Hashtag United 2 East Thurrock United 1

Isthmian League One North, Monday 15th August

I was over at The Len Salmon Stadium on a sultry Monday evening and saw a penalty from Kojo Apenteng and a thunderbolt from Matt Wooldridge prove enough for Hashtag United to edge to victory over East Thurrock United in their Isthmian League One North contest.

Both these sides came into this local derby having lost their opening games of the season, The Tags went down to a narrow 1-0 loss at Bury Town whilst United were beaten 4-2 at home by AFC Sudbury, meaning both sides were looking to put that right and bounce back from those losses at the weekend.

And a bumper crowd of 423 were in attendance too, including a healthy following from Corringham, to see if their sides could do just that, although a rather poor first half ensued and looked to be ending goalless until deep into added on time at the end of the half when Toby Aromolaran burst though and as he went past keeper Montel Joseph he went down, and the referee pointed to the spot.

Contact looked minimal at best and the visiting players were less than impressed with the decision, which also saw Joseph booked for his troubles, and this was compounded when Apenteng stepped up to dispatch the spot kick and send his side into the dressing room a goal to the good.  It had been a dour half of football though so we were all hoping for an improvement in the second period.

The second half was thankfully a much better spectacle too, and eight minutes into it saw a superb strike from Wooldridge, letting fly from range and seeing the ball thump off the underside of the bar and down and just over the line according to the assistant on the far side, which upset the visitors who were adamant the ball had not crossed the line, but anyway the goal was given and The Tags had a two goal cushion, leaving the visitors a mountain to climb.

It was a mountain they very nearly climbed though, pulling one back when a corner from Daryl Byron-samuels found the head of Jack McQueen who sent a bullet of a header into the net with fifteen minutes remaining, and had it not been for a couple of decent stops from Tags keeper Anthony Page, the visitors could easily have left with a point.

Tags did have chances to seal it too, their best moment came when a cross into the box found Joni Vukaj totally alone twelve yards or so out, but he took his eye off the ball and missed the cross completely, however the Tags did hold on to take a very hard earned three points and get their first points of the campaign on the board, whilst the visitors have lost both their games so far.

Full time Hashtag United 2 East Thurrock United 1