Eastleigh 1-1 Thurrock

Report by Jamie Montigue

16th September 2006
Conference South

After playing arguably their best football of the season yet at Salisbury on Tuesday night, the Spitfires despite losing in the derby match followed the excellent performance up with a 1-1 draw today at the Silverlake Stadium.

Eastleigh dominated the opening stage of the game but somehow fell behind in the 22nd minute through a Steve Harper goal. Thankfully Wayne Purser’s equaliser just after the restart meant Paul Doswell’s side left the Silverlake Stadium with a point. New signing Jamie Brown made his home debut for the club along with on loan Weymouth midfielder Andy Harris, and both players were very impressive from start to finish.

Despite playing well early on, Eastleigh had a couple of scares with Matt Bound heading only inches over his own cross bar and then in the 7th minute a Tarkan Mustafa deflected shot was turned high and wide of Wayne Shaw’s goal from close range.

In the ninth minute of the game Darren Wheeler turned on the style with his skill and pace but, as he got into the penalty area the winger was penalised for diving. By far Eastleigh’s best move of the match came moments later. A Matt Bound cross-field pass from defence saw David Hughes receive the ball on the right hand side. Hughes then got the ball into the path of Wayne Purser with a smart pass but the Thurrock keeper Max Aneke scrambled across his goal to prevent the header from being the opening goal.

There was no time for rest though after the wonderful move from Eastleigh as immediately Thurrock were on the attack and the former Rushden and Diamond’s player Mustafa hit the cross bar with Shaw watching on as it came back off the woodwork. Fortunately for the Spitfires it fell to safety, and just as well because it would have been awful had it gone in seeing as the home side were thoroughly deserving of a goal from Purser’s excellent header just seconds before.

Another example of Eastleigh working the ball well from defence to attack was when defender Chris Collins brought the ball forward finding Wheeler with a good pass who then helped it on to Andy Harris. The loanee from last year’s Conference South Champions Weymouth, who looked very solid and industrial in the middle of the park, knocked it to Purser with another good pass but the effort was blocked well leading to a corner kick. From it Matt Bound headed wide.

A quarter of an hour into the match and Eastleigh were still playing the better football. Collins again started an attack, which saw Brian Dutton hold the ball up superbly in the corner before laying it off for Martin Thomas. The no-nonsense defender cut inside and past his marker before drilling in a dangerous looking ball, which the keeper Aneke did well to cut out.

Almost out of nowhere, Thurrock had taken the lead. 20 minutes had been played when down the right hand side positive play from Matt Lovell and Wes Thomas saw the ball played into the box for striker STEVE HARPER. In the face of beating Wayne Shaw, Harper stayed composed in front of goal and only just found a way past the Eastleigh stopper, who managed to get a good hand on the shot and for a moment it looked as though it would be enough to keep it out. However, the ball flew off the outstretched arm of Shaw and crept in off the post as the visitors took the lead against the run of play.

Jamie Brown showed excellent work rate throughout the game and his efforts could easily have created an Eastleigh equaliser. It was the ex-Magpie that broke down the left with a combination of strength and power, and then Brown put in an excellent ball looking for Purser but the pace on the delivery made it difficult as Thurrock escaped the trouble.

As soon as Eastleigh got the ball down and played it to feet they posed a threat going forward and this was seen in the excellent build up mid way through the half. A superb, flowing, passing move involving Martin Thomas, Brian Dutton and Wayne Purser was a joy for the home fans, although the effort in the end could have been a bit better from Jamie Brown as he let fly from distance.

On 30 minutes, Wayne Shaw was at full stretch to deny Matt Lovell as he tipped the ball around the post for a corner kick. Shortly after Eastleigh came at Thurrock with more pressure as they continued to seek out the equalising goal. A Darren Wheeler corner was headed back out by Jamie Brown and then played to the back post for Dutton who had a good header saved comfortably by Aneke.

David Hughes came close from all of 40 yards five minutes before half time, but it was to happen next that sparked a bit of controversy. Andy Harris edged forward with the ball before playing it left to Purser who hit the ball first time with a wonderful curling effort that ended up in the top corner of the goal. The linesmen, however, had his flag up and therefore the goal did not stand despite the fact that the ball appeared to go straight in! So, after a reasonably commanding, controlling first half performance Eastleigh went in at half time with no reward and a one goal deficit.

HALF TIME – Eastleigh 0-1 Thurrock

Whatever was said at the interval in the Eastleigh dressing room worked wonders, as the side could not have got off to a better start. A powerful run from the tricky Wheeler presented the Spitfires with a corner almost straight from the kick off. As the ball came in from the left Brian Dutton was well placed to connect with the cross by heading at goal. Aneke spilled the ball and in doing so gifted WAYNE PURSER the easiest of tappings from a couple of yards.

Once Eastleigh were where they deserved to be, back in the game, you could see that they were looking more comfortable in possession. Jamie Brown had a couple of half chances, firstly as he latched on to David Hughes’ through ball but failed to connect after swinging his leg and then from a Francis Benali throw the Southampton born Brown turned with ease getting his shot in but it was off target.

With half an hour left to play, Eastleigh looked almost certain to get in front with yet another well-worked move. Wayne Purser got the ball under control with excellent technique before playing it on to Wheeler. It eventually came out for the captain, Benali, who swung the ball in with a deep left footed cross that Brown met at the back stick with a well timed header but didn’t manage to trouble the keeper.

Down at the other end, Thurrock had an even better chance to take the lead. Hassan Nyang weaved past the two Eastleigh defenders as he ventured forward before squaring it for Lovell who had time and space to shoot freely at Shaw. Fortunately the effort was scuffed seeing the ball go wide and out for a goal kick.

The never-tiring Brown meanwhile, could have opened his Eastleigh account as he brought down a Wheeler throw in with his thigh setting himself up for the volley. The ball was hit with authority but flew high over the bar.

Adam James replaced Martin Thomas at right back and he instantly got into the game as he not only did his defensive duties but also showed signs of quality on the attack as he got forward to meet a perfect pass from Brown to play it sideways to Hughes. The midfield dynamo went for goal but got it all wrong when perhaps a cross would have been a lot more effective with a packed penalty area.

On 78 minutes a Dutton effort was deflected for a corner following an inch perfect pass by Brown, however nothing came of it and it was then Thurrock’s turn to go forward and search for a winner.

A long throw in from the left saw Eastleigh panic slightly although Benali was the coolest player on the pitch when he sent a defensive header over the cross bar for a corner to relieve the immediate danger. Substitute Adam James had to be at his best as his block on the goal line helped Eastleigh survive a moment of being under the cosh.

There was still plenty of time left to for either side to get all three points with Eastleigh looking the more likely to do so. Jamie Brown’s brilliant flick on saw Darren Wheeler attack Thurrock with a good effort that Aneke was more than equal to.

Andy Forbes made a return to action minutes before the end of the 90 as Brian Dutton made way, much to the delight of everyone involved with the football club as the top goalscorer from the last two seasons came back from a recurring injury. A fully fit Andy Forbes will be a handful for any defence on his day.

Into stoppage time Forbes made a surging run forward as Eastleigh broke away from defence. A classy pass picked out Jamie Brown in the area whose great technique saw him bring the ball down on his thigh and then over the head of his marker however the wayward volley seemed to indicate it would as a draw.

From here Eastleigh must now get a result at Newport next week.

FULL TIME – Eastleigh 1-1 Thurrock

JAMIE MONTIGUE