Dockers' accrue the points

FEW on the sparsely populated Chadfields terraces couple deny Dockers deserved to take all three Westview Essex Senior League points, but they only did so thanks to the generosity of a tiring Hullbridge defence and Tilbury will need to step up several gears if they are to mount a sustained challenge to claim a promotion place.

This was the fifth meeting of the sides so far this season, with a win apiece and two goalless draws preceding it, and lowly Hullbridge will have had high hopes of securing the aggregate advantage when they opened the scoring after just two minutes.

They did so with a goal gifted by the home defence. Danny Scopes, who had impressed so much the previous week, and keeper Jimmy Cooke left an innocuous ball forward for each other to deal with and that indecision allowed lightening quick Hullbridge youngster Jamie Cheesewright to nip in and poke the ball past Cook into an empty net.

With new signing James Marrable, the highly-rated former East Thurrock and Great Wakering stopper on the bench, the Tilbury keeper wouldn't have wanted to make such a costly mistake and he had little chance to redeem himself as Hullbridge were then shut out for the rest of the match, rarely seriously threatening the home defence.

With such inactivity at one end Tilbury had the chance to dominate but though they enjoyed by far the lion's share of possession they lacked creativity and by the break had only a Paul Cobb shot that went just wide to look back on as an attacking force.

Striker Paul Shelley had an indifferent roving role up front and was guilty of a shocking miss when he found the ball at his feet with only keeper Richard Mann to beat and an age to do it and he will have been glad that a late linesman's flag for offside spared him the indignity of missing a bone-fide chance as Mann was able to block his scuffed shot.

At the other end, in a rare moment of activity, Cook pulled off a decent close range stop from David Krayling, though it was also an effort made irrelevant by a linesman's flag.

The second half saw a change of referee, with Kevin Pratt and his assistant Jeremy Motts switching roles as an injury was inhibiting the senior official's ability to get around the pitch.

Tilbury might have got the half off to a great start when Keith Wilson chipped a fine free-kick into a crowded box but was aghast to see his effort go to waste as not one of several lunging Tilbury players could get a touch on the ball.

The home side's dominance continued and they finally got the big break on 56 minutes when a fine run by Edmund Keboah saw him leave three Hullbridge players in his wake before he was flattened in the box by Lee Daves.

It was stone cold certain spot-kick and a stone cold goal looked in prospect as league leading scorer Cobb stepped up to take the kick. However, though he sent Mann the wrong way, his poorly hit shot hit the inside of the upright and rebounded across the face of goal to safety.

That might well have summed up Tilbury's day but indecision in the home defence just a minute later allowed Cobb to make amends.

There seemed little danger as a long, high ball up the middle could have been covered by any one of three Hullbridge defenders but they all backed off and let it bounce. That allowed Cobb the opportunity to nick it away from them and he produced a classic striker's control and finish to ease himself some space and time to flick the ball past onrushing Mann into the back of the net for his 18th goal of the season.

And three minutes later Cobb turned provider when he crossed the ball from the right. There seemed little danger but Mann flapped badly at the ball and it fell into the path of Wilson. His stab at goal came back off the crossbar but, with the visiting defence transfixed, Wilson was able to follow up and shepherd the ball over the line.

It says much of the Tilbury team spirit that everyone but Cook rushed into the corner to congratulate the scorer and the celebrations were fit for a title-winning goal rather than a rather fortunate match-winning one, as it turned to be.

Perhaps it is a sign of better things to come and it can't be denied that the secret of success is to pick up points when you are not playing well.

In the closing half hour Hullbridge finally came out of their shell and stepped up the pace but Tilbury kept them comfortably at bay and their belligerence and determination, typified by Bobby Port who picked up his eighth booking of season, will be some consolation.

However, home supporters will be hoping more convincing displays will be around the corner, perhaps starting with Tuesday's home league match with Romford.