Dockers beaten in thriller

TILBURY will play far worse than this and win matches this season.

Not that such a summary will be of consolation for the Dockers who twice lead in Saturday's Essex Senior League clash only to lose out to two goals in the last five minutes and see Ramblers open up an 11 point gap between the teams.

They are second in the table behind runaway leaders Hornchurch and while Tilbury's hopes of securing one of the top two places appear to have gone, the last promotion slot is still in their sights after Concord beat third-placed Waltham Abbey.

That leaves a bunch of teams in a congested pack behind the top two and if Tilbury can find some way of converting the effort shown in Saturday's encounter into points they may yet secure something from what was, until the turn of the year, in danger of becoming a very disappointing season.

Now, in successive matches against promotion contenders Barking side, Hornchurch and Ramblers, Dockers have shown they have an appetite for the battle that looked sadly missing in matches against lesser opposition as the year reached its turn.

Saturday's encounter was a thoroughly entertaining affair, with the trend set as early as the third minute when Ramblers' Tim O'Reilly hit a post after being put through.

At the other end Paul Sammons sent a drive rising over the crossbar as Tilbury responded well but some slack play on 20 minutes afforded Ramblers the opportunity to score, which league top scorer Steve Portway was never going to spurn. There didn't look much danger the visitors broke down the left but Tilbury keeper James Marrable, who had replaced error-prone James Cook, made the error of stepping out towards the ball which drifted over his head and Portway rose to head into an unguarded net.

That prompted a passage of play in which Ramblers dominated but Marrable made partial amends with a good save to deny the impressive Lee Perry and then another prominent Burnham player, Dan Jones wasted a good opportunity.

Having survived the onslaught, Tilbury promptly countered with a goal. Hard-running forced Burnham to concede a corner and when Sammon swung it across Tilbury defender Courtney McLean rose to nod in his second goal in two games.

Things might have been even brighter for Tilbury before the half time break, with Tom Dosser and Paul Cobb striking shots at goal but they were to seize the lead in the first minute after the restart through Cobb, who showed Portway he isn't going to get the league's golden boot without a fight.

There appeared little to worry the visiting defence as the ball was played up to Cobb with his back to goal but he controlled it on his chest, swivelled and in one movement crashed the ball into the back of the net from some distance for a spectacular 22nd goal of the season.

Burnham's response was powerful and sustained, pushing Tilbury into a rearguard action which saw some fierce tackling and lunging blocks but they were finally undone by a series of corners that ended on 50 minutes with O'Reilly climbing highest in a packed box to head home, though Marrable will feel he should have kept out the downward header that bounced up over his flailing arms.

Any thoughts of a comfortable run-in for the visitors were brushed away by Tilbury's resolute defending and occasional counter-attacks. And manager Tony Cross chipped in with an astute substitution that saw youngster Ricky Eaton replace Dosser and drop into a role shadowing Portway.

Burnham's attacking ambitions continued to be thwarted and on 73 minutes Tilbury struck again.

Cobb won a free kick by using his guile to hold the ball up on the edge of the box and when Sammons chipped in a cross, the ball fell invitingly for diminutive, hard-working striker Dean Cramer. It was his chance for glory but he hopelessly sliced his volley high and across the box. Luckily for Tilbury Cobb showed all his predatory instincts and while everyone else was flat-footed he pounced to head the ball past transfixed keeper James Redwood.

That might have been enough to beat most teams in the league, but Burnham are nothing if not persistent and they really turned the screw for the closing stages.

Tilbury resisted attack after attack but with just five minutes remaining they finally cracked, if in somewhat unfortunate circumstances. Yet another Burnham cross was played into the box but Tilbury looked to have cleared only for the ball to ricochet into a melee of players and Jones was in the right place to deflect it him, though how much of his action was intent only he can say. Tilbury thought he was offside but the goal stood.

Tilbury replaced Danny McGoldrick, who had run himself into the ground, with Dave Webster and then threw on more fresh legs with Simon Deakin replacing Cramer but it wasn't to be their day.

Just two minutes remained when Joe Andrews somewhat recklessly gave away a free kick and when it was knocked into the box there was an almighty scramble that saw Portway escape the clutches of Eaton for once and show his poaching ability to knock in a close range 26th goal of the season.

There was still time for Jones, who was lucky to escape with just a caution after kicking out at a Tilbury player in the closing moments, to lash a drive over the bar and at the other end, in stoppage time, Webster had the chance to be a hero but blazed over the bar when he had time and space to pick a spot.

When the final whistle arrived Burnham celebrated as if they had clinched promotion, not merely beaten a contender. They will surely go on to secure elevation to higher things, if only as runners-up to Hornchurch, and they will also relish extracting revenge on Tilbury who knocked them out of the FA Vase.

Tilbury shouldn't be too disheartened and can take pride in playing full part in a very enjoyable match that shows there's life in the old Dockers yet.