Errors cost Dockers dear

TWO calamitous individual defensive errors cost Tilbury dear on Saturday and another defeat leaves them rooted at the foot of the Southern League Division One East with just 12 matches left in which to conjure up a survival miracle.

And on Saturday's showing that is unlikely to happen as the Dockers showed an inability to take their chances but the definite ability to shoot themselves in the foot.

Things looked optimistic for Tilbury for much of the first half as they matched promotion-chasing Barton in every department.

However Barton have the league's leading marksman in Paul Barnes and in the end he was to prove the difference between the two sides.

Tilbury could well have gone in three at half time three goals to the good but striker Chima Eberendo showed profligacy in front of goal and on the one occasion he hit the back of the net it was ruled out for offside.

After their heavy defeats at the hands of East Thurrock United and Maldon, Tilbury were nevertheless happy to be on level terms going into the break but they conceded a goal in the final minute of the half when a break down the right created an opportunity for Barnes and he knocked the ball home from close despite home claims for an offside flag that never materialised. Nevertheless hopes remained in the home camp after a much improved performance but they were rocked within two minutes of the restart when Barnes seized on a weak back-header from otherwise almost faultless debutant Stephen Mensah, signed in the week from Harlow, and he prodded the ball past stranded home stopper Dave McCartney. To their immense credit Tilbury bounced back within a minute with one of the best goals seen this season at Chadfields. Barton repelled a Tilbury attack but the ball landed on the edge of the box and John Purches rifled home a superlative volley into the top corner. Tilbury changed their attacking options shortly after with two more debutants, Kristian Thompson and Bradley Walsh coming on for Eberendo and Usif Bangura, who was nursing an increasingly influential hamstring injury. Both new strikers have Aveley connections, Thomas playing for the Millers when he broke his leg, and Walsh having fallen out with Millfield boss Amin Levitt earlier this season.

Walsh, in particular, was responsible for lifting Tilbury and for a while it looked like they would get back on level terms.

However the impetus given by Purches' fine strike was gradually lost and as the heavens opened and a gale-force wind swept drifts of wind across the pitch it looked increasingly likely that Barton would take the points.

And the visitors made sure three minutes from time when Chris Soraindho inexplicably turned back on himself on a wide right position, drifted towards his own goal and then turned a pass behind his own defenders into the path of Richard Pringle.

Soraindho's anguished colleagues managed to get back and force him wide but couldn't prevent him turning the ball inside to Barnes, again in a suspiciously offside position and the striker made no mistake in completing his second hat-trick against the Dockers this season.

They might prove to be his last goals for Barton as he is being lined up for a move to Wycombe Wanderers, and was due to try out for their reserves against Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Wednesday.

While his future looks rosy, the same can't be said for Tilbury who remain in need of a miracle and it looks extremely difficult to see where it can come from.