Cruel exit for never-say-die Rocks

On Saturday the Ryman Premier League underdogs dug deep to force a 98th-minute equaliser at their Conference South hosts to bring about the replay, but that hugely entertaining match proved a mere hors d'oeuvre when compared to the feast of entertainment that was served up in the replay by two contrasting, but fiercely committed sides.

£12,500 in prize money was at stake, plus a mouth-watering all-Essex first-round tie at home to Colchester.

But for the combatants in this clash, pride and the
determination never to be beaten was the driving force.

As it had on Saturday, the lead fluctuated between two evenly matched sides and at the end the only thing that separated the teams were the tears of disappointment and relief as a breathless encounter climaxed in a nerve-jangling penalty shoot-out.

Some argued the better side lost, which would be unfair on Chelmsford,who showed as much appetite for a battle as East Thurrock and no little skill over more than 210 minutes of rousing competition, but it would be a hard man who didn’t feel sorry for the gallant Rocks and in particular their last-gasp equalising hero Kris Newby, who was to suffer the heartache of missing the vital penalty in the shoot-out
lottery.

The young man, a renowned penalty-taker, had smashed home a spectacular goal to make it 4-4 deep into added time but when it came to his spot-kick he thumped the ball high and wide, dissolving into tears as Chelmsford went on to complete a perfect five out of five from 12 yards.

Newby was inconsolable at the end but he should take huge pride in his personal performance on a night when he put behind the disappointment of a booking on Saturday which would have put him out of the first-round tie.

East Thurrock made the perfect start with a goal inside the first minute, Sam Higgins forcing the ball home at the third attempt inside ten seconds as Rocks laid down their marker. The celebrations are pictured courtesy of Gavin Ellis/TGS Photo.

Chelmsford were shaken into action. Not even the early loss of David Bridges to injury deterred them from a comeback and they gave notice of intent when Anthony Cook evaded two
players and whipped in a ball that grazed the crossbar. The away pressure slowly mounted and Rocks’ stand-in keeper Jamie Riley, filling a void caused by a gash to regular stopper Richard Wray’s eye in Saturday’s clash, made a hash of gathering an easy ball in the 21st minute and Robbie Edmans was on hand to gleefully accept the gift.

Clarets could have made it 2-1 a minute later but to his immense credit Riley produced a marvellous save from a curling Edmans shot.

Half chances came and went at both ends but the sides remained inseparable at the break.

However, a superb flowing move from Chelmsford gave them the
initiative three minutes after the restart when Cook produced a fine cross that split the home defence and Edmans swept the ball home.

For a period it looked as if Rocks might wilt as Chelmsford controlled the game but their indomitable spirit kept them in the game and gradually they forced their way back into the reckoning.

Chances started to come their way at regular intervals but they just couldn’t make them count, though Newby went close with a fierce drive, Tom Stephens almost sneaked a header in at the far post and on 80 minutes Stuart Searle produced a marvellous save as Hakem Araba rose high on the far post to head goalwards.

East Thurrock had a strong shout for a penalty when Clark’s hand seemed to bat the ball away in the area but ref Nigel Lugg was having none of it.

Time was ticking away, and the clock was well past normal time when Rocks finally got a deserved reward, sub Sam Collins controlling the ball inside the six-yard box, evading tackles and clipping it past Searle from an acute angle.

And the home side might even have won it in further added time: Kye Ruel's 95th-minute delivery hit the crossbar and skidded away to safety.

It took Higgins only five minutes of the extra half-hour to send an angled shot squirming underneath the body of Searle to make it 3-2 to John Coventry's men.

But City refused to give in again and drew level, another
accurate Cook cross on 100 minutes finding the net via Slabber's crucial touch.

There were just four minutes remaining when Chelmsford struck what they thought would be a final killer blow and, typical of a night that will go down in local football folklore, it was former East Thurrock player Max Cornhill – who had conceded the 98th-minute own goal on
Saturday to force the replay – who rose to head home after the unfortunate Riley had flapped at, and missed, a cross.

Rocks came again though but they looked to have missed their final chance to equalise when Newby spurned a close range header two minutes into added time.

But there was still another moment of high drama to
come and there wasn’t a moment of Mr Lugg’s added time to spare when Newby picked up the ball 20 yards out and thumped home an unstoppable shot.

Clarets assistant boss Dave Rainford, the early replacement for Bridges, showed guts to step up and ram home Chelmsford's first spot kick, setting the tone for his teammates in the shootout.

What proved to be the pivotal moment came when Newby's opener for the hosts was too high. Subsequent faultless efforts from Slabber, Justin Miller and Ishmael Welsh were matched by successful strikes from Higgins, Collins
and Joe Keith but the final, decisive opportunity of a tumultuous clash fell to Cook and he proved equal to the task.

Report by Neil Speight.