So Friday night football on Remembrance Day saw me over at the Len Salmon Stadium to see a Ryman North local derby between Bowers & Pitsea and Thurrock.
Four years ago the hosts were struggling at the bottom of the Essex Senior League whilst visitors Thurrock were in the equivalent of what is now the National League South, some three steps higher.
However the last couple of years have seen the hosts, under the management of Rob Small, finally win promotion last season whilst Thurrock have fallen two steps to now sit on a par with their opponents although Thurrock are looking to get back to where they used to be and currently occupy seventh spot after a difficult start to their season.
Hosts Bowers have begun life in the Ryman League fairly well although recent results have seen the slip into mid table but they knew a win over their local rivals would put them back into the top ten.
And they were to have the ideal start when ex-Bees striker Brad Warner curled home brilliantly from long range beyond the dive of Bobby Mason after only two minutes to give the hosts a very early advantage. Thurrock’s best moment in the opening quarter came from Charlie Stimson, who saw an effort fly a foot wide.
But the visitors were lucky not to go two down on 18 minutes when another ex-Basildon player, Ben Sartain, saw an effort come back off the underside of the bar after keeper Mason had allowed it to thinking it was missing the target. Thurrock then immediately went close themselves as David Cowley saw a free kick tipped over by Rhys Madden although after some confusion the kick was ordered to be retaken and Madden saved the second attempt too.
Midway through the half saw another chance for the hosts as after the referee allowed an advantage, David Knight’s effort went straight at Mason, and then on the half hour mark another hosts chance saw full back Vinny Durrant in down the left hand side but he dragged his effort wide.
Bowers continued to carve out openings and seconds later saw another decent move end with Knight hitting straight at Mason again and then a couple of minutes later it was the visitors turn to put a good move together and ended with Stimson seeing an effort well saved by Madden.
Eight minutes before the before almost saw an embarrassing moment for Thurrock keeper Mason as an Alfie Hilton cross saw the keeper miss judge the cross and saw the ball go over his head, hit Knight, before he managed to gather the ball at the second attempt with Knight lurking.
However with all this pressure from the hosts they so nearly were pegged back by Thurrock five minutes before half time when a visitors break upfield ended with Mark Onyemah striking the post with a decent effort which had Madden beaten. Two minutes later Bowers passed up another chance when Knight and Callum Leahy were both thwarted by Mason and then just before half time tempers flared between Bowers Ross Adams and Thurrock’s Stimson, resulting in a yellow card for each.
It had certainly been a highly competitive encounter, although the hosts were the better side and deserved their lead.
Half Time Bowers & Pitsea 1 Thurrock 0
The niggly affair that the first half ended in continued over into the early stages of the second period and saw Knight put in a challenge which saw his opponent come off worse, and then go face to face with an annoyed Thurrock defender, although the situation was soon dealt with by the man in the middle.
Eight minutes into the second half a great ball in behind the Thurrock defence by Leahy found Hilton but after cutting inside his effort went straight at Mason. Both sides then saw half chance go begging as the game went past the hour mark although the visitors were starting to crank up the pressure.
However just as they were looking dangerous, they saw themselves reduced to ten men midway through the half as skipper Richard Halle received a second booking for handball after going up for header in the hosts box. It was a moment of madness but it meant the visitors would have to play the remainder of the game with a man less.
Thurrock though didn’t seem that deterred and won a free kick in position ‘a’ but saw Cowley’s effort go way over the bar. Bowers tried to make life more difficult for the visitors on 77 minutes when Warner sent a ball flashing across the six yard box, but apart from this the ten men visitors had been having a decent spell without really testing the hosts goal.
Two minutes later Warner whipped a free kick from the right just over the Thurrock bar but with eight minutes to go came a truly wonderful moment when Knight cracked an incredible effort into the top corner from thirty yards out, giving Mason no chance whatsoever. Warner’s goal was spectacular but this one was off the scale, it was a truly awesome strike and it gave the hosts that two goal cushion they were craving.
To be fair to Thurrock they kept going and saw a Stimson effort force a smart stop from Madden and then deep into stoppage time another Thurrock effort was well held by Madden to make sure the home side kept a clean sheet as well. So Bowers ran out deserved winners on the night and climb into tenth as their decent start to Ryman Football continues, whilst Thurrock’s recent good form took a set back here as they remain seventh.
Full Time Bowers & Pitsea 2 Thurrock 0
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