Bowers and Pitsea United 1, Tilbury 2

A late, late goal from Chris Sorainhdo gave Tilbury victory in this hard fought Thameside Trophy tie played out in horrendous conditions.

On a pitch barely fit for play, both sides found it difficult to find their footing and in the early stages it looked as if the enthusiasm and workrate of the home side would be likely to give them another senior scalp.

With several cup victories to their credit against sides from higher leagues, Bowers certainly didn't lack confidence going into the match and they produced some decent football with a swirling wind at the backs, often hurrying Tilbury into mistakes in the midfield morass.

However the visitors gradually began to exert an authority on the match and they nicked the halftime lead with a goal a minute before the break when good work in midfield by Tilbury's best player, John Purches, saw the ball slipped over the top to young striker Danny Exley and he rounded the keeper with some aplomb to record his first goal for the Chadfields side.

With the wind in their favour in the second half, Tilbury might have expected to run away with the match, but it was Bowers who were much the better side for the whole of the second half.

They had already created several chances before drawing level just seven minutes into the second half, though Tom Dosser appeared to be several yards offside before running through and rounding keeper Dave McCartney, who was booked for his protests after the ball his the back of the net.

Few in the ground other than the officials thought it was a genuine goal but it stood and from then on it looked likely that Bowers would step up and clinch the tie.

Tilbury looked a side lacking in ideas and found themselves continually pushed back until they rallied in the final minutes.

And that late burst of enthusiasm brought rich reward two minutes from time when Keith Wilson produced a peach of a right foot cross, Bowers struggled to clear and Sorhaindho netted from the edge of the box with a fine curling strike and earn his side a home tie against either Canvey Island or Billericay in the next round.