United rocked at Thurrock

FLEET began their defence of the Essex Senior Cup in style on Monday night by smacking their hapless borough neighbours for seven.

Martin Carthy and the impressive Lee Hodges both bagged a brace apiece with Scott Wallis, Garry Cross and Scott Harper all contributing to Thurrock's biggest win of the season.

Having been on the receiving end of a hammering of their own six days previously, when they were beaten 6-0 by Cambridge City, Colin McBride's men have responded in the best manner possible and netted 11 goals in two games to put that horror show well and truly behind them.

East Thurrock's management team of Lee Patterson and Steve Mosely will be hoping that their side responds to this hiding in a similar fashion but the pair would have been troubled by the way their players capitulated in the second half after a decent first half display which saw them just two goals in arrears.

Indeed, had either Tony Boot or Steve West made more of the chances presented to them inside the first 10 minutes then the game could well have been a whole lot different. West in particular will be ruing his missed header after a good cross from Danny Hayzelden.

But it was West's ex- Grays team mate, Carthy who broke the deadlock when he latched on to a Hodges through ball, saw his first effort saved by Mark Hardingham and then turned in the rebound.

Hayzelden then had what looked like a legitimate shout for a penalty turned down by the ref after Ronnie Fletcher appeared to have pulled him back and Richard Thomas shot wide as Rocks looked a threat.

But they found themselves two goals down a minute before the interval when Wallis - the 17-year-old on loan from Leyton Orient - fired home a Richard Goddard knock-down with the aid of a deflection.

East Thurrock collapsed like a house of cards in the second half with the first of five goals coming shortly after the re-start.

Mark Janney worked a cute give and go with Wallis before picking out Carthy whose downward header was scrambled away by Hardingham but not before it had sneaked over the line.

Hardingham then made a great save to stop another deflected effort from Wallis before Hodges warmed up a bitterly cold evening with a fine strike from the edge of the box that arrowed into the top corner.

Cross made it five with a sweetly struck shot from a Janney knock-down though Hardingham hardly covered himself in glory with his attempt to save it as Rocks caved in.

Having already been booked for hauling down Cross as he made his way towards the box, Danny Dafter should have seen red for a cynical foul on Wallis as he surged towards goal but escaped without even a cautionary word from the ref.

But the visitors were punished further minutes later when Hodges tricked his way into the box with embarrassing ease and fired into the bottom corner. Steve Harper completed the rout six minutes before the end when he collected a Hodges passed and slotted past Hardingham.