Winning start at Thurrock

THURROCK 0-1 EASTLEIGH

SATURDAY 9th AUGUST 2008
Blue Square South

Report by Ray Murphy

On a wet August afternoon the opening Blue Square South fixture for Eastleigh was a repeat of their final game from last season some fifteen weeks earlier. Much has happened at Eastleigh during those weeks. Only five of the side that started the last fixture of 2007/8 were in the side to start on Saturday. The team selection process limited with options having both Peter Adeniyi and Anthony Riviere suspended.

The game started tentatively with few chances created by either side. Eastleigh held the upper share of possession whilst their hosts arguably had the better chances. It took fourteen minutes for the first goal attempt, a speculative long range effort from Andy Harris had the Thurrock debutant goalkeeper Andy Young back-pedalling as the dropping shot went just over the bar.

Seventeen-year-old ex-Peterborough striker Hakeem Araba caused the Eastleigh defence a few problems and in the nineteenth minute although suspiciously looking with the assist of a hand, Araba was in behind Ashley Vickers but his low shot was pushed away by Jason Matthews. A minute later Che Stadhart broke through a static Eastleigh defence but Matthews was alert enough to stem any danger.

Harris produced another long-range effort just wide of the target on twenty-six minutes and a minute later Nicky Greene had a shot deflected off target for Thurrock. The game developed into a midfield tussle with neither side taking control.

On fifty-nine minutes Greene taking control of a Thurrock free kick just outside the Eastleigh area, ended with a shot over the bar from eighteen yards. A minute later and Thurrock wasted two golden opportunities. Harris failed to clear any danger from a Thurrock attack allowing Stadhart a run on goal. Matthews guided Stadhart wide, but the striker recovered to fire goal- wards from an acute angle. The covering Trevor Challis cleared the ball off the goal line. The ball only fell for Rhys Henry who again shot goalwards but Challis threw himself to head the ball off the line to complete the double clearance.

As Thurrock asserted more pressure onto Eastleigh Araba broke through the Eastleigh defence but again Matthews came to the Eastleigh rescue. As play switched to the opposite end James Baker saw a header from a Luke Byles cross go wide of the target.

With quarter of an hour remaining Thurrock winger Henry ran at the Eastleigh defence but only ended with a weak shot straight at Matthews. Within a couple of minutes Mark Marshall set up Baker but this time the striker fired over.

The only goal of the game arrived with only eight minutes remaining. Trevor Challis’ pin point cross from the left flank saw Byles rise at the far post to send a header past Young in the Thurrock goal into the corner of the net. Both sides seemed to realise that there was only going to be one goal in this game and despite the match referee adding an additional five minutes stoppage time, Eastleigh returned home with three points ands some consolation for their defeat at the end of last season.