ROCKS rode their luck then turned on the style to cruise past a plucky Redbridge side at Rookery Hill on Saturday.

The visitors were the better side early on and raced into a sixth-minute lead when Mark Noughter’s hopeful cross allowed Tom Stephen to crash the ball in off the underside of the bar.

The Motormen continued to dominate and Kevin McLeod, who started his career in Everton’s first team, twice went close to extending their lead.

Then came a pivotal moment on 32 minutes. Rocks’ right-back Ryan Sammons chopped down Alex Reed in the box but referee Ian Fissenden waved away the stonewall penalty appeals.

And Sammons made the most of his reprieve two minutes later when he crossed for an unmarked Neil Richmond to confidently head home his fourth of the season for an unlikely equaliser.

East Thurrock boss John Coventry clearly had a few choice words with his players during the interval, and they looked a different side following the re-start.

James Newby had an effort desperately hacked off the line by Redbridge skipper Simon Peddie, before Rocks’ relentless pressure finally told on 50 minutes.

First Newby crossed for Richmond to side-foot against the post. And, when Redbridge failed to clear their lines from the resulting melee, Richmond hooked the ball on for the arriving Max Cornhill to poke the ball home.

And they extended their lead ten minutes later when calamitous defending allowed Jimmy Webb to poke home Kye Ruel’s deep cross.

Ruel himself added a flattering fourth after a neat one-two with Richmond. Richmond was clearly off-side in the build up but the flag stayed down and Ruel rolled the ball into the empty net.

And at the death McLead was denied the goal his performance deserved when he crashed a freekick against the bar.

Coventry said: “I think they should have got a penalty and we could have gone 2-0 down. But our quality came through in the second half — we scored three but could have had six. So all in all, I’m happy with that.”

East Thurrock: (4-4-2): Wray; Sammons, Keith, Wood, Sheehan; Harrison, Cornhill, Newby, Webb; Richmond, Ruel.

Echo man of the match: Kevin McLeod (Redbridge)