynolds in at the corner. Astute clearing out by Lawrence Brown and Jamie Orr kept a high tempo and the forwards on the front foot.

A quick tapped penalty by Kye Holloway brought its rewards and George Miles and Kodie Holloway wrestled their way over.

A fine conversion by Blake Burns took the score out to 12-5 and Thurrock seemed set fair for another home success.

However, just on the brink of half- time, a most bizarre incident was to transform the game!

With the wind freshening, Southend kicked speculatively for position, but the wind propelled the ball down the middle of the field and in to the "Dead ball area". It looked to all intents and purposes as if the ball would roll over the line, but it stopped short!

Inexplicably, instead of touching down for a goal line drop-out, Thurrock elected to kick to touch. Unfortunately, a freak gust of wind blew the ball infield, with the majority of the Thurrock team in an offside position!

From the resultant penalty, Southend scored in the corner and they went from a hopeless position into the break with renewed confidence!

The second half was the complete opposite of the first.

Indiscipline led to a series of penalties which allowed Wagstaffe and Holliday to win line-out ball and initiate a series of driving mauls which were to drain the life-blood from the Thurrock eight.

Jack Kennard and Lewis Holmes were to be the beneficiaries as the Warner's Bridge outfit began to monopolise possession and preponderance in the collision area.

There was little Thurrock could do to stem the tide as half- backs, Harry Branch and Ben Lloyd called the tune.

Long-serving Chris Vaughan piled on the agony with a hat-trick as Southend scored 27 unanswered points.

Thurrock found themselves stretched by the opposition and the conditions.

This was a remarkable turnaround into the elements and the end result would have seemed implausible after a laboured first- half.

Thurrock's second half performance, by contrast, was both unexpected and unfathomable. There is no doubt that the coaches and players will be scratching their heads and searching for a solution, bearing in mind that, for the second week in a row, the team has faltered in the final quarter.

This weekend, Thurrock make another journey north to Norwich.