FA CUP REPLAY
East Thurrock 4, Chelmsford City 4 AET
(CHELMSFORD WIN 5-4 on PENALTIES)

EAST Thurrock's FA Cup dream was ended as they lost a penalty shoot-out after the most remarkable game against Chelmsford City at Rookery Hill tonight.

Anthony Cook scored the decisive fifth penalty for Chelmsford to give them a 5-4 spot-kick win after Kris Newby missed his penalty for the hosts.

Minutes before Newby had screamed in a goal which had made it 4-4 after extra-time. And that came shortly after former East Thurrock man Max Cornhill had headed home to put the Clarets 4-3 up.

It was an extraordinary ending to the replay in which Rocks had taken a 40-second lead as Sam Higgins scored against his former club for the second time in four days.

But a double from Dagenham & Redbridge loanee Robert Edmans looked to have put the Clarets through in 90 minutes, before substitute Sam Collins struck at the death to make it 2-2 and take it into extra time.

Kye Ruel sent a cross against the face of the bar in injury time, but the teams were level after normal time.

Higgins put the hosts 3-2 up at the start of the first period of extra-time, but Jamie Slabber glanced home Anthony Cook's cross to make it 3-3, and then Cornhill struck in the 116th minute to make it 3-4.

Newby headed over in injury-time of extra time when it looked certain he would score, but the winger made amends seconds later as he screamed one in form the edge of the box to make it 4-4.

And it was Newby who took the first penalty in the shoot-out for the hosts, but he blazed over and Chelmsford scored all five of their kicks to book a dream clash with Colchester United in the first round proper.

East Thurrock (4-4-2): Riley; Sammons (Hall 73), Peddie, Harrison, Stephen; Newby, Gilbey, Parmenter (Collins 66), Ruel (Keith 117); Higgins, Araba.

Chelmsford City (4-4-2): Searle; Brindley, Miller, Clark, Palmer; Cook, Bridges (Rainford 9), Cornhill, Calver (Welsh 105); Slabber, Edmans (Simmonds 63).

MOM: Anthony Cook (Chelmsford City).