East Thurrock United 2-1 Tooting & Mitcham United
FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round
from Rookery Hill
EAST Thurrock United are one round away from the first round of the FA Cup first round after edging past an impressive Tooting & Mitcham side.
Rocks won 2-1 thanks to goals either side of half-time from Mitch Gilbey and Lewis Smith, although they fell behind in this encounter.
The game started quickly with both sides exchanging early possession but Tooting, who play a tier below East Thurrock in the Ryman South, had the first effort on goal.
Nice link-up between Nathan Gordon and Saul Pinnock down the left saw the latter strike at goal from outside the penalty area – but David Hughes claimed the powerful effort at the second attempt.
Bryant had the next chance, after he diverted a long range effort on goal. But the ball narrowly missed the target and the goal would have stood, despite loud calls for the linesman’s flag.
But, out of nothing, the away side went ahead. A counter attack saw Dan Summers and Billy Marshall exchange passes and the former smashed past Hughes at the near post.
A period of impressive Tooting possession followed before the away side equalised on the stroke of half time.
Good work from Simon Peddie down the left saw the ball drop to Gilbey and he curled home into the top corner from 20 yards to bring the home side level.
Tooting started the second half the stronger and Marshall saw a low drive tipped wide by Hughes but the game was turned on its head on the hour mark and it was another fine goal.
Hold-up play by Bryant saw him bring in Peddie and, although the full-back’s cross was behind the strikers, Lewis Smith slowed the played to walking pace before bursting down the line and lashing into the far corner for his fourth of the competition.
Although they were given a mighty scare when substitute Tinashe Nkoma smashed the ball off the post with two minutes to go.
But Rocks held on.
East Thurrock United: Hughes, Witherspoon (Parmenter), Stephen, Wood, Peddie, Goodacre, Gilbey, Symons (Harris), Higgins (Sammons), Bryant, Lewis Smith
Tooting & Mitcham United: Paul Smith, Jelley, Gordon, Graves, Cheadle, Alimi, Clark, Quarm, Summers, Marshall, Pinnock
Other FA Cup results
Concord Rangers 3-2 Winchester City
Barton Rovers 0-1 Canvey Island
Billericay Town 0-1 Weymouth
Ryman North
Great Wakering Rovers 1-0 Heybridge Swifts
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